Climate Smart candidates break silence on Alaska's #1 issue

There is no issue more pressing for Alaska, and the future of our state, than climate change, which is intricately connected to questions of energy.  There's just no getting around it.

Yet, that's precisely what most candidates running for office this election season are trying to do.  Heads stuck in the sand, or worse.  Denying climate change, not just where you'd expect -- in the offices of Big Oil executives in Texas -- but on the front lines in Alaska where, due to Arctic amplification, the climate is warming twice as fast as the Lower 48.

Incredibly, candidates are ignoring and denying that climate change is happening, here and now -- where glaciers and sea ice are disappearing before our very eyes; where permafrost is melting beneath our houses and roads; where coastal erosion is tearing at the edges of nearly every coastal community in the State, pushing rural Native Alaskans into disequilibrium with life ways that have sustained them for millennia; where ocean warming and acidification undermine our sustainable fisheries industry, and threaten mighty whale and a multitude of other vulnerable marine animal populations.

A few courageous Alaska candidates are quietly breaking the silence on climate change at kitchen tables, senior centers and a plethora of small community "get acquainted" meetings across Alaska.  In the process, these "climate-smart" candidates are discovering that climate change concerns are front and center in the minds of many of their constituents.  

Early in the election season, the Alaska Climate Caucus sent a questionnaire to the candidates to solicit feedback on their positions on key climate and energy issues. 

Except for a handful of candidates, we received no response, or only negative responses like the comment from former Libertarian candidate Jon Watts (direct quote) that, "this is a complete hoax for the purpose of ligitimizing demonstrably falsified science, for the end goal of defrauding the American taxpayer through a global carbon tax scheme, while callously using native communities' ligitimate challenges to forward a greedy agenda. You should be ashamed.  I decline to participate in your survey."
 

We are heartened, however, that a few brave souls are stepping up to face -- head on -- the mounting impacts from climate change on our public health and safety, our economy, and our vulnerable communities and ecosystems.

The Alaska Climate Caucus recognizes Independent US Senate candidate Margaret Stock, Shauna Thornton (Dem, HD 30), Brent Watkins (Dem, HD 32), Sam Kito II (Dem, HD 33) and Les Gara (Dem, HD20) for their courage and vision in moving Alaska towards a sustainable future and away from the ravages of a boom and bust fossil fuel dependent economy that serves only to push Alaska closer to the brink.

These climate-smart candidates embrace the undeniable results of climate science.  They understand that climate change is the number one challenge facing Alaska today.  Unless otherwise noted below, these candidates share the following policy positions in alignment with Alaska Climate Caucus priorities:

SUPPORT

• a state carbon tax and dividend, 
• reinstatement and expansion of energy efficiency and renewable energy incentives, 
• reconvening the Governor's Sub-cabinet on Climate Change, 
• development and implementation of an Alaska 100% Renewable Roadmap modeled after Smart Energy Plans, 
• boosting Alaska's food security and local food production, 
• rigorous climate mitigation and adaptation policies, and 
• convening an annual statewide public conference on climate change.

OPPOSE

• oil tax subsidies, 
• oil and gas development in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR),
• offshore drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, 
• high-volume, slick-water hydraulic fracturing ("fracking")

ALASKA CLIMATE CHAMPIONS!

(Scored 8-10/10)

STATE HOUSE

Shauna Thornton, Democrat, House District 30 (Kenai).  Running against former oil and gas employee and Republican, Gary Knopp.

Shauna is clearly Alaska's front runner on climate issues.   She was instrumental in helping the caucus formulate its questionnaire and was our first respondent.  Shauna supports strong local food security and community resiliency efforts and has worked for many years to obtain these goals in her Kenai community including working closely with Kenai Change since its inception.

District 30 candidate debate here. 
Contribute to Shauna's campaign here. 





Brent Watkins, Democrat, House District 32 (Kodiak) 
Running against GOP incumbent Louise Stutes

Brent is a close second front runner on climate issues.   A former fisherman and planning commission member, Brent helped plan, his home community, Kodiak Islands 98% Renewable Energy system.  He strongly supports protection of our coastal waters and development of sustainable new industries that move Alaskans beyond dependence on dirty energy.   Brent also supports improving food security and local food production, and rigorous climate adaptation measures.

Candidate interview here.
Contribute to Brent's campaign here.

US SENATE

Margaret Stock, US Senate, Independent running against Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski (Rep) and Ray Metcalfe (Dem).

Margaret Stock is taking a firm public stand on climate change.  According to her questionnaire response, she's "developed a policy statement on climate change after consultation with scientists and other experts."  In addition to the positions noted above, Margaret Stock does not support oil and gas development in ANWR or Chukchi and Beaufort Sea offshore waters "at this time"; she is awaiting details before deciding her position on the Alaska Liquid Gas Export Project.

Alaska's D.C. reps refuse to see causes of climate change, Anchorage Daily News, Opinions, August 24, 2016 by Margaret Stock.

ADN report on the recent candidate debate in Barrow, AK
ADN report on the Senate candidate debate in Kodiak, AK.
Contribute to Margaret's campaign here.

CLIMATE SMART CANDIDATES

STATE HOUSE

Sam Kito III, Dem, House District 33 (ANC), incumbent and House Minority Whip (unopposed). 

Representative Kito does not support a ban on fracking.  Otherwise, he is aligned with ACC priorities on climate change.

KTOO Sam Kito III named new House Representative (Feb. 2014). 
Facebook page here.

HONORABLE MENTION

Les Gara, Dem, House District 20 (ANC), incumbent

Due to cross communications, Les Gara didn't receive our questionnaire prior to the deadline.  However, he submitted the following comments that suggest he deserves at least an "honorable mention" for his strong support for energy efficiency and renewable energy development in Alaska. 

"I support renewable energy and energy efficiency very strongly and wrote successful amendments requiring all schools and state and university buildings to be energy efficient. I have been a strong supporter of strong funding for home rebate and energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts. I support safe, but not unsafe fracking - Alaska safely engages in North Slope fracking now to produce oil and it is tightly regulated for safety. I'd support strong fracking safety regulations to protect water and our resources"

Alaska's Climate Champions Shauna Thornton, Brent Watkins and Margaret Stock are in uphill races facing tough opposition, which is heavily funded by oil and gas money.

We urge our members, emerging coalition partners and others concerned about climate change to rigorously support Alaska's Climate Smart candidates.

They need our support. 

Please contribute at this critical time in the election process.  Most importantly: 

VOTE!

The Alaska Climate Caucus (ACC) is a new Tier II subgroup of the Democratic Party approved at the May 13-15, 2016 convention in Anchorage by more than 55 mostly elected Bernie Sanders delegates and invited guests from around the state.  The mission of the Alaska Climate Caucus is to adopt and promote concrete, policy-based initiatives to address climate change in Alaska. 

ACC priority issues and actions can be viewed here. 

Written by Ceal Smith, Chair, Alaska Climate Caucus

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