Expanding the search for oil is necessary to pay for the damage caused by climate change, the Governor of Alaska has told the BBC.
The state is suffering significant climate impacts from rising seas forcing the relocation of remote villages.
Governor Bill Walker says that coping with these changes is hugely expensive.
He wants to "urgently" drill in the protected lands of the Arctic National Wilderness Refuge to fund them.
Alaska has been severely hit by the dramatic drop in the price of oil over the past two years.
The state is the only one in the US that doesn't have an income or sales tax, getting 90% of its day-to-day expenditure from levies on the production of oil and gas.
But the halving in the price of crude over the past year has seen Alaska's financial health deteriorate.
Yes which is why we need to aggressively diversify into other income source, including renewable energy, and step away from big oil's teat.
You know there are a lot of reasons to admire Governor Walker, not the least of which was the Medicaid expansion.
But this is a big step in a really bad direction.
And what's more it is a waste of time because, as EVERYBODY already knows, there is no way we will ever open ANWR to drilling.
What? You mean Sarah Palin's Alaska is socialist? That the good citizens of ever-red Alaska collectively share in the profits of the oil industry like in some Marxian dream?
ReplyDeleteTell me... is this communal sharing of kapital cradle to grave? And does everyone get it - even immigrants to Alaska?
Yes, but you forget, they are entitled to it, ....because f.u.
DeleteWith it's small, quaint population Alaska should be a federal district like d.c. and the vast expanse of the open, unpopulated regions should be a federal reserve for the benefit of the entire U.S. population....two senators and a rep in congress for this small, remote population? Outrageous. just sayin'.....
FUCK YOU BACK! Live here a year and you get a PFD. BUT it will never cover the cost of living in Alaska anywhere. EVERYTHING cost more here. It is a good program that other countries are emulating and making work even better for the citizens of those countries.
DeleteP.S. NOTHING QUAINT ABOUT US!
D.I.C.K.
ReplyDeleteD.I.C.K.
D.I.C.K.
Thank you for making this a full post. It is very important!
ReplyDeleteNot to mention how finding more oil would really help push the price of oil up, right?
ReplyDeleteSo, in order to alleviate the damage caused by reliance on fossil fuels... cause some more of that damage!
ReplyDeleteSounds logical to me.
The rest of America is dealing with their effects of climate change by paying taxes to fund their programs, and Alaska's as well. Maybe it's time to to end the tax-free ride for the snow bunnies?
ReplyDeleteIf the rising sea level floods my ocean front home is it the responsibility of my state to relocate me?i
The People of Alaska have lived on those lands for 100s of years...
DeleteThis is a BIG deal
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/10/13/3711647/alaska-governor-drill-because-climate-change/
So increase production to offset lower prices caused by oversupply in order to pay for the costs of distruptions caused by climate change....which is in large part affected by burning more hydrocarbons?
ReplyDeleteThis may explain some of what's behind the curtain:
http://www.adn.com/article/20130201/we-likee-political-conflict-interest
"...So, from where does all this moral cluelessness derive? ... most of these politicians have something else in common---a certain right-wing religion. How very moral of them!
So, what moral role does religion play in Alaska politics? Well, first of all, the right-wing religionists are quick to say that these Alaska resources of oil, gas, timber etc.---including the wildlife---were all “put there by “God” himself, specifically “for us to use.” Or, to use up---some of these churches believe the Planet is doomed anyway! They are even crowing that “God” wants them to prosper and the rest of us can, literally, go to Hell. Why, even the destruction of the Planet from burning up all those fossil fuel “resources” is right there in their “God’s plan.” They’re all going to Heaven anyway so what do they care?
As for political conflict of interest---the religions are in on it! I’ve seen candidates’ campaign signs staked out in church yards here in the Valley---their sermons are just as subtle. Churches are right behind the politicians who get down on the homosexualists, abortionists, higher educationalists, environmentalists, tree-huggers, bunny-kissers and evolutionists. These religious types absolutely love it when politicians make frequent public references to “God,” “Jesus,” “faith,” “prayer-in-school” and other holy incantations. This teaches “moral values“ to the kids!
....
"Expanding the search for oil is necessary to pay for the damage caused by climate change"
ReplyDeleteWe need to continue ratfucking the environment to pay for the damage we've done to the environment. Do I have that right?
That sounds like, "I have decided that the solution to my problem of gross obesity is to consume more unhealthy and fattening foods."
ReplyDeleteStupid in the extreme!
You can't fix stupid - or religious fervor on any topic!
ReplyDeleteYeah, this was extremely disappointing.
ReplyDeleteSo sick of the constant push to drill in the Arctic refuge- and the lies that state that this is what Alaskans want.
So... this guy's solution to a devalued commodity is to desperately flood the market with MORE of that commodity? AND using the excuse of Climate Change to rationalize creating more of what scientists are saying is causing said Climate Change?
ReplyDeleteI think this may be a new world record of Derp.
That's what I thought as well. I've always thought conservatives were all about supply & demand running the marketplace. His solutions do not compute.
DeleteIt is disappointing to hear him saying that. The most unfortunate thing is that Alaska ever designed their budget around oil revenues. My husband ran the water dept. in a local community which also housed a large Ford Motor Co. facility. The city could have created their budget to depend for the most part on the property taxes from Ford. Instead, they had the foresight to calculate that the Ford plant may not be there forever. Ford actually contributed about 35% to the city budget and it launched a dedicated effort to start diversifying industries so that they'd have new sources of income if Ford left. That scenario is exactly what happened. Ford closed the plant, but the city was able to go on with their operations, without significant cuts in services, because they had planned ahead. Too bad Alaska didn't assume that oil revenues wouldn't be generous forever or even disappear.
ReplyDelete