Background Articles

Alaska's U.S. senators oppose the EPA's move to regulate and phase out leaded aviation gasoline, citing potential negative impacts on the state's travel and economy.

Alaska Airlines is promoting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional mileage runs, though its effectiveness depends on production methods and it's not yet widely adopted or cost-competitive.

Norway faces criticism for allowing companies to conduct their own environmental impact assessments for offshore wind projects, with calls for stricter regulations and better use of existing marine research to protect nature.

Experts argue that transforming food systems through structural changes, Indigenous knowledge, and data sharing is essential for long-term food security and sustainable development.

An extreme outbreak of salmon lice in Iceland has resulted in an average of 96 lice found on each salmon, causing outrage and protests against Norwegian fish farming companies.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is proposing a temporary ban on out-of-province boats entering British Columbia's waterways to prevent the introduction of invasive mussels that could cause significant harm to the ecosystem and cost the province millions of dollars annually.

The Kenai borough Assembly has passed a resolution asking the governor to declare an economic disaster for set-netters on the east side of Cook Inlet in Alaska, due to the closure of the fishery this year resulting in significant economic losses.

Amid declining salmon runs, Coastal Villages Region Fund has shifted away from subsidizing village-based seafood processing. Coastal Villages used to pursue that mission in large part by operating smaller commercial fisheries for salmon and halibut. Each year, the fishing season was an opportunity to earn wages at the group’s processing facilities or for local fishermen to earn cash selling their catch — an economic lifeline for many families in one of the state’s poorest regions.

The U.S. Department of the Interior released a 1,200-page supplemental environmental impact study (EIS) on the proposed Ambler Access Road in Alaska, which reveals potentially greater social and environmental impacts than previously thought, including concerns about disrupting traditional hunting and fishing lifestyles and causing permafrost thaw.

Last month the Finnish Food Authority ordered all minks to be put down at fur farms with diagnosed avian influenza infections. Now the order has been expanded to cover all animals at such farms. The agency’s latest order affects approximately 115,000 animals, including 109,000 foxes.

Countries including South Korea, Japan, Australia, and the Phillipines have halted imports of Swedish pork following the recent discovery of African swine fever. 7 dead wild boars have now been confirmed infected.

While the ships are free to pass through the Bering Strait, its 55-mile width means that any spills would be likely to drift toward Alaska communities.

The Southeast Alaska commercial red and blue king crab fishery will remain closed for the upcoming season due to low stock numbers, although some areas have shown signs of rebounding, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Commercial fishing openers are only available to individuals registered as catcher/sellers. On the Kuskokwim, the only one registered is Fran Reich.

The Permafrost and Infrastructure Symposium this month brought together over 50 scientists, engineers and residents this month, creating a space for them to exchange their perspectives on the effects of thawing permafrost in the Arctic.

The most-expensive project in the nationwide initiative is $25 million for Alaska to replace a dozen culvert sites along the Parks Highway.

So far, 22 sea lions have been found, with signs of human interaction, including gunshot wounds.

“We started seeing structural timber,” one resident said. “And then I was like, ‘Oh, my God. That’s from houses upstream.'”

The forces of climate change that are reducing ice cover and opening up the Arctic to more activity are making Alaska more important in regards to Homeland Security. For the Department, which has a combination of public safety, emergency response and law-enforcement functions, climate change is creating new challenges for which old responses are no longer adequate.

Graphite One is developing a plan for an open-pit graphite mine and is still in its exploration phase.