During 82 years on record, four out of the five earliest thaws on the Tanana River occurred in the 1990's. The black guillemot population is declining from 1990 levels because melting sea ice has increased the distance the birds must fly to forage for food and reduced the number of resting sites available. Global warming is likely to bring many changes to the nation. The United States as a whole is in a strong economic position to adapt to many of these changes, but adaptation is often expensive, not always possible or successful, and during transitions ecosystems, communities, and individuals could suffer. Moreover, national impact summaries disguise local dislocations and disruptions to the ways we live, work and recreate.
Climate change adds a serious stress to our already threatened resources and treasured places.
Overall impact statements also mask significant opportunities. To minimize the negative changes and make the most of the positive changes we need to take a close look at how climate change will affect each region. The state's climate varies from year to year and decade to decade. These variations are associated with large-scale shifts in ocean temperature and salinity regimes, ice conditions, and marine biota in the surrounding seas. The arctic is the warmest it has been in 400 years.