Legislature(2019 - 2020)BARNES 124
01/31/2020 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HR12 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HR 12 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 27 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HR 12-HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
1:05:09 PM
CO-CHAIR TARR announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 12, Establishing a House Special
Committee on Climate Change.
1:08:02 PM
NATHANIEL GRABMAN, Staff, Representative Andy Josephson, Alaska
State Legislature, stated that there was a proposed committee
substitute, dependent on the will of the committee.
1:08:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HR 12, 31-LS0817\S, Nauman, 1/30/20 [Version
S] as the working document.
1:08:51 PM
CO-CHAIR TARR objected for discussion purposes.
1:08:56 PM
MR. GRABMAN introduced the proposed committee substitute (CS),
and explained the proposed changes, which included:
Page 1, line 1: a name change to the House Special
Committee on Climate Policy to emphasize a focus on
forward-looking actions by the Alaska State
Legislature and others could take rather than simply
doing more research and creating more reports;
Page 1, lines 8-16 and page 2, lines 1-5 would add a
number of new WHEREAS statements with specific
information related to record heat and fires during
the summer of 2019 as well as a statement on drought
which has been an issue which was not originally
involved;
Page 2, line 18 would replace the word 'melting' with
'thawing'; in the section dealing with permafrost,
permafrost is defined as ground including rock and
soil which has been continually below freezing for two
or more years; while ice water can be present, it's
not necessarily all ice, and because the rock and soil
is not itself turning into a liquid, it would make
more sense to have 'thawing' as the word there;
Page 2 lines 21-31 adds some new WHEREAS statements
with information relating to Trans-Alaska Pipeline
System, maintenance costs or Alaskan infrastructure
and village relocation;
Page 3, lines 2-7 rephrases some existing WHEREAS
statements for grammar and clarification.
1:11:19 PM
CO-CHAIR TARR removed her objection. There being no further
objection, Version S was adopted as the working draft.
1:11:24 PM
CO-CHAIR TARR asked that testifiers be aware of the importance
of brevity when giving public testimony. She pointed out that a
zero fiscal note had been attached to the proposed resolution by
the House Resources Standing Committee, and she confirmed her
comfort with this fiscal note as the Legislative Affairs Agency
(LAA) who would provide the staffing for the proposed committee,
had helped with its preparation. She read from the resolution
packet:
provided that meetings held during the interim are
located at a legislative information office that is
staffed year-round, such as in Anchorage or Fairbanks,
there would be no additional cost to the Legislative
Affairs Agency to provide support to those meetings.
1:13:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked for confirmation that the Juneau
Legislative Information Office (LIO) was staffed year-round and
whether there would be the potential to have meetings in Juneau,
Anchorage, or Fairbanks.
CO-CHAIR TARR stated that, as Juneau was staffed year-round,
meetings could be held in Juneau.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked for clarification where the
committee would meet if it was going to meet.
CO-CHAIR TARR replied that the email from LAA had only used
Anchorage and Fairbanks as examples.
1:15:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK pointed out that, should this resolution
pass, the committee would be meeting in Juneau, although after
the end of the session all the bills remaining in the committee
would die. He added that the committee could meet in the
interim for presentations, although no action could go any
further. He reported that this was the question for a task
force versus a working group versus a committee. He suggested
that, with one meeting per month, there could be three meetings
prior to the end of session. He suggested that this was the
reason there was no fiscal note.
CO-CHAIR TARR expressed her hope that the sponsor was taking
note of Representative Tuck's comments, as other members had
also been concerned.
1:16:56 PM
[CO-CHAIR TARR opened public testimony on HR 12]
1:18:12 PM
TERRY CHAPIN reported that he had studied climate change and its
effect on Alaskan ecosystems and communities for fifty years as
well as participated in Alaskan national and international
climate assessments. He declared that all these assessments
showed patterns of climate warming, with Alaska warming twice as
fast as the planet. He pointed out that some of these
consequences were already listed in proposed HR 12. He
emphasized that it was urgent to act as it had become
increasingly clear that 3.5 billion people would be living in
temperatures warmer than the Sierra desert, which would induce
mass migration. He stated that the youth today would experience
these drastic changes in climate and the resulting societal
consequences. He offered his belief that, as Alaska was on the
front line of climate change, it was important for the state to
take steps toward policy making. He pointed out that, even as
many cities in Alaska were already moving forward with planning
for climate change, there was the lack of a concerted effort at
the state government level.
1:20:21 PM
KENT BARKHAU expressed his agreement with the need to act,
noting that preparations must begin at the state level. He
referenced the Yale Center for Climate Communication's
nationwide poll which reflected that 75 percent of Americans
recognized and wanted action by the members of U.S. Congress to
counter climate change. He added that this included 75 percent
of Republican voters under the age of 30. He declared that it
was in everyone's interest to deal with this significant
problem. He offered his belief that it was the special interest
groups against Alaskans who were ignoring the challenges from
climate change.
1:22:26 PM
MICHAEL TOBIN reported that he was a board member of "350
Juneau, Climate Action for Alaska." He reported that the
WHEREAS portion of proposed HR 12 laid out many of the reasons
Alaska needs the committee. He pointed out that Alaska was
warming almost twice as fast as the rest of the United States,
especially in Southcentral Alaska with consecutive hot, smoky
summers. He noted that, after several years of drought and fire
storms in California and Australia, residents of Southeast
Alaska were becoming aware that our forests could burn, as well.
He added that Paradise, California, recently destroyed by fire,
had the same population as Juneau. He listed many results from
climate change which affected all areas of our lives, including:
thawing permafrost, lack of sea ice, melting glaciers, heat and
drought, shorter snow seasons, and thinner river ice. He
declared that this was just the early stage of the climate
emergency and was promising to be rapidly changing and
unpredictable. He shared an example of the winter temperatures
in Siberia which were 70 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. He
declared his support for proposed HR 12 as one way to evaluate
legislation from a climate perspective.
1:25:13 PM
LYNETTE PHAM shared her fear of losing her home. She shared a
personal anecdote about her parents meeting in Alaska as war
refugees. She asked for protection for the fishing industry.
1:27:36 PM
ERIC JORDAN reported that he was a lifelong Alaskan and more
than 40-year member of the Sitka Fish and Game Advisory
Committee. He read from his written comments regarding a
climate change emergency in the Sitka area. He emphasized the
urgency for taking action to this "incredible problem."
1:30:07 PM
SALLY SCHLICHTING shared that she was a 50-year resident of
Juneau and that she supported proposed HR 12. She listed the
changes and impacts of global warming and pointed out that
Alaska was the largest state in the U.S. facing these
challenges. She suggested that the climate impacts be viewed
through "a fiscal lens," pointing to coastal erosion, thawing
permafrost, forest fires, and drought, all of which pose
infrastructure costs that are in the billions. She reported
that, as banks, insurance companies, and investment firms were
moving away from businesses, infrastructure, and real estate
that had climate risks, this would affect Alaska's bottom line.
She declared that this special committee was an opportunity to
focus on legislation that could 'climate-proof' our budget and
ensure community resilience. She stated that legislation could
include energy conservation and efficiency, incentives to
transition to renewable energy, focus on infrastructure
vulnerabilities, and reduction of state expenditures over the
long term.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked about her personal expertise and
professional background work with water issues in Alaska. She
asked if state agencies were appropriately addressing these
impacts.
MS. SCHLICHTING reported that she had formerly worked with the
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in the Division
of Spill Prevention and Response. She declared that it was her
understanding that climate change was not being evaluated. She
offered her belief that DEC was not the appropriate agency to
head up climate change, as it did not have the capacity.
1:33:34 PM
DICK FARNELL shared his encouragement from several actions by
Norway to meet the climate challenge. He pointed to their
priority for electrifying transportation, noting that the
country leads the world in electric vehicle sales, with 7.9
percent of all passenger cars being zero-emission vehicles. He
reported that Norway was capturing and storing CO2 emissions
from cement production, ramping up the use of biofuels, and
placing a carbon tax on offshore drilling production with almost
80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions taxed. He encouraged the
committee to pass HR 12.
1:35:42 PM
KONRAD SCHAAD shared that he was a commercial fisherman and that
it was obvious the changes from ocean acidification were killing
cod and crab. He said that there was still denial for climate
change, just as some people still claimed that the earth was
flat. He urged that the issues be addressed and declared that
proposed HR 12 needed to be more proactive than the rest of the
nation. He stated that there was a lot of money to be made by
addressing the issue.
1:37:51 PM
ALYSSA QUINTYNE stated that she had been a resident of Fairbanks
since 2001, and she recalled many disastrous events caused by
climate change that were now getting worse. She declared that
the "fires were getting uncontrollable, our homes and our roads
are sinking from permafrost melt, our villages are being
flooded, our hunting and farming are consistently changing and
kind of unpredictable at this point." She stated that
governmental and industrial decisions were exacerbating the
crisis. She pointed out that legislative members were elected
to provide the funding, the effort, and the authority for these
actions and projects that individuals could not do. She called
on the committee to provide a space for communities, experts,
and elected leaders to come together to develop solutions to the
climate crisis. She declared that this was "healing work."
1:40:28 PM
SOMMERS COLE reported that he was a commercial fisherman and
that he was in support of proposed HR 12. He offered his belief
that this changing environment presented both challenges and
opportunities, as stated in the sponsor statement. He reported
that the fisheries were observing increased variability and
abundance of commercially harvested species such as pacific cod
and king salmon. He noted that there were observable rain shifts
in the north, and increased encounters with species less common
to Alaskan waters such as blue sharks and some squid. He
directed attention to the coastal erosion associated with the
retreat of Bering sea ice, record wildfire seasons, and thawing
permafrost, as very tangible problems. He suggested that this
could lead to opportunities for albacore or squid fisheries, and
a growing maricultural industry to connect with carbon offset
markets. He stated that Alaska could position itself to develop
research opportunities in the state and lower energy costs,
especially in rural areas. He declared that these would all
require forward thinking policy solutions.
1:42:44 PM
ELAINE SCHROEDER shared that she had lived in Juneau for 40
years. She stated that climate was the world's emergency and
would be for the years to come. She stated her support for HR
12, noting that, "in some ways, our lives depend on it." She
declared that Alaska was behind nationally and internationally
in addressing climate destabilization. She expressed her
understanding for the politics, but declared that politics were
not the issue, as all that mattered was the scientific truth.
She declared that life on earth was in crisis, noting that
scientists had agreed that this was a period of abrupt climate
breakdown, with the possibility of mass extinction. She
referenced a recent article in the Juneau Empire. She declared
that the current effects of climate disruption were "nothing
compared to what will come." She observed that Alaska was at
ground zero and she said that "to minimize or deny the reality
and urgency of this danger is to deny Alaskans and all of
humanity a livable planet."
1:45:50 PM
MARA KIMMEL emphasized the need for governance partnerships.
She reported that she had been leading a few initiatives, as the
First Lady of Anchorage, on a city-wide level which included an
initiative to promote community wide resilience. She added that
she had been the Chair of the advisory committee to a recently
passed municipal wide climate action plan, adopted by the
municipal assembly. She noted that she was also a former member
of the Climate Action Leadership Team, under former Governor
Walker, which had been recently disbanded. She declared the
need for governance partnerships between the state and local
governments in order to support building adaptation and
mitigation capacity through creation of good policies and
practices that were responsive to the needs of the various
communities. This would ensure that Alaskans were protected
from the dramatic changes. She urged the committee to promote
the interest and security of the state's residents, including
partnerships on issues such as climate action planning, to
ensure that the smaller communities had the capacity to plan and
adapt to these impacts. She suggested that communities work
together to think about new opportunities and to ensure safe and
enduring critical infrastructure such as the Alaska Marine
Highway, airports, and the Port of Alaska. She suggested that
energy efficiency codes and other regulatory opportunities be
adopted to promote adaptation and mitigation, with jobs for
Alaskans and renewable sectors to help the transition into more
sustainable economic opportunities. She urged support for the
proposed resolution.
1:50:21 PM
ERIC MEADOR stated his support for the proposed resolution. He
expressed his concern with the output of CO2 and ocean
acidification, with its domino effect on subsistence and the
economic future in Alaska. He declared a need to address these
problems as soon as possible for the benefit of the next
generation.
1:51:19 PM
HAROLD SPENCE acknowledged that "Alaska is the canary in the
coal mine with regards to climate change impacts." He urged
that the proposed committee consider legislation for policies
with genuine steps to mitigate the effects of climate change,
and with an effort to reduce fossil fuel dependence rather than
being footstools for the oil and gas industry. He acknowledged
that this could mean financial and social disruptions.
1:53:18 PM
JOSEPH MIDDLETON reported that, as a lifelong resident of Homer,
he had noticed the warmer summers and winters as well as
glaciers receding, all a result of climate change. He offered
his belief that there should be more discussion of renewable
energy such as solar, geothermal, and wind, adding that the
technology "is already for the most part there." He stated his
strong support for proposed HR 12.
1:54:44 PM
SHAYNA stated that she and two classmates were in support of
page 3, lines 18 - 20, which read in part: "Whereas the state
is the only Arctic state in the nation and is properly
positioned to be an active and independent voice in
international discourse relating to climate change and
adaptation policies, independent of the federal government."
She asked why the federal government was involved and stated
that she was proud to be born in Alaska, as the state was taking
the initiative to become a voice on climate change.
1:56:34 PM
TRAVIS MONTGOMERY, Anchorage Faith & Action Congregations
Together (AFACT), explained that AFACT was a coalition of faith
communities in Anchorage which addressed quality of life issues
and he stated his support for the proposed resolution. He
referenced an earlier meeting on the changing climate in Alaska
hosted by AFACT, which included some legislators and about 225
public members. He reported that there was testimony by many
people that they were afraid the world would be worse than the
one they grew up in. He referenced a report that the
infrastructure damage from a warming climate could cost Alaska
between $110 - $270 million per year. He spoke of the
irreparable damage caused by climate change. He urged that
proposed HR 12 be moved from the committee.
1:58:46 PM
BOB SCHROEDER stated his support of proposed HR 12, as the
global climate emergency disproportionately affected Alaskans.
He expressed his hope that this would initiate thoughtful, fact
finding deliberations and actions to reduce the increases in
global temperature and mitigate the inevitable effects of global
heating on Alaska. He directed attention to chapter 26 of the
Fourth National Climate Assessment, published in November 2018,
which included a section with good background information on
Alaska. He listed the six categories addressed: marine,
terrestrial, human health, indigenous people, adaptation, and
economic cost. He added his suggestion that the committee hear
from constituents affected by the global climate emergency. He
pointed to erosion and ocean acidification. He urged that the
committee have "the courage to take a deep look at our fossil
fuel extraction industry." He noted that control of methane
release "would be a low hanging fruit to reduce Alaska's
inexcusable contribution to global heating." He added that most
of Alaska's known fossil fuel reserves, as well as what was yet
to be discovered, could not ever be produced and burned if there
was to be a livable world.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked about the report referenced.
MR. SCHROEDER, in response, said that it was chapter 26 of the
Fourth National Climate Assessment, published in November 2018.
He added that this report was congressionally mandated.
2:01:55 PM
MIKE HEKKERS reported that he was a 22-year resident of Juneau.
He noted that he was a glaciologist, and lauded the effort to
form the committee, although "it doesn't nearly go far enough."
He stated that it was necessary to create a climate emergency
department, a suggestion he had also recently e-mailed to the
governor. This department would be self-funded with a carbon
tax from all the fossil fuels, and the revenues would be spent
on households, individuals, utilities and communities to help
minimize fossil fuels. He listed the assistance that each would
receive. He declared that this needed to be done for Alaskans
and for the planet.
2:03:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked if any federal or state agencies had
been working on the kinds of research he had been working on in
order to arrive at specific policies to address the problems.
MR. HEKKERS replied, "no."
CO-CHAIR TARR asked where he worked as a glaciologist.
MR. HEKKERS replied that he was an instructor in glaciology at
the University of Alaska Southeast until the recent budget
crisis. In reply to Chair Tarr, he stated that many of the
faculty were "pink slipped."
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked what was happening with his
research.
MR. HEKKERS replied that research being conducted on the
Mendenhall Glacier had completely stopped.
2:05:22 PM
SAMUEL MAUKOKAS reported that he was an environmental specialist
for tribal government, and that he frequently worked on climate
change planning efforts. He declared his strong support for
proposed HR 12. He stated that this climate crisis would
forever alter the way Alaskans interact with the environment and
would cost livelihoods and lives. He emphasized that this was
an issue of fighting for justice for Alaskan communities, noting
that this was not a partisan issue. He stated that all
government leaders should be taking this issue seriously.
2:07:13 PM
ABIGAIL STEFFEN shared that she was a student at the University
of Alaska Fairbanks, and that she had focused a lot of her
studies on climate change advocation and policy. She pointed
out that the Arctic "feels the impact of climate change first."
She emphasized that it was alarming that there was not a
statewide effort to recognize this and prepare the state for the
inevitable. She said that HR 12 was "a great opportunity for
the state to begin building a sustainable Alaska that is more
prepared for our future." She stated her support of proposed HR
12.
2:09:15 PM
NOAH WILLIAMS declared that scientists had been aware of the
implications for the man-made climate emergency for almost 50
years. These actions were obvious, they represented a sensible,
rational action in defense against a powerful, dangerous, and
complex threat. He declared that the governor and "a good chunk
of the rest of the legislature don't give a damn about our
generation's desperation for good jobs and a livable future."
He added that neither did the major political parties on the
national level. He asked if the committee would have "the guts
to stand up to the greed and the corruption of the fossil fuel
industry, will you have the guts to stand up to your own parties
when they're wrong on a national level." He pointed out that,
although this could create discomfort for many legislators, this
discomfort was nothing compared to the terror that was currently
hanging over his entire generation.
2:11:34 PM
AARON BRAKEL stated his support for the proposed HR 12. He
shared a few quotes, which included: "do the best you can until
you know better, then, when you know better, do better." He
shared a personal anecdote for the remodeling of his elementary
school as a young child. He declared that the upcoming
generations were critically important. He asked that the
committee ponder this: "Fossil fuel's production is..."
2:16:01 PM
GORDON VERNON asked that the state acknowledge the concerns of
the younger generations, pointing out that it was necessary for
a committee that realized "our role in the melting of Alaska."
He declared the need for an integrated policy for state
government and emphasized that the state "must divest our
permanent fund corporation of fossil fuels." He pointed to
statements by BlackRock and Fidelity [investment companies]
claiming they were on the edge of reshaping financial investment
to sustainable investment.
2:18:13 PM
MARGI DASHEZSKY shared that she worked with inspiring youth
leaders across Alaska. She directed attention to indigenous
youth experiencing climate impacts and noted that their work
exemplified the unifying intergenerational action for the
future. She referenced the global youth lead climate strikes
during September 2019, with more than 7 million participants.
She listed the participating Alaska communities, which included:
Nome, Fairbanks, Homer, Palmer, Anchorage, Cordova, and Sitka.
She reported that, in October 2019, Native Alaska youth wrote a
declaration of climate emergencies, passed by the Elders and
Youth Conference and then the Alaska Federation of Natives. She
reported that the anxiety for young people from the climate
issue had serious mental health implications. She asked that
the committee take action to support the youth.
2:21:30 PM
CLAYTON HAMILTON mused that it would take good governance to
anticipate some of the upcoming changes. He stated that he was
worried about the Tanner crab industry with the increase in
[ocean] acidification. He asked, "what would Norway do?"
2:22:25 PM
AUSTIN TAGABAN aka NAAWEIYAA said that climate impacts most
affected those with the least means. He declared that it was
necessary to ensure a just way of ensuring that everyone makes
it to the same place, so no one is left behind while attempts
were made to solve the problem.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked if he was involved at the Alaska
Federation of Natives and the actions with climate change.
MR. TAGABAN shared that, in October 2019, he helped write a
resolution at the Elders and Youth Conference asking that the
Alaska Federation of Natives declare a state of climate
emergency in the State of Alaska. He spoke of the experience
and emphasized that what youth have to say is important and
would affect their lives in a way that matters.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN expressed her pleasure to have her former
student here as a young leader.
2:26:18 PM
ANN RAPPOPORT stated that she was in strong support of proposed
HR 12 and that it was an essential first step for the Alaska
State Legislature to address climate change. She added that she
had been a resident of Alaska for more than 40 years. She
offered an example of the receding Portage Glacier. She spoke
of unusual weather patterns and a longer growing season. She
declared that there were "tremendous economic impacts to our
state" and "it also presents public safety hazards." She
emphasized that it was necessary to take more actions to
highlight solutions and to plan for mitigation and adaptation
measures. She declared that these climate changes were due to
human issues and activities increasing the rate of change. She
expressed her pride in the Anchorage climate action plan.
2:29:06 PM
ESAU SINNOK shared that he had seen the effects of climate
change in his community since his birth. He reported that his
home would soon be lost because of climate change, noting that
legislators do not live in the rural areas which were
threatened. He declared a need for youth voices on the proposed
committee, as youth are the future of Alaska and will take the
leadership positions. He said that people affected by climate
change, indigenous people, also needed to be part of this
committee. He stated his support for proposed HR 12.
2:31:45 PM
LOUIE FLORA reported that he was a commercial driftnet fisherman
and he also worked for the Alaska Center. He stated his support
for proposed HR 12. He offered his belief that this issue
"really shouldn't just be on the shoulders of the Alaska State
Legislature but right now it lands squarely on your shoulders as
the state administration has taken the liberty of repealing the
work of the Climate Action Leadership Team under the previous
administration which produced 36 pages of recommendations
informed by the efforts of a diverse stakeholder group." He
added that the current federal administration had added rule
making that would curtail federal agencies and their cumulative
impact analysis. He said that HR 12 was important as a special
committee can hear bills and look at climate impacts of
legislation and proposed legislation.
MR. FLORA, in response to Representative Tuck, said that some
of the recommendations from the Climate Action Leadership Team
included land use, municipal actions, and a carbon tax. He
offered to provide the full report.
2:35:37 PM
MINDY O'NEAL stated her support for the proposed resolution;
even though, she opined, the resolution did not go far enough.
She declared the need for a permanent, regularly scheduled
committee. She stated that these problems were not going away.
She referred to the recently disbanded climate change team. She
acknowledged that, even as the changes to the climate were
continuing, Alaska continued "to be in stop and repeat cycle
that is destructive and irresponsible." She shared an anecdote
from her Masters' program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
which pointed to the effects of climate change to all areas of
our lives and all areas of governing. She questioned why real
action continued to be debatable even as the window of
opportunity to make good decisions for governance of our earth,
animals, resources, and people was closing. She stated that "we
will soon just be in reaction mode." She encouraged that the
proposed committee be made as relevant as the current House
Resources Standing Committee or House Finance Committee. She
closed with a quote from Buddha: "the trouble is, you think you
have time."
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked if Ms. O'Neal's Master's project
could be made available to the committee.
[Ms. O'Neal indicated that she would send it to the committee]
2:38:59 PM
VIKKI KENNEDY expressed her faith in youth and the present
legislature. She offered her belief that the governor would
also be supportive for proposed HR 12. She said, "just remember
the love is what brought us here, the love is what's gonna keep
us here."
2:41:04 PM
HEATHER EVOY shared that she was from Ketchikan and her family
was from Metlakatla. She stated her support of proposed HR 12,
although, she declared, it was not enough. She offered her
belief that the University of Alaska had a unique opportunity to
be at the forefront of climate change research. She suggested
that all the proposed legislation could be referred to a climate
change committee. She pointed to the economic problems to the
ferry system from budget cuts, noting that the ocean
acidification monitor program had been on the ferries. She
reported that tribes and municipalities were incorporating their
climate adaptation plans. She reported on the recent "First
Alaska Just Transition" summit in Fairbanks, and she urged that
the members review this to understand a just transition
framework.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked about the ocean acidification
monitoring program on the Alaska Marine Highway System.
MS. EVOY replied that she would provide it.
2:45:21 PM
DOUG ROBBINS reported that he was a retired petroleum geologist
with 15 years of oil company management experience. He relayed
that he had been studying climate change for the past decade and
that he supported proposed HR 12 in order to develop policies
for adaptation and mitigation of climate change and to work
toward an Alaska future without oil. He related a conversation
he had with the late Senator Birch, formerly a public climate
change denier and a retired mining engineer, which had changed
how Senator Birch had viewed climate change. He shared that
Senator Birch had indicated he would speak with the Senate
Resources Standing Committee to see what could be done about
climate change. He reflected on a 2015 audit which reported
that two-thirds of the green house gas emissions in Alaska were
occurring on the North Slope from fuel gas usage. He
acknowledged the challenge for an Alaskan economy without oil.
He pointed out that everyone could do whatever was "within our
own scope," and a common understanding and use of the vote could
bring a future without catastrophic change. He noted that there
were already impacts to Alaska including fisheries, coastal
communities, and the subsistence lifestyle. He shared that the
Fourth National Climate Assessment reported that there would be
two to three times the number of wildfires in Alaska by mid-
century.
2:49:05 PM
ANA HOKENSON stated that she was in support of proposed HR 12,
and was speaking on behalf of a statewide network of high school
students invested in climate justice, "Alaska Youth for
Environmental Action." She pointed to wildfires, melting
permafrost, and the fishing industry as all being affected by
climate change and global warming over many decades. She shared
that the youth had been holding climate strikes statewide. She
emphasized that it was "repulsing" that her generation was
expected to preserve the planet.
2:50:38 PM
CO-CHAIR TARR closed public testimony on HR 12. She reported
that there had been 36 witnesses declaring support during public
testimony and noted that there were individual letters of
opposition on-line. She reiterated that the committee members
were interested in the Fourth Climate Assessment, the climate
plan from the administration of Governor Walker, the ocean
acidification program on the Alaska Marine Highway System, the
2018 National Infrastructure report, and the master's thesis by
Ms. O'Neal.
[HR 12 was held over.]
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HR 12 CS V. S 1.30.20.pdf |
HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR 12 Fiscal Note HRES 1.30.20.pdf |
HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Sponsor Statement 1.16.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 ver M 1.16.20.PDF |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR 12 Support Emails.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Supporting Document - CRRC letter of support for House Special Committee on Climate Change 1.21.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Supporting Document - Record warm water likely gave Kuskokwim salmon heart attacks (APM) 1.16.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Support Document - Battered by a marine heatwave, Kodiak's fishermen may not be fishing for much longer (APM) 1.16.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Supporting Document - A Western Alaska village begins to relocate (ADN) 1.16.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Supporting Document - Alaska's Coast Is Vanishing, 1 Storm at a Time (Scientific American) 1.16.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Supporting Document - As Alaska permafrost melts, roads sink, bridges tilt and gases escape (ADN) 1.16.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Supporting Document - Fighting Alaska’s wildfires cost over $300 million this year (ADN) 1.16.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR12 Presentation 1.24.20.pdf |
HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM |
|
| HB 27 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HL&C 3/6/2020 3:15:00 PM HRES 4/3/2019 1:00:00 PM HRES 4/5/2019 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB27 Bill Version U 1.11.19.PDF |
HL&C 3/6/2020 3:15:00 PM HRES 4/3/2019 1:00:00 PM HRES 4/5/2019 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB27 Bill Version U 1.11.19Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HL&C 3/6/2020 3:15:00 PM HRES 4/3/2019 1:00:00 PM HRES 4/5/2019 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB 27 CS Version S 1.21.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB27 Explanation of Changes Ver U to Ver S 01.21.20.pdf |
HL&C 3/6/2020 3:15:00 PM HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB 27 v. S Amendment HRES 1.29.2020 #1.pdf |
HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB 27 v. S Amendment HRES 1.29.2020 #2.pdf |
HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB 27 v. S Amendment HRES 1.29.2020 #3.pdf |
HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB 27 v. S Amendment HRES 1.29.2020 #4.pdf |
HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB 27 Staff Response to Member Questions 1.29.20.pdf |
HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB27 Supporting Document - Combined Letters and Emails in Support 1.21.20.pdf |
HL&C 3/6/2020 3:15:00 PM HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB27 Opposing Document - Letters of Opposition Combined 01.23.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB27 DEC Fiscal Note 01.17.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HB27 DOL Fiscal Note 01.17.20.pdf |
HRES 1/24/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/29/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 27 |
| HR 12 Support Emails Combined Set 2 1.30.20.pdf |
HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR 12 Support Emails Combined Set 3 1.30.20.pdf |
HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |
| HR 12 Statement from LAA re Fiscal Note 1.31.20.pdf |
HRES 1/31/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/3/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HR 12 |