Gov. Bill Walker signed an administrative order Tuesday creating the Alaska Climate Change Strategy as well as forming a leadership team to address climate change in Alaska.
The order also calls for state departments to review previous work on climate change and identify immediate responses they can take.
Walker said the time was now to take a stand against climate change.
"Alaskans should be at the forefront of innovation and response," Walker said. "In addition to developing solutions that ensure community and economic resilience while mitigating environmental harm, we must also engage with national and international partners to strengthen Alaska's voice in global decision-making."
Walker identified the challenge of moving toward renewable energy sources for a state that is so heavily dependent on fossil fuel production, both practically and fiscally.
Walker noted that, while the Legislature continues to struggle to balance the budget, issues related to climate change cannot wait for fiscal stability.
"It’s certainly a challenge in the fiscal situation we’re in right now to go out and look for new money," he said. "There may be ways we use the existing funds more efficiently, and I think we just need to be thinking a little more long term in some of the decisions we make."
As an Alaskan I am very heartened by this proactive attitude coming from the state government, but as a progressive I worry that this is still much too tentative of an approach and decades too late to make enough of a difference.
It should also be noted that President Obama laid out very comprehensive plan for helping Alaska tackle this issue, but when Trump came in he trashed the entire thing.
The same certainly could happen with this if Alaskans are ignorant enough to replace Walker with a GOP governor.
Remember, elections have consequences.
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