Yardley, William. “Victim of Climate Change, a Town Seeks a Lifeline.” The New York Times 27 May 2007: n. pag. Print.
This article is on the impact climate change has had on Alaskan villages, specifically Newtok. Villages like Newtok are ancient places, populated with Native Alaskans who depend on the quality of the land, water, and animals for survival. Climate change caused Newtok to be cut off, and sink below sea level. Village elders wished to move the village, though the cost would have been over $400,000 per resident.
Native Alaskan villages seem worlds away from New York, where this newspaper is located, not just thousands of miles. A piece like this is significant because it gives readers around the world a perspective on what might come to be in their areas: barrier islands, beach communities on a coast, towns in low-lying areas. We have seen some of this happen in a big city with the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and most recently New Jersey and New York City during last fall’s Hurricane Sandy. As larger populations are affected, and more lives are disrupted, will these issues associated with climate chaos be addressed?
As I look at how my family can live more lightly on the earth articles like this show me that every little bit, every change I can make, has a ripple effect. The planet is one big eco-system and even small villages, flights away from cities, feel the impact on their culture. It concerns me that after this article was published U.S. citizens and businesses didn’t learn much. It didn’t really become part of the national conversation and it barely even because part of the conversation in Anchorage.
art2snow
behikers
walrissa
And after that, they elected Sarah Palin to office, who likes to shoot wild animals with high powered rifles from planes. Why are our natives not revered and protected, rather than shoved off to suffer and die? And when the facts are so startlingly clear, why are our elected “leaders” (they never lead, they follow corporations’ wishes) not doing everything they can to save the planet? One word, greed. You are right, every little bit we do to live more lightly has a positive effect. – Thanks for the post!
Wait. Stop dissing Sarah. She was in office 2 years and increased the funding for the state’s housing rebates when you make your homes more energy efficient AND she got us ACES! http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-94990.html
She could become known as the best environmental gov. we’ve had since Hammond.
Larissa is this your NOTES section of your blog? It’s not your observation section. I’m looking for a link to each of those. Notes is for me only. The observation (personal blog assignments) is for the class to read.
Thanks for posting this. I’m feeling like a very tiny drop in a big ocean at the moment, so it’s good to get any encouragement to keep on keeping on.
Reblogged this on Demo Portfolio.