On March 25, The Durango Herald published a story called “Study: Juneau ice field to shrink if warming continues.” The story cited a study published in the Journal of Glaciology, which predicted that 60 percent of the ice in the Juneau ice field could disappear by 2099. I grew up in Juneau, so I know the importance of the ice field, not only to the local economy but to the community of Juneau as a whole. It is remarkable how quickly the Mendenhall Glacier has receded in my short 21 years of life and it saddens me that these changes are only expected to continue. It’s difficult to watch natural treasures like these disappear, and it’s frustrating to see the lack of meaningful action put forth on this issue.
As an Alaskan native and a student in Colorado, I have seen the effects of climate change in both the far north and middle America, but this problem does not belong to Colorado or Alaska alone. Real change needs to start in Washington, by acknowledging and discussing the issue. I hope congress has the foresight to address this problem before more natural treasures are lost, and my generation is left with an impossible situation.
Kendra Wittwer
Durango
