President
Obama trekked up Exit Glacier in Alaska to make a dramatic statement about
world climate. He has called the melting glacier "a signpost" of what
the US faces as global warming threatens natural resources.
Deutsche Welle, 2 Sep 2015
Speaking
from Kenai Fjords National Park in the US' largest state on Tuesday, President
Barack Obama called attention to the beauty of Exit Glacier, which has been
receding at the alarming rate of 43 feet (13 meters) a year.
"This
is as good of a signpost of what we're dealing with when it comes to climate
change as just about anything," Obama said with the iconic glacier at his
back.
"We
want to make sure that our grandkids can see this," he added, calling the
glacier "spectacular."
Counting on
Alaska's impressive but deteriorating natural landscape to capture the sense of
urgency in his call to combat climate change and his plan to reduce US carbon
emissions by 28 percent over the next 10 years, he presented a doomsday
scenario about what could follow unrestrained global warming: flooding,
abandoned cities, and a world engulfed in conflict.
Obama's
three-day visit will include the first presidential trip to the Alaskan Arctic
in history and a taping of the reality show "Running Wild with Bear
Grylls," in which the president will put his survival skills to the test
alongside British adventurer Grylls.
Russian
competition
Another
important factor for the visit was to protect American interests in the Arctic
from increasing Russian influence in the area.
He has
asked Congress to speed up the process of acquiring new heavy icebreakers as
the quickly melting ice has allowed for increased maritime traffic in the far
north and the United States has fallen woefully behind Russian resources.
es/kms (AP, AFP, Reuters)
Barack Obama tient un saumon, lors d'une visite à des pêcheurs en Alaska mercredi pic.twitter.com/GY8LbWshlR
— AFP USA (@AFPusa) 2 september 2015
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