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Yesterday, Bob King from Senator Mark Begich’s (NGP Photo) office thoughtfully sent us a copy of Senator Begich’s first floor speech (Printed in full, below), given in conjunction with his introduction of Inuvikput legislation dealing with "…oil exploration, climate change, shipping, health, and diplomacy in America’s Arctic." Clearly, Senator Begich is setting out to claim his own turf in the U.S. Senate, turf entitling him to suggest and champion new policies representing America’s place in the Arctic. Not surprisingly, such initiative should also assist him in the quest to become a champion of Alaska’s northernmost residents. (See the ADN story here.) Absent from this symphony of legislation is another bill that from our perspective never ‘rang true’: Begich’s proposed Arctic Regional Citizens Advisory Council (ARCAC) would have provided another hurtle for oil and gas explorers to overcome and even his latest version of the bill had fatal flaws which I will outline later. Here is my earlier comment on this legislation…along with an expression of relief that the good Senator chose to not make ARCAC a part of yesterday’s Inuvikput package. -dh
Richard G. Newell began service today as the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration (EIA). As EIA’s seventh administrator, Newell is responsible for directing the Nation’s primary energy statistical and analytical agency.
Here is the link to a study recently completed by a team at Penn State, "An Emerging Giant: Prosp
ects and Economic Impacts of Developing the Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Play" (i.e. by Timothy Considine, Ph.D., M.B.A., Robert Watson, Ph.D., P.E., Rebecca Entler, and Jeffrey Sparks). Is Marcellus truely competition for Arctic gas pipelines? Here is a link to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC’s) recent resolution dealing with a related subject: Hydraulic Fracturing.
Statement of U.S. Senator Mark Begich
on Introduction of “Inuvikput” Arctic Legislative Package
Embargoed Until 2 p.m.; August 3, 2009
(Slide 1 – Alaska map)
Mr. President, I rise today for the first time on this floor to mark the 50th anniversary of
Alaska statehood, and to draw the attention of my colleagues to an urgent issue that affects not
only my state, but all our states – the issue of global climate change.
This year, thanks to actions taken in this very chamber, Alaska is celebrating its golden
anniversary of statehood. Acquiring the rights and responsibilities of full citizenship was the
culmination of a dream for citizens of the 49th state.
Statehood granted us the ability to exercise control over our vast natural resources and
gave us a full voice in our national government. In the half century since, Alaska has grown from
the nation’s largest supplier of salmon to become the nation’s storehouse of both seafood and
energy.
Because of its strategic location near the top of the globe, Alaska plays a critical role in
the nation’s defense. During the Cold War, the superpowers stared down each other across the
frozen polar ice cap. Thanks to a thaw in the geopolitical climate, the Ice Curtain separating
Alaska and Russia melted some 20 years ago.
Today, it is a change in the climate itself that present serious new challenges – and great
opportunities – to my state and our nation. Alaska is now at Ground Zero for the effects of global
climate change.
I take this opportunity today to detail how that is affecting the lives of Alaskans. I will
describe a package of legislation I am introducing to prepare my state and the nation for the next
50 years.
During that time, the Arctic will play an even larger role in the nation’s commerce,
foreign policy, and energy independence.
(Slide 2 – Portage Glacier)
Mr. President, to me there’s no more dramatic illustration of global warming in Alaska
than these two pictures taken at Portage Glacier, just about 50 miles south of Anchorage.
This top photo, taken by my dad in 1970, shows me and two of my brothers and a sister.
The glacier is clearly in view. The bottom photo was taken just 35 years later, in 2005. It’s of my
son, Jacob, standing in the exact same spot.
The glacier is nowhere to be seen because it has dramatically receded due to global
warming.
2
Today in the Arctic, the sea ice is melting so fast most of it could be gone in thirty years.
You can clearly see it in this polar projection of the Arctic.
(Slide 3 – ice map)
The implications of that loss are enormous. Devastating for species such as the polar
bear, walrus and seals, which depend on ice for their very survival.
Life-altering for Arctic residents who have depended on marine mammals for their
nutritional and cultural needs for thousands of years. Literally earth-shattering for entire Alaskan
Arctic communities, which are being wiped away by erosion and thawing permafrost.
When this global air conditioner is knocked off kilter, it accelerates climatic changes we
are already witnessing around the globe that neither science nor our political systems can stop.
Consider these examples.
(Slide 4 – eroding house)
Storms raging over waters that once were frozen solid but which are now ice-free for
much of the year are eroding sections of the Alaska shoreline at rates of 45 feet per year or more.
This undermines entire coastal villages like Shishmaref and Kivalina.
Thawing permafrost is causing roads and the foundations of homes to buckle. A recent
study by the University of Alaska’s Institute of Social and Economic Research estimated that the
impacts of climate change will increase the cost of maintaining or replacing just today’s public
infrastructure in my state by 6 billion-dollars.
The potential release of massive amounts of methane now sealed in the permafrost
threaten to accelerate the pace of climate change. That’s known to scientists as “Arctic
Feedback.”
Warming water temperatures are pushing cold water species north and attracting warm
water species from the south. Fishermen in Sitka are encountering the giant Humboldt squid
from Mexico. Tuna – whose usual habitat favors the tropics – have been caught near Homer.
And invasive species such as green crab are moving steadily northward.
Ocean acidification – the result of absorption of carbon into our marine waters – weakens
shellfish, coral, and even plankton, the very first link of the marine food chain.
At the G-8 Summit earlier this month in Italy, developing nations agreed to the principle
of limiting the average increase in the earth’s temperature to no more than 2 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels. In the American Arctic, we exceeded that long ago.
The diminishing ice creates opportunities in the Arctic, but even these pose new
challenges. For example, the Beaufort and Chukchi seas are believed to contain almost twice as
much oil as already has been produced from the North Slope.
3
Arctic oil and gas development has been conducted safely on-shore in Alaska. Alaskans
have the technology to safely produce it off-shore, too. But subsistence users who rely on marine
mammals for their way of life are legitimately concerned about the special challenges of how to
prevent and respond to an oil spill in broken sea ice.
The diminishing Arctic ice pack could open new grounds to commercial fishing, which
can create new jobs. This also presents challenges to manage fish stocks in this region as we
learn more about the impact of fishing in these previously inaccessible waters.
Opening the Northwest Passage, the Northern Sea Route and eventually the polar sea,
will bring an increase in shipping and even tourism to the Arctic. This means new economic
development and additional jobs to the northern part of our state.
(Slide 5 – Russian flag)
Our neighbors have taken notice of the warming Arctic, too. This picture of a Russian
submersible planting that country’s flag on the North Pole’s ocean floor were shocking to
Americans and other Arctic nations.
The Swedish Foreign Minister, whose nation is president of the European Union this
year, says the melting polar sea ice is creating revolutionary new transportation possibilities
between the Atlantic and Pacific.
Although Alaskans are well aware of the impacts of climate change in our state, national
decision makers are just starting to come to grips with its challenges and opportunities. A
proposed American Arctic policy was adopted in the final days of the Bush administration.
While not perfect, it highlights many areas that need further focus.
Here in the Congress, climate change has risen to a high priority in these halls and in the
Obama administration.
(Slide 6 – Eskimo man on sea ice)
Mr. President, I commend these many initiatives and pledge my cooperation with other
members of this body and the national administration. To advance that effort, today I am
introducing a package of seven bills to address these challenges, almost all of which have been
caused by, or made worse by, climate change.
I call this package – Inuvikput (ee-NEW-vik-put). It’s a word from the Inupiaq Eskimos
of the Alaska North Slope which means “the place where we live.”
I can think of no more appropriate term – coming from the very people who are being
affected every day by climatic changes in America’s Arctic, the place they have called home for
thousands of years.
4
Mr. President, my package starts with improving our fundamental understanding of the
region. We need to invest in basic science to better understand Arctic oceanography,
meteorology, biology of its fish and marine mammals, as well as natural resources and oil and
gas potential.
We need a coordinated research plan. It should start with baseline observations and
include better science supporting Arctic-specific oil spill prevention and response. This plan also
must include local and traditional knowledge. After all, some of the first and most accurate
predictions of Arctic climate change were from Native elders.
My bill calls on the Secretary of Commerce to undertake a comprehensive strategy to
coordinate Arctic research, to make recommendations to Congress on a long-term Arctic Ocean
research plan and to provide the resources for this vital mission. We also need to promote Pan-
Arctic research, especially with our Russian and Canadian neighbors, to address scientific issues
that span international borders.
My second bill would provide the United States equal standing with other Arctic nations
when it comes to our participation in the international Arctic Council and other forums.
Other leading Arctic nations – Russia, Canada, Norway – are represented by ambassadorlevel
diplomats on the Council.
I appreciate the dedication of those who have represented us before the Arctic Council
and other forums. I also thank Secretary Clinton and other high level diplomats for their interest
in the Arctic. But the United States needs a permanent representative on an equal footing with
the representatives of other nations in these important forums.
Our ambassador should advocate American interests in science, sustainable development,
transportation and our defense posture.
(Slide 7 – ships in ice)
The third piece of legislation deals with preparedness for the coming expanded use of the
Arctic. We must increase our investment in basic infrastructure to maintain a permanent
presence in the Arctic, for scientific, economic development and national security missions.
Critical to that is the need to replace our fleet of icebreakers. The Polar Sea and the
currently idled Polar Star have both served beyond their 30-year life. The Healy is newer, but
designed primarily for scientific research.
That scientific mission is important. But we need an icebreaking fleet to assert our
national interests by patrolling our Arctic waters, monitor increased traffic, and respond to search
and rescues, oil spills and other incidents.
5
In addition to their life-saving mission, the Coast Guard is a vital partner with Alaska’s
commercial fishing industry. This 4-billlion-dollar industry is one of our nation’s truly American
industries, providing 58,000 jobs.
Our Coast Guard needs facilities to serve as a base for aerial surveillance, spill prevention
and emergency response capabilities in the Arctic. Currently, our closest Coast Guard air base is
located in Kodiak, a 900-mile commute just to reach the Arctic Coast. That’s like patrolling the
Gulf of Mexico from air bases in New York.
I applaud the stamina of our Coast Guard crews who’ve kept our C-130s in the Arctic
skies by performing maintenance work on the ramp in sub-freezing conditions. The least we
could do is provide them with a heated hangar. My legislation would address that need and other
critical needs.
Fourth, we must achieve a balance in environmentally responsible resource development
in the Arctic. A diminished ice cap may clear the way for more affordable development of the
enormous energy reserves the U.S. Geological Service says lie beneath Arctic waters.
This region contains an estimated 30 billion barrels of oil and 220 trillion cubic feet of
natural gas. These resources can create thousands of American jobs and help assure our national
energy security.
We must get the science right and provide the infrastructure necessary to protect human
and animal life and the environment. To help achieve that, my measure calls on the Coast Guard
to assess Arctic development and develop the necessary infrastructure. It also requires the
Secretary of Commerce to direct research to prevent and improve oil spill recovery in Arctic
waters.
(Slide 8 – Arctic oil development)
My fifth bill deals with the benefits of energy development in the Arctic. Most Alaskans
support oil and gas exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf and can do development there in
right way, as shown here.
Another example is BP’s Liberty field, located off Alaska’s northern coast. To minimize
impacts, directional drilling from this island pad can tap oil reserves eight miles away.
As a part of this package, my bill extends to Alaskans the same share of federal revenues
that residents of the Gulf States currently receive.
It would direct a portion of those revenues to those most affected – the residents of
Alaska’s North Slope – where communities have depended on marine mammals from these same
waters for thousands of years. I believe the Arctic’s resources belong to the people of the Arctic
and should be shared among them.
6
(Slide 8 – Eskimos in skin boat)
My sixth bill deals with a critical omission from the new presidential directive on the
Arctic – addressing the health problems of Arctic people. Alaskans and others who live in
Northern latitudes experience numerous health problems, including higher rates of alcohol abuse,
diabetes, high blood pressure and tragically, death from injury and suicide.
In many cases, it is unclear what causes these problems. More research is necessary into
prevention and treatment. This bill proposes a study of mental and behavioral health issues in the
Arctic. It would create an “Arctic desk” at the National Institute of Health that was called for in
federal legislation in 1984 but has never been established. Finally, it would institute a health
assessment program at the Centers for Disease Control focused on the Arctic.
This vital research will not only benefit residents of my state but citizens across the
country.
The seventh bill in this package addresses the huge losses of coastal Alaskan territory, as
a result of dramatic climate change. A June 2009 Government Accountability Study on this
issue says – quote: “most of Alaska’s more than 200 Native villages are affected to some degree
by flooding and erosion.”
In some cases, entire Arctic villages in my state are at risk of serious erosion or of being
washed into the sea. To make matters worse, some of the most severe flooding in recent history
occurred this spring. Millions of dollars in damage was done to Alaska communities, prompting
state and federal disaster declarations.
To address these issues, I propose creation of an Arctic Adaptation Fund. This fund
would help the State of Alaska, Alaska Native organizations, affected Arctic communities, and
the private sector deal with the impacts of climate change. This includes flooding, erosion,
permafrost melting, and damage to public transportation systems and buildings.
The Fund also would assist in dealing with habitat restoration, clean energy development,
and other economic development activities.
Mr. President, I am considering introducing an additional piece of legislation in this
package. It focuses on providing the people of Alaska’s Arctic with a greater voice in
development decisions affecting their lives.
This bill would establish on Arctic Regional Citizens Advisory Council. It would be
modeled after similar councils operating successfully in the Prince William Sound and Cook
Inlet regions of Alaska.
At the request of North Slope Borough Mayor Edward Itta and our constituents there, I
agreed to hold off on this bill for now so we can continue the conversation with the people of the
region, along with industry and regulatory stakeholders.
7
In addition to the legislation I am introducing today, Senate ratification of two treaties
would dramatically improve our nation’s ability to address Arctic climate change. The first is the
Convention on the Law of the Sea. Negotiated in 1982, this treaty is designed to settle longstanding disputes over national rights to offshore waters and resources.
The Senate’s ratification of this treaty would put the United States at the table at a time of
great change in the Arctic. I note support for the Law of the Sea Treaty comes from a broad
spectrum of organizations, from environmental groups and oil companies to the U.S. military.
I strongly support ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty and will be proud to
cosponsor this measure.
The second key international agreement the Senate should ratify to address Arctic health
issues is the Treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPS. These pollutants – PCBs, DDT,
dioxin, and even fire retardants – are carried by wind and sea currents to the Arctic. They are
then trapped by the ice and are stored in the fatty tissues of fish and marine mammals that are a
main component of the local subsistence diet.
The POPs treaty was adopted in 2001. But like the Law of the Sea, it has never been
ratified. It’s time that changed and I am honored to co-sponsor Senator Harkin’s S.519 to
implement provisions of this treaty.
I look forward to working with the chairman and ranking member of the Foreign
Relations Committee and the Obama Administration to bring these treaties forward for Senate
consideration as soon as possible.
Mr. President, because of Alaska, America is an Arctic nation. My state has over 700
miles of shoreline along the Arctic Ocean and over 100 million acres above the Arctic Circle. If
you define Arctic by temperature, it encompasses an even broader area that includes the Bering
Sea and Aleutian Islands.
Through the diligent work of many scientists, we have learned much over the past
century. But there is much we still do not understand. This century, and the next fifty years of
Alaska statehood, brings great challenges and even greater opportunities.
To succeed, we must address the broad policy implications of an ice-diminishing Arctic
on the diplomatic, scientific and national security fronts. We must make the needed investments
to ensure the United States maintains its leadership at the top of our globe. And we must listen to
and address the needs of the residents of the Arctic.
With this Inuvikput package of legislation, we will take a major step toward achieving
these important goals. As they say in America’s Arctic, Quyanaqpak (coy-ah-NUK-puk). Thank
you.
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