Saturday, June 3, 2006

Moving an Alaskan Village


Listen Up

  • From NPR’s Day to Day (11-25-2005), this short report on efforts to move Alaskan villages (4:10) due to the impact of global warming.

  • From Living on Earth, a longer take on this story: Alaska’s Changing Climate (16:30), focusing on the Eskimo village of Shishmaref, which is on Alaska’s northwest coast, some 20 miles south of the Arctic Circle. As temperatures moderate each year, the villagers are seeing their shores eroding.

  • From Talk of the Nation (10-31-2003) comes this far-ranging discussion of Arctic Ice (32:50).
Write Now
  • Global warming is an immense topic, filled with scientific claims. The story of people losing their homes is much more personal. What sorts of physical changes could possibly cost you to lose your home?
  • Often times, what is most special about one’s hometown is also what is most vulnerable in it. Can you think of any aspect of your hometown (perhaps a business or a park) that is currently threatened?
Read On