Background Articles

Alaska is experiencing rapid environmental changes, including record-high temperatures, shrinking sea ice, increased wildfires, and unusual wildlife patterns, such as the decline of salmon and the rise of snow goose populations.

A recent study indicates that dust plays a significant role in the Arctic's climate changes, affecting how clouds form and their impact on the region's climate dynamics.

Climate change is affecting nearly every aspect of life, said Gwich’in Council International board member Evon Taa’ąįį Peter, who is Neetsaii Gwich’in and Koyukon Athabascan. For one thing, he told ICT, more than 60% of the forest lands of the Alaskan Gwich’in nation have burned in wildfires in the past 10 years. As of July 10, 582,000 acres had burned this year in 328 wildfires in Alaska. “I couldn’t open the windows of my house for seven days straight, I think, because it would just let smoke billow into my home, which was already too unhealthy for us to be outside. So most of us just had to remain indoors…so there’s definitely very real dramatic and in-our-face impacts from climate change across the state, even in (an urban area like) Fairbanks,” Peter said.

With the future of fossil fuels in question, an Australian oil company is branding its new Arctic development as climate-friendly.

A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui has found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health.

Canada's record wildfires contribute significantly to global non-tropical tree cover loss, with implications for climate change and biodiversity.

An $11 million study, funded by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, will investigate the feasibility of a new coal power plant in Alaska with carbon capture and storage technology.

Eleven individuals from Think Pink are charged in Sweden's largest environmental crime case for illegally dumping waste, causing fires and toxic leaks.

Alaska's U.S. senators oppose the EPA's move to regulate and phase out leaded aviation gasoline, citing potential negative impacts on the state's travel and economy.

Alaska Airlines is promoting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional mileage runs, though its effectiveness depends on production methods and it's not yet widely adopted or cost-competitive.

Lichens can provide valuable information about air quality and environmental conditions, as different species have different sensitivities to pollution and humidity levels, making them useful indicators of climate and pollution levels in a given area.

Unalaska in Alaska is under an air quality advisory due to ashfall from the eruption of Mount Shishaldin on Unimak Island, with the advisory extended until Thursday.

Survivors of the Maui fire in Lahaina say they were overwhelmed by the speed of the blaze, the smothering smoke and the lack of escape routes.

There are now 140 active Interior wildfires, with Southeast Alaska seeing "abnormally dry" conditions.

Clean, fresh air can be part of the draw for tourists to Canada's North — but they won't find it this week in Yellowknife due to wildfire smoke.

Wildfire smoke has been blasting much of the N.W.T. lately, with air quality advisories in nearly every community Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, much of the territory is also coping with record-breaking heat.

People in Southeast Alaska are starting to see smoke from Canada's record-breaking wildfire season — and there’s more to come. The air quality levels are still fair: hovering around 17, on a scale that goes up to 300.

As the Fairbanks North Star Borough continues to tweak plans to improve air quality in its nonattainment zone, its wood stove change-out program continues to grow.

The air quality index, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency metric for air pollution, exceeded a staggering 400 at times in Syracuse, New York City and Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. A level of 50 or under is considered good; anything over 300 is considered “hazardous,” when even healthy people are advised to curtail outdoor physical activity.

Norwegian invests NOK 50 million to build Norway's first e-fuel factory. Airline company Norwegian thus hopes to reach its own climate goals, and using e-fuel rather than jet fuel.