Background Articles

The erosion that prompted Gov. Mike Dunleavy's action is advancing on the Northwest Alaska community's water lines.

Bethel high school students in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program have taken up magnet fishing, retrieving over 50 bikes and various other items from Brown's Slough.

The project to clean the area around Khatanga started in 2023. The participants report that last year volunteers cleaned more than 200 tons of man-made waste along the 3 km of the coastline, the RGS website reports. The waste has been accumulating there since the Soviet times.

“It’s a reflection of the plastic age we live in," said student researcher Tony Blade. "It’s ubiquitous."

A study by the Alaska Environment Research and Policy Center found microplastics in all water samples from Southcentral Alaska, indicating widespread contamination.

Eleven individuals from Think Pink are charged in Sweden's largest environmental crime case for illegally dumping waste, causing fires and toxic leaks.

Hoonah, Alaska is providing residents with free bear-resistant trash bins to address the problem of bears getting into trash, but most towns in Southeast Alaska cannot afford them, leading to conflicts between bears and humans.

A new e-waste program in rural Alaska collected and recycled over 145,000 pounds of lead-acid batteries from 45 communities, addressing the challenge of hazardous waste disposal in remote areas.

Sitka's tourism boom has led to a significant increase in cigarette butt litter, prompting a monthly cleanup effort and concerns about the environmental impact of the litter.

Volunteers of the Clean Arctic project in the north of Chukotka, Russia, have removed more than 25 tons of garbage. The project aims to clean up the Arctic region and protect its fragile ecosystem. The volunteers have been working tirelessly to collect and dispose of waste, including plastic, metal, and other debris. The efforts have been successful in reducing pollution and preserving the natural beauty of the area. The project has received support from local communities and organizations, and it continues to make a positive impact on the environment.

About five beluga carcasses were left at the NARL Boat Dock on Aug. 8, causing smell and potential wildlife hazard in the area. The bones were cleaned the same day but the city reminded residents they can get help with cleanup after susbsitence hunting.

The Friends of the Landfill works with community partners to recycle aluminum cans and tech waste.

Arctic ice algae contain microplastics and the quantities were startling - a magnitude ten times higher than recorded in the surrounding water.

In this week's issue of our environment newsletter, we look at the ecological cost of disposable vapes.

The relocation between from Newtok to Mertavik has taken time and community members stay patient as local, state, and federal agencies figure out the complex funding and logistical hurdles.

Coordinating teams to collect and sort marine debris, plus shipping it to a landfill or recycling center is an expensive logistical nightmare as Alaska waters increase with marine debris.

Take a typical Alaska cruise and see the damage in its wake. Waste-water disposal to on board garbage piles up leaking into the natural environment and local waste sites. Noise pollution from the ships impact whales and other species that rely on sounds for communication. Total visitors from the industry impact on small communities has pros and cons. The evidence is clear: the industry needs an overhaul.

This weekend marks the third anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of the global pandemic — and Juneau’s wastewater is awash with COVID. 

Trudeau orders takedown of unidentified object in Canada airspace.

A UAF graduate student has found microplastics in the stomachs of spotted seals harvested in the Bering Strait region.