Parnell and Pebble Try to Silence Alaskans
I will argue with people about voting. More vehemently if they don’t vote than if they vote for someone different than me. No, candidates aren’t all the same, and it’s a form of freeloading if you don’t vote. If democracy were a religion, voting would be the sacrament. Alaskans have an amazing record of being forward-thinking on who could vote. In 1912, a Tlingit, Charlie Jones, voted in Wrangell. He was assisted by Tillie Paul Tamarre, and they were both arrested. A federal court granted Alaska Natives the right to vote in territorial elections and the charges were dropped. It…
Treatment of Anchorage Community Leaders and Workers by the Sheraton is No Joke
It sounds like the beginning of a joke: A priest, an African American woman and a “union thug” walk in to the Sheraton… But, in reality, it’s no joke at all for the hard working hotel workers in Anchorage. First, a little background. Currently, two hotels in Anchorage are under boycott – The Anchorage Hilton and The Anchorage Sheraton. The simple reason is that their treatment of employees leaves a lot to be desired. There have even been huge rallies and demonstrations from the labor community, and concerned citizens from many areas in the community on behalf of these workers…
State of Alaska Supports Pebble Partnership’s Attempt to Silence Alaskans
~The original Captain Zero Before I go off on some rant about how my forefathers fought the British to birth a country that could VOTE, and how siding with the British to take away the right of Americans to vote should be called treason, I’ll take a deep breath and explain a few things. Since one has been filed on your behalf, Alaska, you may want to know what an amicus brief is. Commonly known as a “friend of the court” brief. An amicus brief provides individuals or organizations (such as government agencies or disability organizations) without a direct stake…
Mystery Goo Identified! Sort of…
For those of you who have been waiting with bated breath regarding the mysterious orange slime that washed up on the shores of the remote Northwestern Coast village of Kivalina, Alaska, the algae experts have spoken. It’s not algae. This is why we need such folk, ready to analyze and evaluate on a moment’s notice. It turns out that the mystery goo is actually zillions of microscopic eggs. What kind of eggs? Nobody knows. They’ve never been seen before, and nobody has any clue what they are, or what affect they may have on local flora and fauna, or what…
What’s it all about…. Algae?
~Chinese children swim along the algae-filled coastline of Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province on July 17, 2011. (STR – AFP/Getty Images) So, last week I was captivated by a story out of China. Apparently for the fourth time in as many years, China has an algae problem. I read about the new and mysterious “green blob” of algae, but the pictures of it were truly stunning. The blob, it seems, has covered more than7400 square miles and has blanketed China’s east coast. The algae itself is not toxic, but depletes the water of oxygen, endangering marine life, fisheries and…
Open Thread – Why Wild Salmon are Worth the Fight
A great video from Parent Earth about why it’s important to stop the Pebble Mine, and genetically modified salmon.
MUDFLIX – The GOP War on Water
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy In this clip, Rachel Maddow interviews Melissa Harris-Perry, professor of politics at Tulane University about the role of the federal government in assuring safety in the commons – clean air clean water, national security, etc. The Republicans in the House just voted to strip the EPA of its right to overrule states decisions about water quality. The Republican-controlled House passed a bill Wednesday that would sharply curtail the federal government’s role in protecting waters from pollution by barring the Environmental Protection Agency from overruling state decisions on water…
The Boondoggle vs. The Bridge from Hell
Imagine yourself as a kid in the schoolyard. Over by the monkey bars, you see a scuffle break out. It’s an all out battle between the class bully and the class jerk. They’re fighting over which one of them gets to pick on the good-hearted skinny kid. The Municipality of Anchorage has filed a lawsuit in federal court. You’ve heard of the “Bridge to Nowhere?” Well, the Muni has sued over what I like to call “The Bridge from Hell” and what others call The Knik Arm Bridge, which would span the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet. But Mayor Sullivan…
Oyster Roundup – Independence Day Edition
Happy Independence Day! Of course, “Alaskan Independence Day” was yesterday, the two year anniversary of the event at Lake Lucille in Wasilla that we like to cal “Quitstock.” That’s right, Sarah Palin abdicated the governorship and left us in the not-so-capable hands of Captain Zero. We Alaskans were rid of her whether we individually wanted to be, or not. Moving on… You may notice that my usual John Tenniel illustration from Alice in Wonderland does not grace this Oyster Roundup. Instead may I present oysters from Kachemak Bay in Homer, Alaska that were presumably engulfed by our editor Shannyn Moore….
Alaska Grown vs Made In China
The past two budgets have included $84 million for a bridge…to somewhere in Alaska. Senators Wielechowski and French have written a letter to the Alaska Railroad with some concerns. ANCHORAGE- Today, Senators Bill Wielechowski and Hollis French are calling on Alaska Railroad officials to ensure steel products made only in America are used to build a bridge over the Tanana River near Salcha. The Senators say numerous constituents have recently contacted them, concerned that the Alaska Railroad Corporation is considering using foreign steel on the massive project. “Alaskan funds should be used for Alaskan and American jobs and goods,” said Senator Wielechowski,…