Alaska Visit Warns Of Battle For Climate

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, making his first official visit to America's giant and remote outpost, added: "It sends a message about the urgency that we're going to need to have when it comes to dealing with this.

"When the glaciers erode that's also a sign of the amount of water that's being introduced in the oceans, rising sea levels and the warming that is generally having an impact on the flora and fauna of this national park.

"We want to make sure that our kids and grandkids can see this."

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.

At one stage he bizarrely described some icebergs as being "the size of Costco", the famed US retailer.

During his visit to the tourist town of Seward, he stopped off at a cafe and a gelato shop, buying cinnamon buns and treats for staff and media.

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.

On Monday, Mr Obama painted a doomsday scenario for the globe if efforts are not made to curb greenhouse gases and slow global warming.

Alaskans have welcomed the president's visit. He will become the first sitting US president to visit the Alaskan Arctic when he arrives in the town of Kotzebue on Wednesday.

Scientists in Alaska have also welcomed the extra attention his visit has brought to the state's climate crisis.

Dr Shad O'Neel, a glaciologist with the US Geological Survey in Anchorage, says it is not yet too late.

He told Sky News: "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."