CDM Participates in U.S. Mayors Meeting on Climate Change
September 26, 2006
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—CDM climate change expert Amelia Ravin recently joined mayors from 32 U.S. cities and 17 states in a unique meeting on climate change, "Strengthening Our Cities: Mayors Responding to Global Climate Change." The meeting was held in southern Alaska.
CDM's Ravin and the mayors spent 2 days visiting the Alaska coast to witness the documented effects of climate change on glaciers, permafrost, forests, wildlife, and communities. To date, 30 of the 32 named glaciers fed by the 700-square-mile Harding Ice Field have thinned and retreated, including Exit Glacier. The mayors saw firsthand this and other impacts of warming on Alaska's ecosystems and economy. While greenhouse gases naturally occur in the Earth's atmosphere, the burning of fossil fuels has added significant concentrations of these emissions to the atmosphere, retaining heat and contributing to rising air and ocean temperatures.
The mayors met with tribal officials and other Alaskan leaders to observe both the impacts of climate change and the solutions that are possible at the local level. They also shared experiences and discussed the ecological and economic impacts of climate change in their own communities. Ravin explains, "The participating mayors committed to reducing emissions in their communities and are preparing for the local impacts of climate change by strengthening their adaptation strategies and lowering their vulnerability."
The meeting was hosted by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the Alaska Conservation Foundation, and the city of Anchorage.