Yes or no, do you think climate change is affected by human activities?
Governor
Charlie Pierce
Republican candidate for Governor
No. The amount of CO2 released into the air during the lightning-caused wildfires a couple years ago was more than what 100 years of automobiles has produced. But if we want to move toward using more electric vehicles, etc., let’s at least be realistic about it; it can’t be done in 10 years without completely shutting down our economy. Perhaps shoot for a goal of 40 or 50 years, but also acknowledge that hydrocarbons or nuclear power will always be part of maintaining our electrical grid.
(Editor’s note: Wildfires do not emit more carbon dioxide than vehicles. Learn more from the Air Quality Research Center here and from PolitiFact here.)
Mike Dunleavy
Republican candidate for Governor
There’s no doubt climate change is happening in Alaska. Human activities can contribute to climate change, but Alaska is not the problem and we should not foreclose on economic opportunities here that will only shift resource development overseas where in many cases the environment is not respected the way we do. Alaska can and will be a leader in clean energy and reducing global carbon emissions.