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Friend,
Every ten years since 1960, the United States Census Bureau has begun its efforts in Alaska. It’s not because of its order in the alphabet, and it’s not because it’s the best state in the country (which it is!).
While the rest of the nation waits until spring to be counted, the Census kicks off in our state because in more remote parts of Alaska, it’s easier to travel when the ground is frozen.
But just like so many other aspects of Alaskan life, climate change is complicating matters.
The ice roads that census takers and other travelers rely on have not been reliably freezing over, making traveling by snowmachine dangerous and forcing people to travel by plane more often.
Additionally, relocation due to climate change is going to decrease the population numbers in villages along the coast, which could cause federal funding to decrease.
In 2010, the village of Newtok had 354 people living there according to the Census, and that number has been used to allocate money for the community. But melting permafrost from climate change is causing flooding and making life in Newtok unsustainable. There are efforts underway to move the whole village to higher ground, and in October, one-third of the residents moved to a new village nine miles away. The US Census is planning to count the communities as two separate villages, which could decrease the amounting funding when they need it the most.
While climate change is undeniable to folks actually on the ground in Alaska, Don Young remains a climate change skeptic. He won’t collaboratively advocate for comprehensive solutions because he denies there’s even a problem.
Alaska’s temperature is rising twice as fast as the global average, and we need to act now. If elected, I will bring our reality to Washington, demand more funding for our communities, and press for policies that will fight climate change.
If you stand with me, I hope you’ll chip into our movement for change today. $1, $5, or whatever you can spare will be a huge help to our team.
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