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July 25, 2005
So What's this Alaska Thing, and Are You in New York August 2nd?
It was part fun - 10 days rafting the Canning River on the north slope - and part business: A project called "Treasure America" that is trying to prove that opening the Arctic Refuge to oil exploration is not only a bad idea for environmental reasons, but also, for economic ones. We spent about 5 days in the hamlet of Kaktovik, and another 5 chatting with folks in Anchorage about the issue. If there's anything I've learned from this experience, it's that it's extremely complex. Still, we uncovered plenty of evidence that opening the refuge to drilling will have a trivial, at best, impact on gas prices. The only really positive outcome to drilling that I can think of is that it might allow oil sales to China that could play-down the US-China trade deficit to some extent. But the more I study it, the more it seems that drilling would have a negative effect on American business in the long-term because it discourages innovation at the very momment when we need it most. As for the residents of the North Slope, who have found themselves dependant on what is essentially a welfare system handed out by the oil industry, there exists a great deal of untapped potential for non-oil-based economic growth. It just needs to be encouraged. Tourism is the obvious started businss, and we helped some of the local guides establish themselves and put up a website for them. Read the latest TAP press release "Debunking the Myth of Oil Dependency in Alaska" for a taste. Also! If you are in Boston or New York next week please come to our fund-raiser and presentation. For invite info click your city: [Boston][New York].  Comments on this article:
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I got back from Alaska last week, never bothered to explain why!
Nick-
I spent some time with a "naturalist" while I was in Alaska. He's a whale-expert and lives in Juneau part of the year. I discussed a range of AK issues with him, including oil exploration issue.
I've always been in favor of opening AK to more oil exploration. I have a couple of reasons.
Without showing my loyalities, I pressed him on the issue. I'm sure you know where he stands.
His answer to me was that it was "bad for the AK the environment".
This guy was a naturalist and this was his answer? I've read this a dozen times in the media - I wanted to know more.
So, I asked him specifically what was possibly hurt by oil exploration in AK.
He proceeded to give me a very detailed answer about how the machinery used in exploration would damage the soil and plant life and how other animals depend on the plant life. He said that it's better to operate the machinery in the winter when there's snow and ice covering the land.
That was the first time I'd ever heard such a solid answer.
My point: you're a knowledgeable liberal. If you're going to convince conservatives like me to protect places like AK - then don't use the same old mainsteam media argument. Give solid, real examples.
Posted by: Rick Stratton on July 28, 2005 11:57 AM