Letters to the Editor

Letter: Disappearing glaciers

Like many young Alaskans, I had the privilege to visit Exit Glacier and soak in the natural beauty of the Kenai Mountains. But after my 2016 visit, I returned again just five years later — only to find a fraction of what I remembered.

No, my eyes weren’t deceiving me; as a consequence of our changing climate, Exit Glacier has shrunk considerably in that short period of time. And as a whole, the Arctic ice sheet is also shrinking at a rate that, as has been recently discovered, is faster than even previously expected. An unfortunate reality is that Alaska is losing the most amount of ice, proportionally, of any region in the world.  

Sen. Lisa Murkowski deserves praise for her recent work developing realistic solutions to the melting Arctic. Her Arctic Commitment Act would enhance national security, promote trade, and generate research — all by eliminating Russia’s monopoly on Arctic shipping. As usual, we can count on her to cut through party bickering and deliver concrete wins for Alaskans.

Now, we need the rest of Congress to follow her lead and center around practicable solutions that can deliver emissions reductions worldwide. One effective solution would be to hold high-polluting countries accountable for their pollution with carbon tariffs. Especially considering America’s global economic influence, this trade policy would put real pressure on polluters like China and Russia and have them compete with American manufacturers under equal environmental standards.

As a high school student who hopes to return to the Exit Glacier as an adult, I urge Alaska’s whole congressional delegation, including newly elected Congresswoman Mary Peltola, to act soon. Our way of life depends on it.

— Anna Kardashyan

Anchorage

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