Alaska Climate Disasters

Climate Disaster Tucked away in the vast Alaskan wilderness only assessable by boat or plane, lays the state capital, Juneau. This isolated town, and the people born and raised in it have seen a sight that many people can’t fathom. Many Americans see the world climate change, but don’t take action because they have not seen the major effects of it. Being born and raised in Juneau, Alaska I have sadly seen over a dozen glaciers recede at a rapid rate, each year being a record-breaking year. Years where snow fall has been minimal because the difference of a few degrees. Unfortunately, these unusual years are become the standard. The farther north you travel the larger the effect climate change has on the landscape and animals that inhabit it. Do you really want your children growing up not knowing what a polar bear was or asking why over 760 million
This prestigious reputation has served it well for as long as the Tlingit were the only people to hunt the woods. However, recently the more accurate description would be “wet, dark winters”. the incredible lack of snow over the past few winters have been alarmingly low, which in turn effects two major things. Snowfall provides the city and borough of Juneau water by melting, flowing down into huge water basins and getting distributed out from there. There has never been a water shortage due to the amount of snow that piles up on the surrounding mountains which continues to melt all summer long. In 2014 Juneau had its first ever water shortage, advising people to not wash cars, water plants. As a result of this the city made two new wells to prepare for warmer winters of the future. The second big effect that the low snow accumulation winters have is the amount of snow that falls on the glaciers, compacting therefore forming new ice. Both these reasons have been hugely impacted by climate change even if it has only been a few