Why the Presidential Call to Action is a Call to Cities
President Barack Obama this week trekked to Alaska’s Arctic Circle to address the nation about climate change. The combination of historic wildfires, thawing permafrost, and melting glaciers all served as the backdrop for the President’s push to lead the nation in the pursuit of climate solutions.
Moves to address climate change are particularly important at the community level, where local leaders are on the front lines of protecting residents from the effects of a changing climate. This is especially true in Alaska, where coastal and indigenous communities are already facing a changing environment. Mayors and local municipal officials are increasingly being forced to take on climate related challenges, and they have been particularly successful: creating jobs, decreasing environmental risks to their communities, and cleaning up their cities.
The President’s trip ahead of the COP 21 Paris Climate Talks emphasizes the importance of addressing climate change on all fronts. International agreements, national emission standards, and community led action are all critical components of achieving climate solutions. Help transform your city into a climate success story by joining Path to Positive Communities!
Barack Obama heads to Alaska on mission to highlight climate change
By Suzanne Goldenberg | The Guardian | September 1, 2015
Barack Obama will use a trek across Alaska’s melting glaciers and permafrost to showcase the fight against climate change during a three-day visit to the state starting on Monday.
But the president, who departed for Anchorage in Air Force One on Monday morning, was accused of damaging his own environmental legacy – and the effort to keep warming below the internationally agreed goal of 2 degrees celsius – by allowing Shell to hunt for oil in Arctic waters.
“Indigenous peoples of Alaska have seen alarming impacts from climate change already, and Shell’s drilling will only make them worse,” Faith Gemmill of RedOil, said in a statement, ahead of demonstrations against Shell drilling in Anchorage.