Droughts in the Tongass. Melting glaciers. Volatile commercial fish stocks. Landslides, and more. The time to act is now. At the fall convention of the Alaska Association of Student Governments, attended by over 350 student leaders from across the state, my fellow high school leaders voted unanimously to endorse the climate solution that rises above the rest: carbon rebates. This approach would hold foreign polluters like China accountable and strengthen the US economy as it reduces harmful emissions worldwide.
In the unanimous resolution, we endorsed this common-sense solution. We weren’t the first to do so. In Alaska, a coalition of fishermen, resource extraction businesses, and conservation leaders are advancing the win-win carbon rebate approach to solving climate change. As young Alaskan leaders, we urge our representatives to pursue areas of common ground on climate, and solutions like carbon rebate offer an effective pathway forward.
We believe the best solutions are those which can lower international emissions and strengthen the economy. And after witnessing severe climate disruptions this summer, there isn’t a minute to lose. Let’s hold foreign polluters accountable for their actions and protect Alaska for generations to come.
• Jowielle Corpuz is a student at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé and serves as the vice president of the Alaska Association of Student Governments. Columns, My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire. Have something to say? Here’s how to submit a My Turn or letter.