The Exxon Valdez Gets Its Death Sentence
The artist tanker formerly known as the Exxon Valdez has gotten its death sentence. It has been sold for scrap for about $16 million. The tanker, which was only a shiny new three year old in 1989 when it slammed into Bligh Reef, causing devastation of people, marine life, and the economy in Prince William Sound, has had an odd history which is almost at an end. The Dallas Morning News reports: Twenty-three years after the oil supertanker became synonymous with what its Irving-based owner at the time calls “one of the lowest points in ExxonMobil’s 125-year history,” the ship is…
Open Thread – Tough Winter
Humans aren’t the only ones feeling overwhelmed by this year’s record dump of snow. I passed this guy on my way home today, up to his very tall armpits in a snow berm on the side of the road. He didn’t seem to mind me stopping to take a quick picture. All they want to do these days is eat, but anyone who gives them a hard time – beware. When you’re hungry, you’re also cranky. Those with wings have an easier time of it. The ravens, who prefer the less populated areas in the summertime, congregate at fast food…
Voices from the Flats – Salmon, Trees, and We: The Tongass
By Tele Aadsen This photo was taken in Sitka, but could be almost anywhere in Southeast Alaska. The Tongass National Forest blankets most of our region, a crazy quilt of western red cedar, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock that covers almost 17 million acres. Not only is the Tongass the largest national forest in the US, it’s also the largest temperate rainforest remaining in the world. About 70,000 people call the Tongass home – as do 30,000 bears. This rare ecosystem also supports deer, wolves, over 300 species of birds, and all 5 species of salmon: chinook, coho,…
Open Thread – Pretty Girl
If you’re planning on wintering over in Anchorage like this beautiful female mallard duck at Cuddy Park in midtown, it definitely pays to have a really good down coat. And stylish never hurt, either.
…and Baby Makes Three.
Yesterday, I was on the Shannyn Moore Show (1020koan.com) for my weekly segment, Thursdays in the Mud. I’d just come from the press conference held by the One Anchorage campaign which will put basic equal rights for the LGBT community on this spring’s Municipal ballot. It proposes the radical notion that gay and transgendered people should not face legal discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, education and the use of public facilities. During the show, a perennial homophobic caller decided to voice his opinion about “homo encounter relations” and went on a rant about the unnatural nature of gay…
Fedex – When Your Grizzlies Absolutely, Positively Have to be There Overnight
In October, three cubs were orphaned after their mother had what was described as an “encounter with a Wasilla resident.” They have been relocated to Detroit, Michigan via Fedex plane. The trio arrived in the wee hours of Friday morning. “We’re just very excited because the cubs seem to be in good health and they’re very busy exploring their new environment,” said Ron Kagan, Detroit Zoological Society Executive Director. The three young lads – Mike, Thor and Boo – are almost a year old, not old enough to have survived the Alaska winter without mom. Thanks to the efforts of…
Open Thread – Ugashik Wild Salmon for the Holidays!
Happy Black Friday, everyone! As you can see from the pictures above, one Alaskan business has been preparing long and hard for your shopping pleasure. Nope, it’s not in a mall, it’s not a national chain, and you cannot get anything made in China. So before you open that Swiss Colony Catalog, or stand on line for hours, or buy some chain store gift card for a family member far away, think for a moment about how they’ll feel when they get the gift of fresh wild Alaskan king salmon direct from Bristol Bay to their…
To Sean Parnell – Beluga Whales? Told You So.
By Wickersham’s Conscience WC’s readers will recall that back in June 2011, WC was critical – well, vitriolic, really – of Governor Parnell’s decision to litigate the endangered species classification of the Cook Inlet Beluga Whales. Because Parnell’s other bad decisions had removed Alaskan officials from the group that develops the recovery plan, Alaska had no seat at the table that would affect use of Cook Inlet for decades. All the eggs were in the litigation basket, and the basket was ridiculously flimsy. Today the State’s basket collapsed and its eggs all broke: Chief U.S. District Judge Lambreth threw out the…
Feds Say the Oil and Gas Industry’s “White Whale” is Endangered
As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s all give a big helping of thanks (and an even bigger ladle of sarcasm gravy) to Sean Parnell for yet again wasting our money. Thanks, governor. Cook Inlet has a problem. It used to have a large, healthy population of beluga whales. The population of about 1,300 animals was large enough, even, to support subsistence hunting. But back in the 80s, something started to happen. The population of these magnificent creatures began to decline. In the early 90s, it was still possible to drive along the scenic Seward highway, south of Anchorage and spot what at…
Rep. Don Young Loses it in House Resources Committee Meeting (Video)
Apparently someone put something in Don Young’s oatmeal this week. OK, yes… he’s got something in his oatmeal every week, but this week he got an extra helping. Or perhaps he jus needs a bran muffin instead. Or perhaps the propeller beanie he wore to the Resources hearing a few days ago was a liiiitle too tight. Whatever the reason, our “Congressman for All Alaska” was busily at his favorite hobby of seeing how many Alaskans he can get to put bags over their heads. This time, his display came when speaking with Dr. Douglas Brinkley, an “ivory tower elite,”…