Story Created:
Feb 6, 2009 at 10:26 AM AKDT
Story Updated:
Feb 16, 2009 at 12:46 PM AKDT
The Center for Climate Strategies, an environmental group based in Pennsylvania, has been hired by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to serve as the state's climate commission management team, facilitating the meetings of the governor's panel.
Yesterday's meeting dealt with climate change mitigation, which is finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The discussions were briefly centered around the possibility of a carbon tax being imposed in Alaska on fossil fuel consumption.
Critics of the panel say there is no real cost analysis and no scientific debate over global warming in these meetings. There has been some discussion of the costs of implementing global warming mitigation policies, but the Center for Climate Strategies admits that some of the plans are impossible to put a dollar amount to.
The CCS says there will be no debate in these meetings over the science of climate change, or whether global warming is actually happening.
Gloria Flora, from the Center for Climate Strategies says, "When you look at Governor Palin's executive order, and Commissioner Hartig has made it very clear, that we're not here to debate who did what when, or where are these emissions coming from? We know that there's far more carbon and CO2 in the atmosphere."
ABC Alaska News asked Flora, what if the science behind climate change is wrong? Her response: "So what? We've saved money. We've saved resources. We've improved our health. We've improved the environment. So, if we're wrong, hallelujah! You know, we just did a lot of really good things."
The discussion this month was about studies regarding the implementation of a carbon tax in Alaska. The panel expects to make its policy recommendations to Governor Palin at the end of 2009.
