We spent our final day on our Alaska tour in Fairbanks exploring solutions to climate change. We toured the Permafrost Tunnel, originally built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to store vehicles outside of the extreme cold temperatures that define the interior of Alaska. Now, the tunnel is used primarily by engineers and arctic scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to study permafrost. The tunnel temperature is consistently held at about zero and has a putrid smell from thousands of years of earth decomposing. Together with a group of about 16, including faith and environmental non-profit leaders from the Fairbanks community, we toured the tunnel and learned about the various layers of permafrost.

Last night after Will gave a presentation at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) someone asked a very rare, but important question: What role can the social sciences play in response to climate change? This is a very important question. Of course, earth, atmospheric, and climate science are all important to our understanding of global climate change, but the social sciences can play an incredibly important role in helping us understand how human attitudes are shaped and the role of behavior change when it comes to environmental stewardship and reducing our carbon footprint.

Will and I had a successful day in Anchorage; we met with Alaska Public Radio Network and he gave two public presentations thanks to the support of our local partners, the National Wildlife Federation, Catholic Social Services, and Repower Alaska. (Listen to the audio on Alaska Public Radio Network (Listen Here MP3).  Alaskans signed postcards for Senators Murkowski and Begich urging them to support federal climate and clean energy legislation and chatted with Will after his presentation about his thoughts on how Alaska, an oil dependent state, can both use oil more efficiently, but also transition to more renewable fuels.

Tuesday April 13

We had a successful day in Juneau with a presentation at Centennial Hall in the afternoon and a long meeting with the editorial board at the Juneau Empire. The editors were interested in discussing how much climate change is in motion that we cannot slow, and how we will make the transition to a clean energy economy, especially in a state where AK is dependent on oil, coal and natural gas.  Will continued to emphasize that the solutions are all economic and that America needs to harness the can-do entrepreneurial spirit to ensure our national security, a stable environment and thriving economy.

We stayed with renowned filmaker, Joel Bennett, an accomplished arctic and wildlife photographer who shared stories and films from his arctic travels. We toured the old city and even caught a glimpse of the famous Mendenhall Glacier before heading to Anchorage.

Check out the coverage from the Juneau Empire

Will and I arrived in Juneau, AK last night. We're gearing up for four days of media outreach and public presentations to garner public support for climate action. Senator Lisa Murkowski is an important Senator whose vote this spring could help move climate and clean energy legislation forward in 2010.

The last time Will was here was in 1963. Inspired by an article in National Geographic magazine, Will shipped floatable kayaks and hitch-hiked to Prince Rupert and took the ferry to Juneau. He left Juneau in the rain and kayaked north up to Skagway. Only 18 at the time, he crossed the Chilkoot pass to the headwaters of the Yukon, following the gold rush pass. Once in Skagway, Will met some of the old timers from the gold rush. Following this encounter, Will and his buddy kayaked down the Yukon to the Arctic Circle. This was his first introduction to the north and to tides. This trip set the stage for a life of exploration.