This is primarily an art blog, but not exclusively. I have an interest in the intersection of politics, social change and energy-sustainability. Sometimes I note talks on those topics here.
I have studied environmental law and understand the spiritual value of wilderness. I often apply an ethnographic analysis of American absolutism and Walter Prescott Webb's Great Frontier thesis to political and social belief systems. I'm familiar with the deep ecology movement. That's me.
The topic of this entry is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is not just a map. Arctic animals roam the area and reproduce there. Caribou migrate through the plains, the 1002 area slated for oil development. It's North America's Serengeti.
Many states will face energy mining challenges, including coastal states with potential offshore oil and gas deposits, and the possibility of renewable capture by wave and offshore wind projects. We will face it in Oregon, along with geothermal drilling on Oregon public lands. The real unaddressed issue is pricing of one time public resources extracted. As we own them, we should welcome a broad discussion. One theory is that we should leave the carbon deposits in the ground until they become more valuable and carbon capture is developed. Of course the other theory is get the most money as fast as you can.
Alaska has two golden egg laying geese: mining and fishing. So Alaska faces energy mining challenges continuously. (There is also a challenge around the Pebble Mine, pitting directly in conflict mining and fishing) Mining for oil and sending it South by the Alaska Pipeline has allowed a negative state income tax and is 80% of the state GDP. But those fields are being exhausted and there is a mad search for replacement fields to continue to fill the pipe. The Alaska oil pipeline gathers oil a short 75 miles to the West of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
Alaska has had some success at using the natural gas often found with oil as well as exporting it to Japan as LNG. More exploration will produce more gas.
Land exploration and mining is much easier than sea. There may not be as much oil and gas in the Refuge as previously imagined. There is good science that there will be Arctic Ocean oil and gas. The area just offshore has reduced ice in Summer due to global warming. But drilling, wellheads and piping to shore, in sea ice conditions and storms, will be a challenge. Think Deepwater Horizon crushed by ice. In fact a Shell platform, the Kulluk, grounded New Years Eve in the Gulf of Alaska, and the crew evacuated. The rig had been unsuccessfully drilling for exploration in the Arctic Ocean Northwest of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and was enroute to Seattle for Overwintering and maintenance when it lost its towlines. Even with horizontal recovery drilling from shore, there will be impacts on land.
The Alaska National Wildlife Refuge includes coastal access to the Arctic Ocean. So there is a national debate, including you and I, on whether, how and when the American philosophy of wilderness will be breached to mine oil and gas. If you know the name George Schaller, you might enjoy his thoughts.
I have never visited the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. The area is about a third the size of the entire state of Oregon. But Hudson Henry has. In 2006 he traversed the Brooks Range - 100 miles unassisted backpacking, in that self same Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. Tonight he relates that experience.
So, if you like, you can put yourself tonight right in the middle of our exploration as a country into the Northern facets of energy and wilderness policy.
At the Mazamas www.mazamas.org. 527 SE 43rd 7PM Free
