Changes in sea ice conditions that affect ranges and abundance of seals, walrus, whales, and fish, and climate changes that affect caribou and moose migration, could put severe stresses on the native subsistence way of life. These would be added to existing stresses such as exposure to air, water and food-borne contaminants that concentrate in this region. Changes in sea ice conditions that affect ranges and abundance of seals, walrus, whales, and fish, and climate changes that affect caribou and moose migration, could put severe stresses on the native subsistence way of life. The workshop stressed that climate change is not a future problem, but rather is one being dealt with right now in Alaska. For example, major roads have to be rebuilt from scratch every six years due to permafrost thawing.
Climate change is already rapidly underway in Alaska.
About 100 people attended the workshop. Natives were represented to a small extent, and the organizers concluded that they needed to reach out to them more. In general, it was felt that there was a need for additional recruitment to bring more stakeholders in, and this was partly a problem of the short time frame. More personal contact is probably needed, utilizing phone calls rather than letters. In addition, the four-day length of the meeting may have presented problems for some invitees.