Guest Columnist

Subject: ALASKA CAN TURN THIS STORM-WROUGHT DISASTER INTO OPPORTUNITY.

by Elstun Lauesen

It is difficult for us to grasp the monumental change that this storm-of-a-century has wrought to Alaska. It is a cataclysmic geomorphological event that alters space, land-use and occupancy. It is the kind of thing that anthropologists a thousand years from now might note as they sift through fossilized muck and midden.

The fact that we are creatures with satellites and cell phones who can observe the event in real time masks the profound long-term impact of this storm.

Shaktoolik no longer has a sea wall separating it from the effects of the relentless sea, that held back the erosion of their narrow shore. The Nome-Council road is simply gone.

Many of these communities have been locked into a war against the ocean for decades, made worse by climate change and the rising sea levels.

Kivalina has documented its struggles in this regard, made worse by climate change, in a well-known lawsuit, “Kivalina v Exxon”. (2008-2009)

In the lawsuit, Kivalina sought to establish a tortious liability among major carbon polluters for contributing to climate change that now endangers Kivalina. The lawsuit was set aside by the District Court of Northern California because it was determined to be “non-judicial”;  administrative remedies through the Clean Air Act had not been exhausted and “political” solutions should be sought through the administration and Congress.

So now, Kivalina and dozens of other Western Alaska Villages are on the precipice of destruction under this altered geomorphology.

I have followed this issue for many years, as a statewide rural development specialist for the State, who worked with Western Alaska communities, and as an observer and writer on Alaskan Affairs for over three Decades.

I believe that this cataclysmic storm, tragic as it is, offers an opportunity for the next Governor, legislature, and the Western Alaska stakeholders to offer transformational leadership on sustainable redevelopment of Western Alaska.

This transformational redevelopment must be guided by local experts along with engineers and scientists and consider all technologies including green hydrogen and fuels cell to power next-in-class sustainable solutions.

It is critical to ensure that the billions of dollars allocated for planning and reconstruction be directed toward relocation design in partnership with those vulnerable communities. Those funds should not be used for the haphazard patch and repair of existing endangered locations but should leverage the design and relocation of new, sustainable Villages in Alaska.

If Alaska commits to this transformational effort, it would be joined by global parters whose own search for solutions would be aided by our work. The United Nations and European experts in resilient community engagement could direct both expertise and financial resources to the effort. The fact that indigenous communities are endangered makes Western Alaska recovery and resilience a global policy priority.

There would be a role for everyone. The ANCSA Corporations could invest in transferable technological platforms that would open for them global markets seeking best-in-class solutions; the University of Alaska would benefit from a flow of research funds to address the initiative; the non-profit sector serving those communities would be directly engaged; and the local Tribes and Village Governments would the focus experts shaping the design.

If this devastation can be used as an inflection point for building a sustainable future for Western Alaska, then some good might be rendered from this tragedy.

"The craven sluicing of fools gold..."

Guest Editorial

By Elstun Lauesen

I hope the House sticks to its guns and kills the $5,500 PFD. 

In order to lard the undeserving with the unearned, the craven Senate will clean out every equity fund in the State. 

They claim that they will pay it back when all the $100 a bbl revenue comes in, a dividend from the disasters of war, for which Dunleavy is rubbing his boney fingers. 

 

But don’t bank on a prudent and responsible recapitalization of those public equity funds. 

Not by this morally stunted and ignorant legislature. The Stupid is too strong. 

Remember, the Idjit Minority in the House refused to muster the votes to “reverse sweep” the Higher Education Investment Fund. What makes you think the same Idjits will restore it? 

Meanwhile the State continues to lard the undeserving in another important way: Corporate Welfare. 

I can’t say it better than Senator Wielechowski when he and Scott Kawasaki were challenged by Dermot Cole to explain their votes for the larditude:

“I’ve filed legislation and run amendments to cut the $409 million in refundable oil tax credits, the $1.3 billion in deductible oil tax credits, the $1 billion in net operating loss oil credits and the $194 million in corporate oil loopholes. More than enough to cover this”

He’s right. 

Unfortunately the Idgit Caucus (read: “Republican”) ignored these billions in corporate welfare that could close the deficit spending just approved by the Senate. 

The craven grasping on the part of the BFPFD lobby —who are virtually identical with the snarling anti-maskers of Save Anchorage fame, Conspiracy Theorists of QAnon brand  and Far Right nut jobs embracing the Oath-Keepers and the Trump-Treason January 6 deadly farce—Y’know, the folks who who keep electing the likes of Eastman and Kurka…those are the champions of the BFPFD. 

TEMPORARY ALASKANS 

The Institute for Social and Economic Research—back when they were the ISEGR (including “Government” in their title, before “Government” became unfashionable) did a study of population churn during the pipeline boom days of the 1980s. They found that about 40% of Alaska’s population turns over every 60 months. I’m guessing that Alaska’s population is still fairly close to that churn rate. 

New people come to Alaska and the first thing they do is register to vote and get a drivers license. They know that it will take a year for them to be eligible for Alaska’s world renowned “Money Giveaway”.  Newcomers should register as a Republican—it’s the smart thing to do (wink-wink) because Alaska is a Republican state. 

COUNT THE PEW UNITS!

Oh…and join a Church because that’s a great way to get integrated into the new State. The Pastor is always happy to see a nice family of 5 or 6 because he knows that every Pew Unit translates into tithe-giving; 10% of those PFDs. 

So pardon me for suspecting that every politicized Pastor in Trump Country, Alaska is licking his/her chops at the prospect of those Pew Units getting $5,500. Praise the Lord!

And considering 40% of those receiving the billions of dollars from equity funds designed for future Alaskans are churn fodder…well...it seems kinda unfair to those for whom Alaska IS the future. 

But the craven sluicing of Fool’s Gold by the GOP carnival barkers makes schist and mica glitter like gold in the lives of the hapless churn in Alaska. 

Eventually they will leave. And with them, the future of Alaska, if the Republican Party gets its way.

…………………………………

Elstun W Lauesen, CEDFP

2139 Solstice Circle

Anchorage, Alaska 99503

907-229-4643

elauesen@oz.net

"Research. Inform. Communicate"