Alaska’s relationship with climate change is complicated.
It’s warming faster here than in any other state — wildfires and thawing permafrost are wreaking havoc on infrastructure. Weird things are happening to salmon. At the same time, there’s no consensus about how to deal with that — Alaska’s economy runs on fossil fuels, and the state lacks a formal policy to respond to global warming.
One of the solutions to this problem? Talking about it. At least, that’s according to Katharine Hayhoe, a PhD climate scientist and evangelical Christian from Texas who’s known for her ability to engage skeptical audiences. She’s coming to Alaska next week for a series of public appearances, plus visits to the Mendenhall glacier and Denali. And she says Alaska is not so different from her home state.
