Thinning of ice, communities sinking in water, erosion, melting permafrost — these are all currently happening in Alaska, and it's getting worse. The climate change in Alaska is a brutal everyday reality that the Alaskans have to endure. It has taken a toll on their personal lives and their work.

Particularly, the native village of Kotzebue, Alaska, has been hit hard since they are situated on gravel that is above the Arctic Circle. Life is changing drastically for them, and they, along with the environment, are having a hard time adjusting.

Dominic Ivanoff, 28, is a leader of the Kotzebue tribal council and says that the ice is affected the most. He claims he used to need a two-foot-long auger extension to cut a hole while fishing through thick ice back in April, but now he doesn't need one anymore. Not only has the village of Kotzebue been hit hard, but the situation is more grave for those living in even smaller villages that surround northwest Alaska.

All of this has caught the attention of President Obama who arrived earlier this week to deliver a message to Alaska and gain awareness on this topic. He spoke about his beliefs on the planet becoming warmer, an occurrence that is happening twice as fast in the state of Alaska than the rest of the United States.

Obama promises to provide new aid for Arctic communities because of the shorelines and infrastructure disintegrating that is believed to be due from the rising of temperatures. The President attacked those who deny that climate change exists by telling them they "are on their own shrinking island."

The cynics point out Obama's hypocrisy, though, because just weeks ago he gave the final approval to Shell Oil to drill into in the Alaskan Arctic for the first time in the past 20 years.

This marks the first time a President of the United States has ever visited the Arctic Alaska. Obama says he wants to help with the coastal erosion and the high energy costs by approving new federal efforts.

He marked the end of his trip by calling the attention of those nationwide and globally to come together and support this cause. Obama wants all of us to become more aware of what is happening in our world and especially in areas that are more affected than others, such as Alaska.

Residents spoke about Obama's trip positively mentioning how appreciative they were about his attention towards their situation and his newfound efforts for federal support.

There was a good amount of doubtfulness from the native population due to some feelings of being neglected, insignificant and exploited from the president. There is also a feeling of Obama's efforts not meeting the seriousness of their needs.

Only time will tell if Obama will actually carry out his promises, and the Alaskans are anxiously waiting.