CLIMATE CHANGE LINKED TO DEVASTATION OF ALASKAN FORESTS

HOMER, Alaska, 17 July 1997

A Greenpeace expedition to the Western Arctic has documented a major insect outbreak which is destroying huge areas of forest in the south-west region of Alaska and has been linked by scientists to rapidly rising temperatures in the region associated with global climate change.

The largest outbreak in North American history of the spruce bark beetle has infested over half a million hectares (US - over 1 million acres) of forests, killing an estimated 30 million trees in 1996 alone, and has affected Alaskan communities from Homer to Anchorage. The total area infested has grown from just over 40,000 hectares (US - 0.1 million acres) in 1974/75 to almost half a million hectares (US -1.1 million acres) in 1996. Greenpeace activists, traveling on a 2-month expedition to the Arctic aboard the Greenpeace vessel MV Arctic Sunrise, examined the beetle infestation in the forests of the Kenai Peninsula surrounding the south-western Alaskan town of Homer.

According to US Forest Service scientist, Dr. Ed Holsten, who accompanied Greenpeace to the site, vast swarms of beetles emerged this year towards the end of May, many weeks earlier than usual and the numbers have been greatly increased by the new ability of the beetle to complete its life cycle from egg laying to adult within one year instead of the usual two years - a change that can only be caused by warming temperatures. Holsten said the forest was unlikely to recover for many centuries, if ever.

An article in the May 1997 issue of Western Forester [1], published by the Society of American Foresters, concludes: "The recent increases in bark beetle and defoliator activity may be correlated to climatic changes. There has been a significant warming trend throughout south-central and interior Alaska for at least 60 years."

The Western Arctic is one of the fastest warming regions in the world, at almost one degree per decade for the past 3 decades or several times the average global rate, and is seen as an early indicator of the impacts of global climate change, which is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas.

Amidst these increasing signs of human-induced climate change, the oil industry in the Alaskan Arctic is rapidly expanding towards the Russian and Canadian borders, seeking to develop and open up several major new oil fields.

Greenpeace Arctic Expedition leader, aboard the Arctic Sunrise Steve Sawyer said: "Oil companies are just as responsible for Alaska's forest decline as they were for the Exxon Valdez disaster. We can't afford to burn what we've already found. Burning more than about a quarter of the world's existing reserves of oil, coal and gas risks causing dangerous climate change. It's completely irresponsible to spend billions exploring for more."

In December, national governments will be meeting in Kyoto, Japan, to sign agreements to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kevin Jardine Greenpeace Arctic Climate Impacts expert, +1 (416) 597 8408;
Steve Sawyer Greenpeace Arctic expedition leader on board the Arctic Sunrise (satellite phone) + 872 130 2577;
Dr Ed Holsten (US Forestry Service Entomologist) +1 907 271 2573

VIDEO AND STILLS AVAILABLE PLEASE CONTACT CINDY BAXTER +44-171-8658-168 OR ANKE SCHEIB +31-20-5249-543.

Notes to Editors:

[1] The May 1997 article in the Western Forester, concludes more fully that: "The recent increases in bark beetle and defoliator activity may be correlated to climatic changes. There has been a significant warming trend throughout south-central and interior Alaska for at least 60 years. This, no doubt, has benefited spruce beetle populations by reducing the amounts (both duration and range) of unfavorable temperatures for brood development, increasing winter survival of beetle brood; and allowing for a longer adult spruce beetle dispersal period. The sharp spike in spruce beetle activity seen for 1994-95 can be partly attributed to the "mother" of all summers experienced throughout Alaska in 1993 which increased water stress on spruce trees during the spring dispersal of beetles, and also aided beetle populations by halving beetle development times from a two-year to a one-year cycle."

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