>> With our special series out in are. They’re exporting
issued a lot of folks all over the world are concerned about
and rightfully so catch a he traveled to the epicenter of
the issue way way up in Alaska that is actually the
northernmost community in the United States. Out.
>> Hey guys good morning and here in a care of duty, but if
things are heating up and we don’t mean in a good way.
When I arrived here on Saturday morning we hit a high of 33
degrees. That’s a record for the day which is 36 degrees
above average to put that into perspective with other
readings. You would see a high in New York City at this day
hitting 91 degrees or Miami reaching 170 degrees on March
30th, and why it might actually help us to feel our fingers and
toes, it’s actually raising major red flag for scientists
about what’s possible when it comes to climate change.
It’s the top of the world and for scientist chaotic Alaska,
formally known as Barrow is ground 0 for climate change.
>> We’re seeing now is unprecedented, I mean the
changes are that are happening are happening just
3050 years.
>> So we made the trip 330 miles above the Arctic Circle.
And out onto the ice
to see the research first hand how do you want the 21st
meters.
Maybe I’ll pick Muncy home
Ignatius rigor is a scientist from the University of
Washington.
>> What’s this one this one of our fundamental weather
stations of measures air pressure
and temperatures to the other thing this measures also wins
and to have a pressure to the fundamental parameters we do
the forecast weather and Citi credit used to talk about your
instruments.
>> The day like inicia says bringing us here is absolutely
>> It helps make our weather forecast and that I’m a home
critical.
with no the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
says that forecasting is the key to many Alaskans way of
life as temperatures here continue to rise at an
unprecedented rate is this data part of that will this go into
that the health with with with modeling.
>> Well miles or so important here not only for knowing what
is going to be like for how we can address today, but also
because we use our forecast for aviation for marine
transportation and that’s critical in Alaska because so
many of the communities are on eye on roads.
>> The average person sitting at home watching right now what
does this mean that.
this change happen so rapidly and we’re also measuring are
trying to understand what’s going on.
>> And the brewery, we joint scientists, Victoria Hill from
Old Dominion University as she deployed a buoy to measure how
sunlight and heat impact, the ice feed in.
>> But for the last and we’re going to be this is the brains
>> Yes, so this is will control switch in the sense on and off
of everything.
you name them the on in the first couple of this is number
9. And number 9, but we can name off you if you and all of
the hour can do it will be the hour of out of the art of
wooing go the food fold bring much data. Yes.
>> It’s not just the ice in the Arctic, scientists like Bryan
Thomas are interested in and so what I want to show you is are
portable sampling unit because of its unique location, those
barrel atmosphere, a baseline Observatory is only one of 4
sites in the world, taking critical greenhouse gas
measurements and why is it important
to sample those gases.
>> What’s happening with the greenhouse gases as you may
know is that there are causing more heat to be absorbed in the
atmosphere, the more greenhouse gases there are in the
atmosphere, the more heat there is available for things like
stores.
>> Those gases targeting the Earth’s ozone layer.
>> What our job is to do is to monitor those on and make sure
that it’s not decreasing and so that’s what we use this
instrument to do.
So we’re going to open the dome.
>> As it remained steady.
>> The ozone hole is something that happens only in the
southern hemisphere now and what we’re trying to do is
understand how it does vary over them and if it’s going to
happen we want to watch it come in we want to be able to give
people warning.
>> As a planet we make a commitment to change something
that you can reverse damage that has been done.
>> We also some scientists making it clear what happens in
the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic as temperatures rise all
around the world.
>> And guys this is such a beautiful environment and we
got this morning, something that is rare to see the Aurora
Borealis folks here get to see it almost all the time, but for
all those of us from the lower climbs it is pretty amazing
stuff to see. And as it. Yeah it was unbelievable,
there’s a there’s a a superstition here that if you
how at it. It will get brighter and we were all howling.
Out there. It was gorgeous.
>> About how beautiful that is really grabs. I mean you can
only imagine what it’s like their son you’ve been talking
about climate change a lot Ow, what is it like being there on
the front lines and seeing actually what’s going on.
>> Well, you know it’s a fascinating for us, this is a
something that’s theoretical at least in point although we are
seeing more severe storms we’re seeing a rapid intensification
of hurricanes we’re seeing more heavy rain events but for the
folks who live here for the first time last year they
actually had storm surge because the ice it opened up.
The ocean was available and they had water coming into
their town. If this is this is not a theory this is reality
here guys and it does have an effect now on what we see it
down in the lower 48 and all around the world because we
have open water back they’re open oceans and that provides
more moisture more energy.
>> For stronger storms and a payout obviously the people
there would be impacted if this change keeps happening.
>> Is it at all possible for anything to be reversed how
would they ever go about doing that.
>> Well, the interesting thing as we mentioned in the story,
the ozone layer. The hole in the ozone down in the southern
poll has actually started to close up there’s no
deterioration of the ozone layer here and so if we do make
commitments we can reverse think the question becomes with
the greenhouse gases continue to increase we’re seeing the
increase here of carbon dioxide with more methane with more
more greenhouse gases. Can we if we start to stop that and
putting those into the atmosphere can we reverse it.
>> The jury is still out on that they all go out as quickly
tell us more about the people behind you the town we just
assume every there might be is the community like.
>> The community year you’ve got a group of people you’ve
got folks who work on research out here you’ve got a native
folks here the inupiaq people who it’s a way of life in fact
tomorrow we’re going to show you the way of life here from
folks who go out on skills. Seal skin boats make these
magnificent Park as you see all different ways of life that are
really being affected these folks here could be the first
refugees due to climate change because of beach erosion
because of land erosion and because of storm surge a lot of
the in the new pact people will have to move from their village
>>
Arctic out spent the past few days way up north is exploring
the effects of climate change on Monday. He showed us what a
group of scientists are doing to learn more about that he
also spoke with folks who live up there.
>> To find out how climate change is changing their way of
life Al good morning again, board.
>> Good morning guys and I will tell you is that when you look
at the stats this it gives you an idea the problem is the
first day in 10 days of barrel has that job has been below 0.
It’s the first time in a 100 years that the average March
temperature was above 0. So if this is really
unprecedented.
>> Climate change just doesn’t mean warmer temperatures it
also means thinner ice which means Hunter’s the whale
hunters traditional hunters go out there trying to catch their
food, they have more danger more problems, they’re also
dealing with coastal flooding coastal erosion storm surge
which is something they’ve never had to deal with and in
fact the mayor tells me they need help and they need it
right now.
>> A way of life that dates back thousands of years.
Now confronting the chilling reality it’s happening now it’s
happening climate change leaving the nearly 5,000 people
who live here who chaotic Alaska scrambling to adjust.
As the ice, a key part of their culture slowly melt away.
It’s constantly putting yourself at risk. Harry Brower
is the mayor of the North s**** borough, which encompasses food
chaotic and 95,000 square miles. He’s dealt with the
challenges firsthand as a whaling captain in terms of the
ice it’s not forming us what to do too much thinner we have to
be more cognizant of where we were traveling in the war zone
are dangerous more dangerous. Yes.
That’s where North s**** search and rescue comes to this is
some facility.
>> Archer diet is a crew chief mission today is going to be
observing the shore ice.
>> I obviously have science Monitor’s and a lot of people
to call if you’re just a visit to something as it were of the
world by
rescue somebody on the ice but situation.
>> Tickets are it is is a way to the aircraft
as I get better, it’s going to us unless of to be able to.
So are limits for aircraft by dropping by that deal during
the larger aircraft that as our excess reserves held by the
drop something that is a little left. Separate from.
>> Craig George is with North s**** borough wildlife
management.
>> Okay so what I want to do is defend him.
>> Folks here rely on fishing and whale hunting for food and
when you consider the job its remote location. Even the
simplest thing like milk can be exorbitant Lee expensive not
this was $10 a gallon.
>> Hunters like Herman so depend on underground, I
sellers to keep their meat fresh for the year.
>> Midnight it will hold.
It’s just nothing on the snow on the is the concern right
>> But with the earth’s increasing temperature that’s
there.
threatening to spoil their supply.
>> This article chur already transition away from one
long-held best job you’re the last Musher duty but what’s
>> Credit remarkable sad, but true House people say it’s a
that like.
lot easier to keep a snow machine going.
>> A team of dogs there literally were born to run that
moment, I just had to try it out for myself, whoa
are you worried about the traditional way of life or you
would with with the change that’s going on the climate
change problem.
>> I am in a way because everything is trying to
remember everything harder.
>> A new normal for a community doing their best to hold on to
tradition.
>> Now that’s just an incredible view of that
community you outlined a bunch of the threats of that
community flooding erosion food sources. The nice what’s the
most urgent problem for them right now.
>> Well right now it’s the ground literally that we’re
walking on we’re standing on the tundra a permit frost is
actually starting to give way and so that’s threatens their
infrastructure from sewage systems to the land that they
live on and there are some communities along this 1000
sure this 1000 mile northern coastline, some communities are
literally on the edge ready to fall into the ocean so they’re