NTEC's
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Mike Williams’ Statement about Arctic Petition During the National Congress of American Indians’ (NCAI) Convention in Niagara Falls, NY, Mike Williams, Akiak Native Community Council Member, introduced a statement to the Natural Resources Committee in which he urged tribal leaders to support the Arctic Petition. Mike Williams is the NCAI Alaska Area Vice President and an At-Large Representative on the NTEC Executive Committee. Tens of thousands of people inhabit the Arctic region of the United States, which is entirely in Alaska. Many of these people are Alaska Natives for whom culture is subsistence harvesting, sharing of food, travel on snow and ice, traditional knowledge, and adaptation to Arctic conditions. The Arctic also supports some of the last remaining relatively pristine marine eco-systems, and the Arctic Ocean provides important habitat for 23 species of marine mammals, 100 species of fish, and more than 50 species of seabirds. The Arctic helps ventilate the planet. The long periods of little to no sunlight and high reflectivity of snow and ice result in a net loss of heat, which helps drive the circulation of the Earth’s atmosphere and ocean currents. Nowhere on earth has global warming had more severe impacts than the Arctic, which is warming at about twice the rate of the rest of the world. Indigenous observations, scientific studies, and syntheses such as the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment have consistently documented the rapid climate change occurring in the Arctic and its impacts on peoples and ecosystems. We have serious concerns about the future of species that sustain our sub-sistence lifestyle. In particular, we are concerned about impacts to whales and other import-ant subsistence species, including walrus, caribou, ice seals, and seabirds. Sea ice loss also is making the Arctic more accessible to industrial fishing, shipping, and offshore oil and gas activities, all of which risk harming the ocean ecosystem and opportunities for the subsistence way of life. Further, severe erosion in threatening several coastal villages, and the rate of erosion is increasing. Changing weather patterns and snow and ice conditions present serious chal-lenges to hunting and travel by Arctic peoples. Thawing permafrost is already disrupting transportation and causing damage to buildings and other infrastructure. Increased daytime temperatures and thawing permafrost also adversely affect traditional methods of food and hide storage and preservation, such as use of ice cellars. In addition to warming temperatures, the Arctic is threatened by ocean acidification as increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide cause the ocean surface—especially in colder waters—to become more acidic. As seasonal sea ice disappears, the cold wagers of the Arctic Ocean will absorb carbon dioxide rapidly. Acidification may result in mass extinc-tions that fundamentally transform Arctic ocean ecosystems and affect our subsistence. These changes are caused by emissions of greenhouse gases. The climate changes occur-ring in the Arctic are threatening the health and welfare of our communities and make it clear that the current concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is already too high. Climate change and ocean acidification in the Arctic are being felt right now by Arctic peoples, who have done the least to cause them. Scientists tell us that there are also enor-mous world-wide implications as these Arctic changes ripple through ocean currents, weather patterns, and migratory populations and eventually trigger other impacts that affect the rest of the United States and, ultimately, the world. Recent research indicates that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations should be reduced to at least 350 parts per million if we wish to preserve a planet similar to that on which life on Earth is adapted. While we are taking some steps in the right direction, as EPA has released a proposed finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public health and welfare, there is still much work to be done. EPA must take the next step and issue comprehensive regulations under the Clean Air Act for greenhouse gases. It is for that reason that AITC (Alaska Inter-Tribal Council) joined mayors from San Francisco, CA to Shishmaref, AK, Oceana, Ocean Conser-vancy, and Alaska Conservation Solutions on the Arctic Petition. The Arctic Petition explains in detail the impacts that climate change and ocean acidification are having in the Arctic and the ways in which those changes will have global impacts. It also explains that those changes are harming the public health and welfare both in the Arctic and worldwide and that EPA must take action to address the emissions of greenhouse gases which are causing those changes. As explained in the Arctic Petition, EPA has both the authority and obligation to regulate greenhouse gases to protect our health and welfare. As it undertakes that process, we have significant experience and expertise to offer. As people of the Arctic, we know firsthand what is happening there. We know our people are already being hurt by global climate change. We know the only way to solve this problem is to reduce CO2 on our planet. This petition is one tool we can use to get closer to a solution. —Introduced to Natural Resources Committee, NCAI Mid-Year Convention, Niagara Falls, NY (June 15, 2009)
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