The Arctic Just Got A Huge Boost From Obama And Trudeau

Washington, D.C. has been hit with “Justin Fever” as Prime Minister Trudeau is in town to meet with President Obama — and attend the first U.S.-Canadian state dinner in nearly two decades. But the real impact of his visit might be felt less by the capital’s celebrity-starved journalists and more by the polar bears.

Under a new plan for the Arctic — the “shared Arctic leadership model” — the United States and Canada have pledged to work with indigenous groups to make science-based decisions. The plan seeks to protect the fragile Arctic environment, support resilient communities, and build a sustainable economy.

The Arctic is considered ground zero for climate change. With a fragile, often frozen ecosystem, changes in global temperatures — and the accompanying disruptions — can be magnified. Melting glaciers contribute to rising sea levels, while exposing carbon reserves that simply increase the speed of climate change.

Meanwhile, the animals that live in the Arctic are facing food shortages and other habitat changes. Communities in the Arctic have already had to relocate — Yup’ik Eskimo community in Alaska, a state that is warming twice as fast as the rest of the country, began moving their village last year.

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