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Conservation News Round Up 5/25/12

May 25, 2012

Happy Friday Alaska!  Monday is Memorial Day making this a long weekend.  Hopefully you can get out and enjoy the outdoors!  Here are some articles making headlines around this state this week:

In D.C. forum, Alaskans urge action on rural energy crisis

EPA plans public meetings on Bristol Bay prospect

Murkowski’s ‘Frankenfish’ amendment fails

GVEA goes to the EPA for Healy Clean Coal plant permits

Louise Murie, last of original Alaska conservation family, has passed

Denali Park wolf pack breeding female snared just outside park boundary

Conservation News Round Up 5-18-2012

May 18, 2012

Happy Friday Alaska!  It is a beautiful day here in Anchorage…the perfect day for Bike to Work Day!  Here are some articles making headlines across the state:

Diminishing Arctic ice reflecting less sunlight, fueling climate change

EPA Offers no verdict on Pebble Mine but lays out some risks

Opponents concerned about SeaAlaska Land Exchange Program

Check out GreenStar’s Facebook page for a ton of pictures from Bike To Work Day today! 

Sen. Murkowski wants additional review of fish

Conservation News Round Up 5/11/12

May 11, 2012

Happy Friday Alaskans!  Here are some conservation related articles making headlines around the state this week:

Tsunami Debris could impact Alaskan’s health and seafood safety

EPA fines Juneau Marina over underground tank

Parnell makes a new appointment to the Board of Game and another article about Parnell’s newest appointee

Neighbors are people, not corporations- opinion letter

Halibut Bycatch- An Outdoor View

Conservation News Round Up 5/4/12

May 4, 2012

Happy Friday Alaska!  We hope you are enjoying the sunshine and that you get out and enjoy it this weekend!  Take a look at some headlines making news across the state!

Is Wishbone Hill proceeding illegally?

ADN Editorial: Our View- EPA is doing it’s job

Health worker says Repsol blowout cause of some respiratory illness cases

Volunteers help monitor, protect lakes in the Mat-Su

Wind power fuels Alaska’s push for renewable rural energy

Conservation News Round Up 4/27/12

April 27, 2012

Happy Friday Alaska!  Spring is in full swing and the sun is shining.  Hopefully you will be able to get out and enjoy nature this weekend!  Here are a few articles making headlines this week across the state:

State moves toward construction of Susitna-Watana Dam

Alaska’s broken and corrupt wildlife system needs fixing- An op-ed piece on the Board of Game

Oceans polluted with much more plastic then previously thought

New research sheds light on mercury pollution

This crazy bill could eliminate Arizona’s ability to do any environmental work- I realize this isn’t Alaskan news but the bill is so crazy that I had to include the article this week

Conservation News Round Up 4/20/2012

April 20, 2012

Happy Friday Alaska!  It looks like it will be a beautiful weekend.  I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the spring weather!  Here are some conservation related articles that are making the headlines this week:

Fish to Schools

Going green offers benefits- Editorial from the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

“Everyday is Earth Day”: Growth a theme at KPC event

Special session hearings open on in-state natural gas line

Organics is a gardening ‘craze’ that is totally sane- a great opinion piece

Russian Conservationist saves, and releases, orphaned grizzly cubs- Not Alaskan but a great story!

Energy Update 4/18/12

April 18, 2012

Energy news in Alaska these past few weeks has centered on oil taxes.  The Legislative Session ended on Sunday (early Monday morning) and a special session has been called to deal with oil taxes, an in-state gasline, and human trafficking.  The session will start on Wednesday and there is no word on what a resolution might look like.  The version of the oil tax bill supported by the Governor and the House was rejected by the Senate and vice versa.  Governor Parnell has announced that he will introduce yet another oil tax bill that will hopefully reconcile the House and Senate versions.  Click here to read more on this issue.

The capital budget was passed by the Legislature on Sunday.  There is $190 million earmarked for energy-related projects in the budget this year including $25.8 million for the fifth round of AEA’s Renewable Energy Grant Fund and $51.5 million for Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s weatherization and home energy rebate programs.  Click here to view the full capital budget

Lastly, Homer Electric Association (HEA) is beginning to study whether a hydro project at Grant Lake will be feasible.  Studies are in the works to determine how the $35 million project will affect water quality, vegetation, and wildlife.  Earlier versions of the project included a 10 foot dam which has now been scaled back to 2 feet or no dam at all.  HEA hopes to file for a final FERC permit in 2014.

Calendar:

  • April 19th-20th: Business of Clean Energy Conference- for more details, go to www.bceaconference.com
  • April 27th: Free Alaska EnergySmart Educator Workshop- for more details, click here
  • April 28th: Alaska Wind for Schools Workshop- for more details, click here

Ocean Acidification and AMCC’s Report ‘Views and Voices of Alaska’s Fishermen, Marine Industries and Coastal Residents’

April 17, 2012

This past winter Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) sponsored community roundtable discussions about ocean acidification in key fishing communities across Alaska.  AMCC designed their roundtable discussion to accomplish three goals: 1) bring together the efforts and expertise of scientists, subsistence harvesters, commercial fishermen, natural resources managers and coastal residents to better assess and address the affects of ocean acidification on local fisheries and livelihoods; 2) develop ideas and advance dialogue concerning the needs and potential contributions of fishermen and fishing communities in responding to the threat posed by ocean acidification; and 3) provide insight into how the fishing industry might engage in policy action related to ocean acidification in the future.  AMCC recently released the findings from these roundtable discussions in a report ‘Ocean Acidification and Alaska Fisheries: Views and Voices of Alaska’s Fishermen, Marine Industries and Coastal Residents’ authored by Rachel Donkersloot, PhD.

What is ocean acidification?  Oceans help regulate the earth’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Since the start of the industrial revolution, our oceans have absorbed 525 billion tons of carbon dioxide.  About a quarter of the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere goes into the oceans.  When carbon dioxide is dissolved in seawater, it alters the pH level and causes it to be more acidic.  Most estimates say that since the 1750’s, our oceans’ acidity has risen by 30%.

Why is this bad?  Increases in acidity cause less calcium carbonate to be available for use by marine organisms and animals such as mollusks and crustaceans to make their shells.  It also affects tiny animals (some that are a key food source for salmon) near the bottom of the food chain and corals.  A recent study shows that 75% of the $4 billion U.S. fishing industry is connected to an organism that will be impacted by ocean acidification.  In addition, changes in the chemistry of our oceans will make them less able to absorb carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.

There are still many questions to be answered in order to determine how ocean acidification will affect our oceans and the fisheries in Alaska specifically.  AMCC’s roundtable participants identified monitoring and research as priorities at a time when funding for ocean acidification research is decreasing.

What can you do to help?  Read AMCC’s report in its entirety here. Alaska Marine Conservation Council, one of Alaska Conservation Alliance’s member groups, works to address ocean acidification in many different ways. Check out their website at www.akmarine.org to learn more about their great organization and to learn how you can help.

Read more about AMCC’s new report in this Juneau Empire article.

Conservation News Round Up 4/13/12

April 13, 2012

Happy Friday the 13th!  Fortunately it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day here in Anchorage.  Here are some conservation related articles that are making news here in Alaska this week:

Shell reports sharp increase in oil spills

Letter to the Editor: Road to Umiat not welcome

Latest on oil tax bill- State senate delays vote on oil tax bill

Environmental Groups ask for Arctic Ocean oil leases to be overturned

Grant Lake hydro studies set for summer

Conservation News Round Up 4/6/2012

April 6, 2012

Happy Friday Alaska!  I hope your weather is better than the snowy wet mess in Anchorage this morning.  On the bright side, it’s the perfect weather to curl up with a cup of coffee and catch on conservation news from around the state!

Fire Island Wind farm equipment begins arriving at Anchorage port

Alaska energy woes fuel hearing with Rep. Don Young

Bills would provide loans to help convert home heating systems

HEA discharge permit under review; open for public comment

Coal ash EPA standards pushed by U.S. environmental groups

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