Alaska

Connecting climate change to 80s metal, a cult movie and The Killer.

Mike Daulton, Director of Conservation Policies, National Audubon Society, is interviewed about attitudes among the American public regarding increased domestic oil and natural gas exploration on environmentally sensitive lands. He also discusses Audubon"s position on increased domestic energy production.

The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently announced it will not open up the Teshekpuk Lake region to the oil industry - at least, not for another ten years. This decision comes after 2 years of campaigning, during which more than 150,000 people came forward to demand the important ecoysystem remain free from oil exploitation

The New York Times today has a story on how Juneau, Alaska cut their energy use by more than 30 percent in a matter of weeks.

Senator Jeff Bingaman delivers a speech on the Senate floor pointing out the flaws in the Senate Republican energy proposal and calling instead for bipartisan support of a plan to put more oil on the market.The Senate is to vote on a Republican plan that would, among other things, open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to drilling. In his speech, however, Bingaman says that there are millions of acres yet to be leased in areas poised for drilling. And, he says, millions of other acres have been leased, but no drilling has yet occurred.

Senator Nelson argues that drilling in environmentally sensitive areas is not a remedy for rising fuel prices.

This morning on NPR, President Bush tried to blame congress for the nation’s high gas, food, and electricity prices. Apparently, Congress has been thwarting the President’s attempts to fix the economy: “I’ve repeatedly submitted proposals to help address these problems,” the president said. “Yet time after time, Congress chose to block them.” His answer: Drill in ANWR.

A small Inuit community is suing 24 big, bad energy companies, claiming damages due to climate change. The melting ice pack has pushed up sea levels and exposed the residents of Kivalina to an increasing number of storms; the cost of relocating the entire village (which is sinking into the sea) is placed at US$400 million.

Governor Palin and Attorney General Gansler join victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill  before oral arguments are scheduled to begin before the Supreme Court in the Fishermen and Native Subsistence lawsuit, Baker vs. Exxon. The suit, a class action composed of 32,677 commercial fishermen, related individuals and businesses, private landowners, Native Alaskans, municipalities, and other claimants from across the country affected by the spill.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) calls for an immediate listing of polar bears under the Endangered Species Act and a delay of an Alaska offshore oil and gas lease sale that threatens Arctic wildlife and habitats.

Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) questions members of the Bush administration regarding the delay of a decision to list polar bears under theEndangered Species Act until after a controversial lease sale for oil drilling off of Alaska. The hearing also features experts on wildlife protection and oil drilling.

The federal government will open up nearly 46,000 square miles off Alaska's northwest coast to petroleum leases next month, a decision condemned by enviromental groups that contend the industrial activity will harm northern marine mammals.

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Scientists say that this summer’s accelerated Arctic ice melt could be a sign that global warming has passed the tipping point

As fascinating as it might be to see a scientist potentially holding a pile of mammoth-poo in his hands, this is not a good sign.