Bye bye Alaska...
Mar 16th, 2005 | 11:50 AM
#3
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
For people who don't know what they're losing, please go here:
http://arctic.fws.gov/
For those who do understand the gravity of this decision, please don't give up hope...
http://arctic.fws.gov/
For those who do understand the gravity of this decision, please don't give up hope...
Mar 16th, 2005 | 12:00 PM
#4
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Goodbye:
INSECTIVORES (shrews)
____ Masked (Common) Shrew (Sorex cinereus) Moist tundra, bogs, and forests.
____ Dusky Shrew (Sorex monticolus) Wet meadows south of the mountains.
____ Arctic Shrew (Sorex arcticus) Wet sedge tundra.
____ Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi) Forests and bogs south of the mountains.
LAGOMORPHS (hares and rabbits)
____ Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) Forests and shrub thickets.
RODENTS (squirrels, mice, porcupines, etc.)
____ Alaska Marmot (Marmota broweri) Rocky, mountainous areas.
____ Arctic Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) Dry, sandy areas.
____ Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Spruce forests.
____ Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) Ponds and marshes south of the mountains.
____ Beaver (Castor canadensis) Wooded streams.
____ Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) Meadows and open forests south of the mountains.
____ Tundra Vole (Microtus oeconomus) Meadows near water south of the mountains.
____ Yellow-cheeked Vole (Microtus xanthognathus) Spruce forests near bogs.
____ Singing Vole (Microtus miurus) Tundra and shrub thickets near water.
____ Northern Red-backed Vole (Clethrionomys rutilus) Tundra and forests.
____ Brown Lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus) Wet tundra north of the mountains.
____ Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis) Bogs, spruce forests, and meadows south of the mountains.
____ Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus) Sedge tundra.
____ Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius) Moist meadows and shrub thickets south of the mountains.
____ Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) Forests, shrub thickets, and tundra.
CANIDS (foxes and wolves)
____ Coyote (Canis latrans) Rare in open areas.
____ Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) All plant communities throughout the Refuge.
____ Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus) Tundra north of the mountains.
____ Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) All plant communities throughout the Refuge.
FELIDS (cats)
____ Lynx (Lynx canadensis) Forests throughout the Refuge.
URSIDS (bears)
____ Black Bear (Ursus americanus) Forests throughout the Refuge.
____ Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Open areas throughout the Refuge.
____ Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Along the coast and on ocean ice.
MUSTELIDS (weasels)
____ Marten (Martes americana) Spruce forests.
____ Ermine (Mustela erminea) Open forests and tundra.
____ Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis) Open, wet areas.
____ Mink (Mustela vison) Near wet areas south of the mountains.
____ Wolverine (Gulo gulo) Forests and tundra.
____ River Otter (Lontra canadensis) Rivers and lakes mainly south of the mountains.
CERVIDS (deer)
____ Moose (Alces alces) Willow thickets and wet areas.
____ Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) All plant communities throughout the Refuge.
BOVIDS (goats and sheep)
____ Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) Tundra north of the mountains.
____ Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli) Rocky slopes and tundra in the mountains.
PINNIPEDS (seals and walrus)
____ Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) Rare along the coast.
____ Spotted Seal (Phoca largha) Coastal waters and on drifting ice.
____ Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) Ice along the coast.
____ Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) Coastal waters and on drifting ice.
CETACEANS (whales)
____ Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Coastal waters.
____ Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) Rare in coastal waters.
____ Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) Rare in coastal waters.
____ Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus) Coastal waters.
Still, at least I can drive my SUV around and not worry about running out of gas.
INSECTIVORES (shrews)
____ Masked (Common) Shrew (Sorex cinereus) Moist tundra, bogs, and forests.
____ Dusky Shrew (Sorex monticolus) Wet meadows south of the mountains.
____ Arctic Shrew (Sorex arcticus) Wet sedge tundra.
____ Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi) Forests and bogs south of the mountains.
LAGOMORPHS (hares and rabbits)
____ Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) Forests and shrub thickets.
RODENTS (squirrels, mice, porcupines, etc.)
____ Alaska Marmot (Marmota broweri) Rocky, mountainous areas.
____ Arctic Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) Dry, sandy areas.
____ Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Spruce forests.
____ Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) Ponds and marshes south of the mountains.
____ Beaver (Castor canadensis) Wooded streams.
____ Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) Meadows and open forests south of the mountains.
____ Tundra Vole (Microtus oeconomus) Meadows near water south of the mountains.
____ Yellow-cheeked Vole (Microtus xanthognathus) Spruce forests near bogs.
____ Singing Vole (Microtus miurus) Tundra and shrub thickets near water.
____ Northern Red-backed Vole (Clethrionomys rutilus) Tundra and forests.
____ Brown Lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus) Wet tundra north of the mountains.
____ Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis) Bogs, spruce forests, and meadows south of the mountains.
____ Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus) Sedge tundra.
____ Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius) Moist meadows and shrub thickets south of the mountains.
____ Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) Forests, shrub thickets, and tundra.
CANIDS (foxes and wolves)
____ Coyote (Canis latrans) Rare in open areas.
____ Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) All plant communities throughout the Refuge.
____ Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus) Tundra north of the mountains.
____ Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) All plant communities throughout the Refuge.
FELIDS (cats)
____ Lynx (Lynx canadensis) Forests throughout the Refuge.
URSIDS (bears)
____ Black Bear (Ursus americanus) Forests throughout the Refuge.
____ Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Open areas throughout the Refuge.
____ Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Along the coast and on ocean ice.
MUSTELIDS (weasels)
____ Marten (Martes americana) Spruce forests.
____ Ermine (Mustela erminea) Open forests and tundra.
____ Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis) Open, wet areas.
____ Mink (Mustela vison) Near wet areas south of the mountains.
____ Wolverine (Gulo gulo) Forests and tundra.
____ River Otter (Lontra canadensis) Rivers and lakes mainly south of the mountains.
CERVIDS (deer)
____ Moose (Alces alces) Willow thickets and wet areas.
____ Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) All plant communities throughout the Refuge.
BOVIDS (goats and sheep)
____ Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) Tundra north of the mountains.
____ Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli) Rocky slopes and tundra in the mountains.
PINNIPEDS (seals and walrus)
____ Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) Rare along the coast.
____ Spotted Seal (Phoca largha) Coastal waters and on drifting ice.
____ Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) Ice along the coast.
____ Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) Coastal waters and on drifting ice.
CETACEANS (whales)
____ Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Coastal waters.
____ Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) Rare in coastal waters.
____ Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) Rare in coastal waters.
____ Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus) Coastal waters.
Still, at least I can drive my SUV around and not worry about running out of gas.
Mar 16th, 2005 | 12:17 PM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 654
Likes: 0
Trending Topics
Mar 16th, 2005 | 01:14 PM
#9
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,856
Likes: 79
<Warning - sermon and rant follow.>
1. I am opposed to opening the subject portion of ANWR to exploration.
2. I am also opposed to knee-jerk responses to what is, in fact, an enormously complicated matter.
3. I am also opposed to the hypocrisy displayed by people who, on the one hand, consume energy and other vital resources without having a clue in h*ll about where they come from or how they're best gathered or conserved, while on the other hand bitching about how much it costs to fly on a jet airplane halfway around the world for their holidays.
4. I am opposed to people who have never been to Alaska, never mind the Arctic plain, Beaufort Sea shore, or the Prudhoe complex, who conclude that exploratory drilling and reservoir mapping (if any) is tantamount to saying goodbye to caribou, polar bears, birds, bugs, etc.
5. I am opposed to elected and appointed officials taking risks on the unintended consequences of Arctic oil development when their track record in dealing with unintended consequences in other arenas, including energy-related activities, some overseas, is just a little dubious.
6. I am also opposed to a subtext, borne of ignorance at best, insensitivity at worst, that poverty is somehow picturesque and that native people who stand to gain jobs, independence, self-respect and recognition in our society, should instead be relegated to subsistence hunting, fishing, whaling (oh wait) and, mainly, public assistance in order to make a living.
This is a travel board and a recurrent theme I see regarding Alaska is all about seeing mountains, bears, glaciers, moose and whales. Fair enough. But guess what - there are hundreds of thousands of homo sapiens - well, most of them
- there too, and they have the same right to aspire to the same houses, cars, computers, schools, planes, hospitals... that the rest of us take as givens.
My opposition to ANWR exploration is that it simply defers (and distracts from) a much more pressing need - to employ the great power of American capital, inventiveness, can-do know-how, and drive, in meeting a national priority to attain energy independence that is economically and environmentally sound, without constant marauding around looking for Arctic slopes, or Outer Continental Shelf leases, or digging up half of Wyoming or Alberta, or going to war halfway around the world, in order to feed our insatiable appetites with the products of 20th century technology. We need to support energy development that is cheap, sustainable, scalable, and clean, and the longer we futz around with petroleum, the longer that development will be delayed and the more it will cost. And our "alternative" energy advocates need to realize that not everyone is going to ride a bus or a bike or a Segway (or a Prius - the Car for the Pious, as Mort Sahl calls it) - to work. Sorry.
Yes, by all means oppose the development of oil in remote and sensitive environments. Yes, by all means visit Alaska to see the land and the people. Use your camera to record what you see. Use your noodle to think about it later.
<Sermon and rant ends.>
1. I am opposed to opening the subject portion of ANWR to exploration.
2. I am also opposed to knee-jerk responses to what is, in fact, an enormously complicated matter.
3. I am also opposed to the hypocrisy displayed by people who, on the one hand, consume energy and other vital resources without having a clue in h*ll about where they come from or how they're best gathered or conserved, while on the other hand bitching about how much it costs to fly on a jet airplane halfway around the world for their holidays.
4. I am opposed to people who have never been to Alaska, never mind the Arctic plain, Beaufort Sea shore, or the Prudhoe complex, who conclude that exploratory drilling and reservoir mapping (if any) is tantamount to saying goodbye to caribou, polar bears, birds, bugs, etc.
5. I am opposed to elected and appointed officials taking risks on the unintended consequences of Arctic oil development when their track record in dealing with unintended consequences in other arenas, including energy-related activities, some overseas, is just a little dubious.
6. I am also opposed to a subtext, borne of ignorance at best, insensitivity at worst, that poverty is somehow picturesque and that native people who stand to gain jobs, independence, self-respect and recognition in our society, should instead be relegated to subsistence hunting, fishing, whaling (oh wait) and, mainly, public assistance in order to make a living.
This is a travel board and a recurrent theme I see regarding Alaska is all about seeing mountains, bears, glaciers, moose and whales. Fair enough. But guess what - there are hundreds of thousands of homo sapiens - well, most of them
- there too, and they have the same right to aspire to the same houses, cars, computers, schools, planes, hospitals... that the rest of us take as givens. My opposition to ANWR exploration is that it simply defers (and distracts from) a much more pressing need - to employ the great power of American capital, inventiveness, can-do know-how, and drive, in meeting a national priority to attain energy independence that is economically and environmentally sound, without constant marauding around looking for Arctic slopes, or Outer Continental Shelf leases, or digging up half of Wyoming or Alberta, or going to war halfway around the world, in order to feed our insatiable appetites with the products of 20th century technology. We need to support energy development that is cheap, sustainable, scalable, and clean, and the longer we futz around with petroleum, the longer that development will be delayed and the more it will cost. And our "alternative" energy advocates need to realize that not everyone is going to ride a bus or a bike or a Segway (or a Prius - the Car for the Pious, as Mort Sahl calls it) - to work. Sorry.
Yes, by all means oppose the development of oil in remote and sensitive environments. Yes, by all means visit Alaska to see the land and the people. Use your camera to record what you see. Use your noodle to think about it later.
<Sermon and rant ends.>
Mar 16th, 2005 | 01:42 PM
#11
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,856
Likes: 79
You're probably right, Leely. Stereotyping is a sin. Forgiveness requested herewith.
Partly it's because I've been involved with this issue in Alaska for about 30 years, so some of the sensitivity cells in my brain have become a bit clogged.
Partly it's because I've been involved with this issue in Alaska for about 30 years, so some of the sensitivity cells in my brain have become a bit clogged.
Mar 16th, 2005 | 01:52 PM
#12
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,222
Likes: 0
"Stereotyping is a sin. Forgiveness requested herewith."
How on earth did you discover my real identity? I thought this was an anonymous forum? Well, you are forgiven, my child.
And don't worry, everyone. I'll right all wrongs eventually. (smile)
Mar 16th, 2005 | 01:57 PM
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
Shucks, just when I was adjusting to paying 2.19 per gallon here on the Kenai. I have many friends working on the Slope, building ice roads(ice melts). Really people, get the facts.
All is not lost. Politics and Green Peace have brainwashed too many for too long. If you want to be held hostage to the Middle East, move over there.
I maintain that we should be taking care of the environment and looking for alternatives, but when a family has to buy gas for two/three cars each week, we need to get our heads out of the sand and develop the known resources responsibly.
You can rant and rave all you want, the summer visitors will still find plenty to enjoy here.
Reminds me of the backlash directed to France when the war started.
Write letters to your Senators if you're that upset, don't spread your fury to to the travel board.
All is not lost. Politics and Green Peace have brainwashed too many for too long. If you want to be held hostage to the Middle East, move over there.
I maintain that we should be taking care of the environment and looking for alternatives, but when a family has to buy gas for two/three cars each week, we need to get our heads out of the sand and develop the known resources responsibly.
You can rant and rave all you want, the summer visitors will still find plenty to enjoy here.
Reminds me of the backlash directed to France when the war started.
Write letters to your Senators if you're that upset, don't spread your fury to to the travel board.
Mar 16th, 2005 | 04:50 PM
#17
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,548
Likes: 0
Do you guys realize how little oil we will get this way anyhow? Just a tiny drop in the bucket, it will hardly decrease our reliance on the Middle East at all. Definitely we should be investing our energy into finding other, renewable sources of energy. This drilling thing is barely worth the effort.
Mar 16th, 2005 | 04:55 PM
#18
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
i wonder how people think these decisions are made....
in a vacuum? no debate? no consideration given to environmental, human, economic impact?
think what you will about it, but don't claim that no one cares.... lots of us do...
final thought.... why do we elect the people we elect, then, with much less information than they have, question every decision they make? might they be doing what they think is in your best interest?
in a vacuum? no debate? no consideration given to environmental, human, economic impact?
think what you will about it, but don't claim that no one cares.... lots of us do...
final thought.... why do we elect the people we elect, then, with much less information than they have, question every decision they make? might they be doing what they think is in your best interest?
Mar 16th, 2005 | 05:00 PM
#19
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,749
Likes: 0
Is anyone else here old enough to remember the controversy over putting in the Alaska pipeline, how many years ago? The big plus was that it was going to make the US independent, providing our own oil and not counting on the middle east. Huh? How much of that oil do we keep? Practically none. What's "going to happen" and what actually happens are two totally different things.
