Other Issues

The primary goal of our website is to provide accurate, up-to-date information on natural resource issues, with a particular focus on Alaska.  Currently we have sections with detailed articles on Coal and Metals Mining.  We are currently working on developing sections on Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Oil and Gas, Forestry, and Fisheries.

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Below are a list of articles that don't easily fit any of these categories.

Waste Storage 'In Perpetuity'

This article discusses the issues associated with the perpetual storage of things like nuclear waste, coal combustion wastes, and mine tailings.

Non-Renewable Energy in Alaska

This article summarizes some basic information on non-renewable energy sources in Alaska

Resource Extraction on the North Pacific Coast

This article was researched and written in 2007 as part of the preparation for our year-long Journey on the Wild Coast.  One of the goals of this trip was to see many of these issues for ourselves, and to weave them together into a narrative aimed at understanding natural resource issues facing the Northern Pacific Coast.  Some of the text and links have been updated with more recent information.

Subsistence

The subsistence harvest of wild resources is important to the livelihood and culture of many Alaskans, both Native and non-Native.

Loss-Selling in Alaska

During the 1980's Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) were allowed to sell their "net operating losses" to other corporations as a tax shelter.  The two major consequences of this were over $400 million in income for struggling ANCs and the otherwise uneconomical depletion of natural resources, particularly timber.

True Cost

Here we discuss the meaning of the term "True Cost" and the factors that make up the difference between the market price of a commodity and the comprehensive cost of that commodity to society.

True Cost of Electricity Generation

Subsidies and externalities are not included in the sticker price of electricity.  Here we discuss calculations of both, and how they affect our view of clean versus cheap sources of electricity.

Date Created: 17th June 2010