Greenhouse Gases
Dear Editor: President Obama released a Clean Power Plan in August of 2015, which intended to reduce carbon emissions as a means to counter climate change. This is critical because climate change is the biggest challenge we face today. As chair of the Energy and National Resource Committee, Senator Murkowski has since worked to reverse the Clean Power Plan entirely, stating on her website that the Clean Air Act was never intended to regulate climate change and that the EPA is unequipped to regulate greenhouse gases
The Clean Power Plan was intended to regulate airborne pollutants, however, and there should be no doubt whether greenhouse gases are changing the climate of our planet. Greenhouse gases are causing the planet to warm at an unprecedented rate.
Due to atmospheric circulation, emissions to the atmosphere affect the climate of the ENTIRE planet, threatening our fisheries and coastline here in Alaska. Greenhouse gases must be regulated. Murkowski argues, however, that climate change regulation falls under the jurisdiction of Congress, not the EPA. Excellent! I’d love to see Congress take action on climate change! Senator Murkowski needs to protect Alaska’s environments and the livelihoods of Alaska’s people as our representative by supporting climate change policy instead of delaying progress.
Ward Eldridge, Sitka
Canoe Paddle
Dear Editor: I am writing this letter of thanks to the community of Sitka for your support emotionally and financially, for the Sitka/SEARHC Canoe team that paddled to Celebration. We had support from many in the community. I ask for your forgiveness if I miss anyone. I would first like to thank SEARHC for their support as we paddle to raise awareness for suicide prevention and drug and alcohol abuse prevention.
The people in Sitka and surrounding communities gave and supported in many ways. Doug Chilton, Natalie Brown, Vanessa Bradley, Clara Gray, Rachel Moreno and Alfred Lang donated art work for our raffle. My wife, Natalie Brown, also made cedar hats for the team. Grace Larsen, Elouise Kanosh, Fredrick Olson and many others bought a raffle ticket just to support the canoe team. I would also like to thank Martha Pearson for her support and willingness to take the extra steps to help get what we needed. I cannot forget to say thank you for to the team who all worked together and clicked as a team right away. This made for a pleasurable journey for us all.
I would like to say a special thank you to Sitka Tribe of Alaska for the raffle assistance, was a huge help for us in reaching our goal.
Thank you to the Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 1 and The Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4 for the start-up funds and use of the kitchen and hall at a reduced rate. We could not have done this without all of your help. The journey was a great one and we were able to paddle strong and keep focused on the reason why we were there knowing we had the support of our community.
Thank you, Doug Chilton and the One People Canoe Society, for taking lead on this event, and we also need to send a big thank you to Delbert and Rio Kadake for being our safety boat and keeping us safe out on the water.
To all the paddlers, you’re awesome and showed who you are on this journey. Thank you, Sitka! Time to start getting ready for Paddle to Celebration 2018!
Wilbur Brown,
Skipper, the Sitka Canoe Team
