I learned many things from following President Obama’s trip to Alaska.
The first is that POTUS and I share the same taste in ice cream: coffee + coconut = perfection.
For the people of Alaska and the rest of the world however, the presidential visit had far more significant outcomes. Now that Air Force One has touched down once again, here’s a look at what the US President did (and didn’t do) on this historic trip.
1/ He renamed a mountain
Today we’re returning Mount McKinley to its native name - Denali, a step to reflect the heritage of Alaska Natives. pic.twitter.com/WyzQImKymX
— President Obama (@POTUS) August 31, 2015What’s in a name? A mountain by another name would...err, look as tall? Shakespeare aside, the decision to change the name of the mountain formerly known as ‘Mount McKinley’ to its original native name ‘Denali’ is of profound cultural significance.
Meaning ‘the high one’ or ‘the great one’ in Koyukon, one of the 11 Athabascan languages traditionally spoken in Alaska, the name goes back over 10,000 years. It was only re-christened McKinley after William McKinley won the presidency in 1896, when an explorer and passionate supporter of the new President decided to name the mountain after the leader, undermining the long heritage of the people whose roots lay in the region.
Since then, the mountain has become a symbol of the marginalisation of Native American cultures, so restoring the original name marks an attempt to deliver on Obama’s 2008 pledge to improve relationships between the federal government and Native American tribes. Prepared to go beyond symbolic gestures, Obama has already taken measures to grant Native Alaskans greater ownership of their natural resources, including plans for them to play a direct role in the management of key industries, such as Chinook salmon stocks.
2/ He became the first US President to enter the Arctic Circle
Out of all the US states, Alaska is the region that has been most visibly and rapidly hit by climate change. In the President’s own words:
“Alaskans are already living with the effects of climate change. More frequent and extensive wildfires. Bigger storm surges as sea ice melts faster. Some of the swiftest shoreline erosion in the world — in some places, more than three feet a year. Alaska’s glaciers are melting faster, too — threatening coastal communities, tourism and adding to rising seas.”
With the Arctic warming at twice the rate of the rest of the planet, the Last Frontier is a powerful stage to highlight the impact of rising temperatures as the world prepares to enter negotiations to limit global warming at the UN Climate Conference in Paris (COP2015) later this year.
Although Obama’s Arctic expedition marks a historic moment for the US Presidency, will his environmental legacy go far enough? To remain under agreed limit on global warming, a study in Nature argued that the world would need to preserve ⅓ of its current oil reserves, ½ its gas reserves and over 80% of its current coal reserves between now and 2050. New developments in Arctic oil drilling and unconventional oil production techniques point to that target not being met. Obama’s controversial decision to allow Shell to start drilling for Arctic oil in this vulnerable landscape earlier this year therefore stands at odds with his strong rhetoric on the urgency of combating climate change.
Still, by becoming the first US President to enter the Arctic Circle, Obama went further (north) than his predecessors in acknowledging the problem. Although it may not be enough for some, I hope his words are a sign of a renewed ambition in the fight against climate change.
3/ He ran wild with Bear Grylls
This trip to the Arctic marked another first for Obama, who became the first president to take part in an episode of NBC’s ‘Running Wild with Bear Grylls.’
Joining the ranks of stars like Kate Winslet and Michelle Rodriguez, the President agreed to be put through his paces by the adventurer and former British special forces soldier Bear Grylls to raise awareness of the impact of climate change.
Former participants have had their survival skills pushed to the limits to experience the reality of the big wild world. Although it’s unlikely we’ll see POTUS subjected to the task of drinking urine or eating bugs like previous stars on the show, one thing is clear from the album of selfies that emerged from the trip: the bromance will be sweet.
Raising awareness on climate change is important, but it won’t mean much without decisive action. Later this month, world leaders will come together and commit to a series of Global Goals, a plan for sustainable development that includes action on climate. Obama himself has said: “No challenge poses a threat to future generations than climate change,” and 2015 is the year to step up to the challenge. Take Action here to make sure world leaders make strong commitments to achieving all the Global Goals.