Top photo of the Exit Glacier is by Mark Thompson of the National Park Service.
Alaska is a nature lover's mecca - a seemingly endless expanse of majestic mountains, glaciers, forests, rivers, and oceans that includes up to 32 distinct ecosystems. That variety, and the state’s position in the rapidly warming Arctic puts it at the front lines of the fight against climate disruption.
The predictions of a previous generation of climate scientists - rising oceans, rapid warming in the Arctic, widespread forest fires - are now reality for Alaska residents. But despite this new reality, the fossil fuel industry continues to push new coal and oil projects, banking on the state’s immense natural resources and its long history of having a resource-extraction economy.
From left to right: Laura Comer, field organizer for Alaska Beyond Coal; Susana Reyes; Russ Maddox, longtime Seward resident and former Alaska Chapter executive committee member; Lawson a LeGate, National Leadership and Capacity Building team; Griffin Plush, Interpretative Ranger, National Parks Service and Sierra Club volunteer.
Susana Reyes, secretary on the Sierra Club’s Board of Directors, recently traveled to Alaska to get a first-hand look at the effects of climate change on the state and connect with leaders in the state’s Sierra Club chapter. Reyes, who works as Senior Sustainability Analyst for the Mayor’s Office in Los Angeles, visited many of the same locations that President Barack Obama visited during his well-documented Alaska trip in 2015, including a trip to see the rapid retreat of Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park.
In talking to Alaskans from many walks of life, Reyes said she was struck by the predicament they find themselves in. The state is heavily dependent on fossil fuels - nearly 90 percent of the state’s general fund budget comes from royalties on oil sales, allowing it to keep the rest of its taxes low or non-existent. As the dirty fuels industry declines, those funding sources are running dry, moving many Alaskans to take a harder look at the cost of fossil fuel extraction. Additionally, more and more Alaskans are recognizing the changing climate and what it means for their way of life.
“Alaskans love their state and appreciate all the natural beauty, but they’re in a bit of a conundrum,” Reyes said. “They have been really reliant on oil revenues and there is a lot of support for the fossil fuel industry locally.”
Alaska Chapter leaders met Susana for dinner before a weekend planning retreat.
Multiple coal extraction projects are pending in Alaska, including:
Chuitna Mine, which would be the largest strip mine in state history, 45 miles away from Anchorage. More than 13 miles of Middle Creek, a salmon spawning stream, would be removed, potentially decimating wetlands home to all five species of wild Alaskan salmon.
Wishbone Hill Mine, which is being pursued despite a permit that is more than 25 years old. If completed, this mine would truck coal through several communities in the increasingly populated Mat-Su Valley, including Chickaloon Native village and the Ya Ne Dah Ah School.
Reyes said Alaska is a perfect example of the value of building broad coalitions that take into account issues of environmental justice and equity. The state’s Native populations are some of the most at-risk of being displaced and having their traditional way of life forever altered by climate change. With sea levels on the rise, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to relocate several coastal communities further inland, which has drawn concerns from locals that rely on subsistence fishing to feed their families.
“You’re talking about dividing families - parents will have to be away for weeks at a time fishing while their children go to schools further inland,” Reyes said. “This really represents a threat to their livelihood. It’s not fair that these communities should have the bear the burden of generations of our fossil fuel use.”
Despite the hurdles of working in a state where fossil fuels have such deep roots, Reyes said she left the state optimistic about what can be accomplished by building grassroots coalitions that include people who can bring their own passions and perspectives to the fight against fossil fuels.
“We need to build a big tent that has people from every walk of life - people of color, faith communities, young people,” Reyes said. “There’s collective desire out there to build a better future for the next generation. We just need to organize that and create the political will to make a change.”