glaciers, permafrost and sea ice are all melting. as the president himself has said coastal erosion is washing away communities forcing people to flee. >> if another country threatened to wipe out an american town, we'd do everything in our power to protect ourselves. climate change poses the same threat right now. >> reporter: environmentalists agree but they don't like his administration's decision to approve offshore oil drilling by shell off alaska's north slope. as the drill rig left seattle earlier in year, protesters, some in kayaks, tried to slow it down making their feelings known. the president they say says one thing on climate change and does another. >> he's going to alaska to talk about the urgency of climate change while just approving arctic drilling, which scientists have been crystal clear is oil, 100 billion barrels of oil to stay in the ground if we stop the worst impacts of climate change. >> reporter: yet, hydrocarbons drive alaska's economic paying lucrative royalties and creating many jobs especially in the in

this is a picture of a pipeline that has succumbed to permafrost thaw. these are some of the incredible changes we are seeing in the arctic from coastal erosion, ocean acidification. permafrost thaw will change the reflection of both sub-siberian and arctic areas. and this is something that, quite frankly, the russian government understands that it's going to be a major challenge, i think is trying to figure out how to build resilience into that. and it's not just pipeline infrastructure. this is a picture of a home. foundations are cracking, crumbling because they were built on the permafrost that is adjusting and shifting. again, people don't appreciate that there are four million people that live in the arctic. the great requestest population is in -- greatest population is in the russian federation. a little under two million, i believe. there are major urban centers that are going to be dramatically impacted by the changes that we are seeing in the arctic. how will the russian government respond, be resilient to these important changes. and this is

it is very challenged but the permafrost thawing. at the same time, it is still functional giving the condition. you have even a kind of flow of population going back to the city because that's the place where you can find work. so that's also a good example of how the population, having still this kind of cooperate city that we would consider that's totally nonsustainable. also a guarantee of welfare, social starblete. and that's what the population is looking for. so these cities are kind of a good reputation not that the being ment level but able to provide social stability to their population. so these kind of elements i think are important. and then the last element i want to mention that is going on the other side, it has all these disturbing trends. and i think the one i found the most disturbing is the increasing number of incursions by the air patrol on the territory of the other stace. and all these overfly without authorization. so i really like the recommendation of the code of conduct because that's the risky behavior. t

glaciers, permafrost and sea ice are all melting and as the president has said coastal erosion is washingaway communities forcing people to flee. >> if a country was threatening to wipe out a town, we would do everything we could to prevent this. climate change is doing that very thing now. >> approving offshore drilling by shell in the chukchi sea, the president they say says one thing on climate change and does another. >> here he's going to talk about climate change while just approving arctic drilling where scientists have been crystal clear that must stay in the ground if we are to drive climate change. >> creating many jobs among indigenous population, at an international conference on climate change in anchorage state officials will tell the president thought to take steps that could hurt their most important industry. good what i think we need to do is try to find that middle ground where we can responsibly draw on those resources to meet not just our needs and the needs of that community but the world's needs for fossil fuels going forward but also to bear in mind that there is a

grash years, permafrost and sea ice are melting.s the pet said, coastal erosion is washing away communities. >> if another company threaten today wipe out an american town, we would do everything in our power to protect ourselves. climate change poses the same threat right now. >> environmentalists agree they don't like the administration's decision to approve offshore drilling. the drill rig left seattle earlier this year, protesters, some in kayaks tried to slow it down, making their feelings known. the president, they say, says one thing on climate change and does another. >> going to alaska to talk about climate change while just approving arctic drilling, which scientists have been crystal clear is oil, 100 billion barrels that must stay in the ground if we are going to stop the worsts impact of climate change. >> hydro car bons drive alaska's economy paying lucrative royalties and creating many jobs, especially among the indigenous population. >> low oil prices are raising fears of cutbacks to state services. an international

glaciers, permafrost and sea ice are all meltings as the president himself said coastal erosion is washay communities forcing people to flee. >> if another country they wanted to wipeout an american town we would do everything in our power to protect ourselves, chime at change poses the same threat right know. >> reporter: environmental assists agree but they don't like his administration's decision to a prove offshore oil drilling by shell in the sea off alaska am north slope. as the drill rig left seattle earlier this year, protesters some in kayaks, tried to slow it down, making their feelings known. the president they say, says one thing and does not. goes to alaska to tuck about the urgency of climate change while approving arctic drilling which scientists have been crystal clear is 100 billion-barrels of oil that must stay in the ground if we are to stop the worst effects of climate change. >> yet hydrocarbons drive the economy in alaska. owe oil prices are raising fears of cut back to his state services. at an international conference, state officials tell the president not to ta

permafrost and glacier disintegration. >> climate change poses the same threat right now. >> they don'tlike the administration's decision to approve off shore drilling by shell in the chuc chuckchi sea. protesters in kayaks tried to slow it down to make their feelings known. >> obama going to alaska to talk about the urgency of climate change while just approving 100 billion barrels of oil that must stay in the ground if we must improve climate change. >> especially among the indigenous population. low oil prices are raising fears of cut backs to state services. at an international conference on climate change in anchorage. >> what we need to can is try to find that middle grounds where we can bring sustainable government, where we can responsibly draw on those resources to meet not just our needs and the needs of the community but the needs for fossil fuels going forward. but also you know to bear in mind that there is an environmental cost to this. we need to balance all of that. >> here's proof. melting sea ice is behind this gathering of walruses, thousands of them forced to shore f

on the permafrost which is the frozen ground that so much of alaska sits on. on national resources.ng with fishermen salmon fishing. a huge part of the economy. not all the environmental groups are happy because just last week the president approved a drilling permit off the northwest coast for shell. something in the works since the bush administration. but they say it is hypocritical for him to come here and say he's going to be the president that addresses climate change and to do something which they say promotes fossil fuels which contribute to the global warming. and that is not the only controversy he's facing here. just yesterday the president announcing mount mcen kinly is going to be renamed denali which in fact alaskans have always known it as such. it was a point of contention for native americans who said it was just another example of imperialistic americans who decided to tell them what it was going to be called. it was tall gold prospector who heard mckinley was running for president, he wasn't even president yet named it that. and it stuck. already the park programs

here in alaska it's extreme weather, fall storms, permafrost, permanent walrus on shore and hundredsthousands, this is really impacted indigenous people here, alaska natives who live on the coast and depend hunting and fishing on the other hand less ice means open water if you're in the business of extracting oil it means a good thing. means safer season, better transit for shipping. kind of a blessing and curse depending on your perspective. >> it seems like another contradiction as well that the president wants to talk about reducing fossil fuel usage but criticized for just granting shell a permit to dig up more fossil fuels another of las alsos he giving a bit of a mixed message there? >> they don't see it this way. they see it that the rational is as they reiterated repeatedly that we need new sources of oil, domestic order for gradual transition from dependence on fossil fuels. it's risky, william i was just out on ice breaker several week in the high arctic, in 20-30 foot seas. there is a storm this past week that forced them to suspend drilling, the coast has been pounded by

as alaskan permafrost melts, some towns are sinking into the ground. naturalonal -- treasures are at risk. while i am there i will meet with americans were dealing with climate change every day and i will talk with other nations about how we can tackle this challenge together. i hope you will follow along at ouse.cov/alaska. this is not just a preview of what will happen if we don't take action, the alarm bells are ringing. as long as i am president we believe world to meet this threat before it is too late. host: your reaction, your response? guest: the president has been saying things that are's simply not true. -- are simply not true. the glaciers are retreating but they have been the last ice age. this is nothing new. sometimes they speed up, sometimes they slow down. we are not heading to a catastrophe. a chartance, here is from the national oceanic and atmospheric administration. it is something called the palmer hydraulic. -- on that there is no the upper part that is where it is wet. on the lower part that is the drought. the worst drop by far,

tape a segment talking about the rising sea levels, all the signs that people see, including the permafrostt of alaska on the frozen ground and communities going to have to move that are in the -- preparation stages of doing that. because of the changes to the temperature. a lot of environmentalists say that he's hypocritical coming here and just last week he approved a lease for shell to drill off the northwest coast and they say you can't do something to promote fossil fuels which is a contributor to climate change and then come here and say that you are the president who's going to fight climate change and that by the way not the only controversy here. just yesterday, the announcement made by the white house that the highest peak on the continent, moubt mckinley, named for former president mckinley changing to denali. something members of the alaska delegation and native alaskans had been fighting for since 1975 in congress as well know, luke, and the politically powerful ohio delegation held on all these years and the president said it is appropriate to return it to the name that it had

as alaskan permafrost melts, some towns are sinking into the ground.aturalonal -- treasures are at risk. while i am there i will meet with americans were dealing with climate change every day and i will talk with other nations about how we can tackle this challenge together. i hope you will follow along at ouse.cov/alaska. this is not just a preview of what will happen if we don't take action, the alarm bells are ringing. as long as i am president we believe world to meet this threat before it is too late. host: your reaction, your response? guest: the president has been saying things that are's simply not true. -- are simply not true. the glaciers are retreating but they have been the last ice age. this is nothing new. sometimes they speed up, sometimes they slow down. we are not heading to a catastrophe. a chartance, here is from the national oceanic and atmospheric administration. it is something called the palmer hydraulic. -- on that there is no the upper part that is where it is wet. on the lower part that is the drought. the worst drop by far, t

portions of alaska, 300 wildfires have scorched 5 million acres of land in alaska and some of the permafrostwant to show you the western united states. we know over 106 large fires that are active in the western u.s. scattered about. 6.5 million acres of land have been charred. 4.5 million is what is normal. and we look at the drought. over 8% of the west is in exceptional drought. half of the united states dealing with severe drought. much in california and then work your way to the north into washington state as well. but the terrain the firefighters have to deal with in the western united states much like this. a lot of mountains and canyons and you get the fires that develop in these mountainous areas. you have these funnel through the canyon and you create embers that are brought down and more fires develop downstream. the firefighters have a lot on their hand with the terrain and additional fires starting off downstream. but here's what it looks like. 6 million plus acres have burned. that is over 3 million hectares. that is equivalent to the size of the u.s. state of new hampshire or

and 80% of alaska is on permafrost.ses methane to the atmosphere and that is far more destructive than carbon dioxide. so this is ground zero and why president obama is on his way there right now. >> eye opening stuff. see you next hour. >> thank you. >>> the cnn freedom project is committed to shining a light on human trafficking. this week we are looking at how some girls have been branded by their traffickers and pimps to signify ownership. >> sara sidner rode along on a police patrol in los angeles and here is what she found. >> there are two girls standing on the corner up here monitoring traffic. so they're aggressively hitting up cars out here in the street. i got a good shot of it right now. both can go. we can all burn on this. >> you heard him, boys, let's go. >> reporter: they've been called all sorts of names from ladies of the night to prostitutes. but when they are underage, police now have a different name for them. >> we have come a long way in recognizing that these childrens are victims, they are not t

and we're seeing the fact that as thawing occurs in the permafrost we're having a situation known as drunken forest where the trees are all staggering in one direction or the other as they lean slightly, as the ground underneath them that was frozen is melting. as it starts to melt, it starts to release methane gas a very potent gas. another feedback mechanism we should all be concerned about. but let's simply take my home state of oregon. and i think one could take this type of checkup if you will, on any state in the union. in my home state, we have a very severe series of droughts in the klamath basin a major agricultural basin. and these are such that we've had the three worst-ever droughts in aered pooh a period of 15 years. it corresponds to the period of warmest years on planet earth in recorded history. and that is a huge impact on our farming industry. so if you care about farmers you should care about global. then we've had a big challenge with our forests because as these summers are becoming drier and as the type of storms we have are producing more lightning strikes we'r

melting and we saw glaciers that have turned into waterfalls but also rising sea levels, and the permafrosten ground beneath so much of alaska that is also melting entire villages are looking to have to relocate because of it. there is no part of this state where the economy isn't tied in some way into all of these. we spent a good part of a day out on a boat with a tour guide talking about the changes that she's seen in her 20 years. take a look. >> this year we have to snow. we had an 80-degree summer. we really just watched the glaciers change and dramatic changes. >> reporter: when you see that, what does it mean to you? >> again, business as we know it is going to change. >> reporter: so you also have the other side of this, which is that the alaskan economy is heavily tied to oil, and one of the controversial things that the president did before he came here was to sign off, after a long time, on a lease for shell oil to drill in off the northwest coast. obviously environmentalists very upset about that, but a lot of folks here are concerned that the president was going to come here,