Evaluation of General Sources

Climate Change: Obama's tour to Alaska

Climate change is an issue the entire planet and it's population face and will continue to face for many decades to come, whether we recognize the issue or not.  Barack Obama just recently visited Alaska on a speaking tour to speak on his increasing focus on climate change.  The two articles I chose that discussed the trip and how it would effect Alaska and the world took two very different approaches to covering the controversy.  Climate change and oil exploration inherently create conflict, in this case however, it is the president's plan to address the issue that creates controversy.  Both articles adeptly explain the issues occurring in Alaska and the actions being taken to try to halt massive economic problems, but they focus on different topics of the controversy.  Both writers are Ivy league graduates with considerable background in environmental issues, politics, and are active in their positions at their companies.

Time - Justin Worland

Justin Worland, a Harvard graduate with about a 1 year of experience at Time published his coverage of the tour on September 1 entitled "Obama's Trip to Alaska Shows Both Sides of His Climate Change Legacy".  His focus was mainly on Obama's stance on the oil reserves and whether or not further exploration and extraction of the reserves is a possibility.  The region contains enough undiscovered oil to potentially null any efforts being done to lessen global warming.  The President, during his recent speeches - he inserts one picture of Obama at one of these speeches in local businesses and towns in Alaska as perspective - has touched on his goal of reducing carbon emissions by 26-28% by 2025.  The government did in fact just recently release their Clean Power Plan, which outlines future development in solar power and renewable energy production in the private sector.  However, Worland also points out that the President is also in support of continued monitored drilling, as the US needs the oil to substantiate the country while further clean energy research and systems are implemented.  This conflict of interest over solutions to climate change and keeping the US functioning on oil as a natural resource is what Worland's article brings to the surface while still reporting on Obama's plan and the physical climate change in Alaska.

The Washington Post - Juliet Eilperin

Juliet Eilperin, a Princeton graduate with 17 years at The Washington Post last updated her article on September 2 entitled "In rural Alaska, Obama works to speed renewable energy revolution".  Instead of focusing on the conflicting interests in natural resources, she turned her eye to the people of Alaska and the direct effects of climate change to the state.  The speaking tour was a combination of highlighting climate change education, the serious erosion issue, and announcing a $4 million investment into renewable energy development in Alaska.  The most visual example of the Alaskan climate change issue are the land masses with trapped tribal towns eroding away.  

Environmental Protection Agency "Ground under home in Shimaref,
Alaska collapsing from erosion." Alaska Conservation Foundation (2010)

Money is the biggest issue the Alaskan government is facing in terms of both relocating the tribes, improving the health system, and even the incredibly high rates of electricity and resources within the state.  The $4 million is a significant contribution to renewable energy development, but it lacks the power to move entire villages.  There must be a balancing act between moving the people to safe location, protecting their resources, while still making sure the town is economically stable.  In terms of sustainable technology and energy, the Alaskan cities are doing very well, as the size of the towns are ideal for the power source.  However, the speed at which climate change is causing havoc is too fast for the Alaskan towns to survive on their own.  The article spends an equal amount of time presenting the struggle of the people, the energy solutions, and the amount of funding necessary to solve the problem that is not currently being provided.  Eilperin includes one video of one of his speeches alongside Bristol Bay in which he successfully fishes and discusses the importance of protecting US resources and the halting of oil exploration in the region.