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Alaska: The Canary in the Coal Mine for Climate Change

  • Anchorage Museum 625 C Street Anchorage, AK, 99501 United States (map)

View of home and coastal erosion at Shishmaref after a storm in 2004. Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Alaska State Archives, Juneau, ASA_A9_RG240_SR651_AS35570_Drive1_ShishmarefDec04_storm040017.

AHS & CIHS Present: The Alaska Historical Society Lecture And Discussion Series

Where: In person at the Anchorage Museum Auditorium, first floor, east wing or online via Crowdcast.

To register for the online event, click here. No registration required if attending in person.

Free and open to the public. Please use the museum’s 7th Avenue entrance.

Panelists: Rick Thoman, Ken Tape, Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer and Molly McCammon.


This is the last of a four-lecture and panel series about major public policy issues facing Alaska. The sessions, scheduled at the Anchorage Museum, are designed to combat the often willful distortion of history and create a more productive environment in which to arrive at sound public policy.

Alaska is often referred to as the canary in the coal mine for climate change—or rather, ground zero for predicting the direction and impacts of climate change. How can current and historical records help us better understand the differences between these terms, the roots of climate change as seen in Alaska, and what we may see in the future?

The program will feature four panelists: Rick Thoman, Ken Tape, Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer and Molly McCammon. The panel will discuss the topic at hand and take questions from both a live and online audience. Students will be encouraged to participate.

The Alaska Historical Society is Alaska’s largest statewide organization dedicated to the informed exchange of ideas through a factual appreciation of Alaska’s history. It is partnering with the Cook Inlet Historical Society and the Anchorage Museum on the series. The Atwood Foundation has provided a generous grant to cover costs. Other supporting organizations include the League of Women Voters and OLE!, an Anchorage-based nonprofit which offers educational classes.

Also, join us on Monday April 22 at 4:00 p.m. for a debrief and further discussion on the topic Weather, Climate Variability, and Climate Change. This is a joint OLE! and AHS event. Here is the link for the April 22 event.


ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Rick Thoman is a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the lead author of the 2023 Arctic Report Card.

Ken Tape is a climate change specialist and research associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer is the director of climate initiatives for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

The moderator is Molly McCammon. She is board member of the Alaska Historical Society and senior advisor at Alaska Ocean Observing System.