Alaskans know we are at "ground zero" for the effects of global climate change.
Storms raging over ice-free waters that were once frozen solid now erode the shoreline, undercutting villages and toppling homes into the sea. Melting permafrost is causing roads and foundations to heave and buckle. The cost to maintain or replace this public infrastructure is estimated in the billions.
The loss of sea ice is devastating for polar bears, walrus and seals; ocean acidification is weakening the marine food chain; and warming waters are changing the migration patterns of fish. This is life-altering for Arctic residents who have depended on these species for their nutritional and cultural needs for thousands of years.
The loss of ice also means the Arctic will play an increasing role in our nation's commerce, energy independence and foreign policy by opening previously inaccessible areas to oil and gas development, shipping and tourism.
A package of legislation I recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would help the nation prepare for these opportunities and challenges. I call my seven bills the Inuvikput package after the Inupiaq word for "the place where we live."
They call for:
• Better science -- Much research is already under way into various aspects of the Arctic and this bill calls for a comprehensive strategy to coordinate that research and ensure no research overlap or gaps.
• Arctic ambassador -- Many Arctic nations are represented by ambassadors before the Arctic Council. American interests would be enhanced by appointment of a U.S. ambassador to the Arctic to strengthen our nation's voice before international forums.
• Marine shipping -- As the ice cap recedes, the Arctic will open to increased shipping and tourism, requiring measures to ensure safe passage and protect its waters. This bill would also replace America's aging fleet of icebreakers and establish new forward operating bases for the Coast Guard to better assert our national interests.
• Oil spill research -- To ensure that development of the energy reserves beneath the Arctic is done responsibly, this bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to research improved oil spill prevention, response and recovery in Arctic conditions.
• Revenue sharing -- Alaska Natives who have subsisted on marine Arctic resources for millennia would bear the risks of increased commercial activity in their waters. This bill directs a portion of federal revenues from offshore oil and gas development -- the same share Louisiana receives from drilling in the adjacent Gulf of Mexico -- to the state of Alaska and those directly affected.
• Health research -- People of the Arctic suffer from increased rates of alcohol abuse, diabetes, high blood pressure and death from injury and suicide. This act would initiate an Arctic health assessment program and study the physical and mental health problems in the high latitudes.
• Climate change adaptation -- Alaska villages and other public infrastructure already suffer from the impacts of climate change. This bill would help the state and affected Arctic communities adapt to the impacts of climate change and assist in clean energy development.
I also support ratification of two treaties that are necessary to improve America's ability to respond to Arctic climate change.
The Law of the Sea treaty was negotiated decades ago to settle disputes over offshore waters and resources but the U.S. is among a handful of nations that have not ratified it. This denies our nation a seat at the table when decisions are made about the Arctic's continental shelf. I also support ratification of the treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The pollutants, PCBs, DDT and dioxins, are carried to the Arctic by wind and water currents; there they accumulate in the ice and tissues of marine mammals and fish.
America is an Arctic nation, thanks to Alaska. My Inuvikput package will broaden our understanding of this unique region and make the needed investments to ensure the United States can assert an enhanced presence in the Arctic, safely develop its resources and maintain leadership at the top of our globe.
Mark Begich is the junior U.S. senator from Alaska.
By SEN. MARK BEGICH