The town of Kivalina, Alaska will be underwater in a decade, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Melting glaciers and increasingly rising sea levels are covering the shore and the small town. Its residents are being faced with the effects of climate change at a faster rate than nearly any other place in the world.
It’s a town that President Obama had hoped to showcase during his tour of Alaska, according to the Los Angeles Times. The town is a powerful symbol of the effects of climate change that are not far off in the future. The town is experiencing the cost of our carbon emissions.
According to Mr. Obama, Alaska is experiencing the brunt of climate change: “More frequent and extensive wildfires. Bigger storm surges as sea ice melts faster. Some of the swiftest shoreline erosion in the world – in some places, more than 3 feet a year.”
What will become of Kivalina? The residents are anxious to find out. While they all tend to agree that it the town needs to move, there are no clear answers as to where they will go or who will pay for it.
