Barack Obama in Alaska- what you need to know

He renamed a mountain, he's "Running Wild" and now he will become the first president to visit the Alaskan Arctic

Mount McKinley in Alaska
Mount McKinley in Alaska Credit: Photo: EPA

President Barack Obama is in Alaska for a three day tour to promote his environmental agenda. Along the way he will star in a wilderness survival reality show, cross the Arctic Circle, and meet resistance from oil interests and environmental groups alike.

Here's what to watch out for:

1) He renamed a mountain

When Mr Obama announced he would be re-naming Mount McKinley, North America's tallest mountain, the reception from most Alaskans was positive, while the response from most other Americans was, "He can do that?"

It turns out he can. The peak will henceforth be known as Denali, the native Alaskan name that locals have long used.

At least one group was upset about the change: Ohio Republicans. William McKinley was one of their own, and served as president from 1897-1901. House Speaker and Ohio native John Boehner said he, for one, was "deeply disappointed in this decision".

2) He's "Running Wild"

Bear Grylls stands on the edge of a glacier

Mr Grylls has previously had the likes of Kate Winslet and Channing Tatum as guests on the reality show, in which participants brave difficult climates and learn survival skills.

A spokesman for Mr Obama acknowledged that there are a few more restrictions than usual when your guest is the commander-in-chief.

“I will not deny your suspicion that there may have been some suggestions put forward by the Bear Grylls team that were not approved by the Secret Service," he said.

3) He'll be the first president to visit the Alaskan Arctic

The US is one of eight Arctic states, but no American president has ever crossed the Arctic Circle into the remote Alaskan Arctic.

That will change Wednesday when Mr Obama visits the coastal city of Kotzebue.

The conditions won't feel Arctic as temperatures are expected to reach a rather balmy 56F (13C).

4) It's all about climate change

The warm weather may actually help Mr Obama emphasise his point- that climate change is not a hypothetical in Alaska, its effects are felt every day as glaciers melt and sea levels rise.

"This is all real. This is happening to our fellow Americans right now," he said in a video ahead of the Alaska visit. "In fact, Alaska's governor recently told me that four villages are in 'imminent danger'."

“Think about that. 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.”

5) He's accused of hypocrisy

There's only one problem with Mr Obama's contention that we must do everything in our power to fight global warming, say environmental activists: he's not doing everything in his power.

 Aug. 4, 2012 file photo, tourists walk to Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park just outside Seward, Alaska.
The Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Mr Obama recently granted licenses for oil exploration in the Alaskan Arctic, a move which Greenpeace and other groups have called "deeply hypocritical".

The White House said that decision was a concession to the fact that the US economy, especially in Alaska, was still reliant on fossil fuels.