Face to face with a Bear: Obama sees retreating Alaskan glacier

Barack Obama has come face to face with evidence of how climate change is re-shaping the American landscape. The US president hiked to Exit Glacier in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park in his attempt to highlight the impact of global warming. The glacier, part of the largest ice field entirely situated in the US, has melted at a drastic rate in recent years. Mr Obama snapped photos of the spectacular scenery, which is dotted with markers highlighting the glacier’s retreat. He described it as a “signpost of what we’re dealing with”. The president did come face to face with a bear - British survival expert Bear Grylls.

It sends a message about the urgency that we’re going to need to have when it comes to dealing with this.

Barack Obama

Mr Obama’s visit is intended to remind America and the world of the consequences of climate change ahead of a major global conference in Paris in December. But he has been accused of hypocrisy, having approved permits for oil exploration in Alaska’s most dangerous waters. Following his glacial hike, Mr Obama took a boat tour of the nearby fjords. He saw more evidence of how land ice is melting and the impact on wildlife. The trip has included a string of carefully choreographed photo opportunities but little in the way of new policy initiatives. Last month, Mr Obama did order cuts to emissions from coal power plants.

The world is a beautiful place and we are smart people. We have overcome problems in the past and I am sure we will again.

Dr Shad O'Neel, a glaciologist with the US Geological Survey in Anchorage

Science Obama Alaska