Search Results for: climate

Fresh snow covers the surface of Eaglecrest Ski Area on Friday morning. General Manager Dave Scanlan said Thursday the plan is to open the ski area next Saturday. (Webcam photo courtesy of Eaglecrest Ski Area)

Eaglecrest manager says things look cool for upcoming season, despite delayed opening

Strong numbers for season pass sales, number of foreign student employees, business leaders told.

Fresh snow covers the surface of Eaglecrest Ski Area on Friday morning. General Manager Dave Scanlan said Thursday the plan is to open the ski area next Saturday. (Webcam photo courtesy of Eaglecrest Ski Area)
Varieties of kelp are seen underwater. A U.S. Department of Energy-funded project will investigate whether kelp and other seaweed in the waters off Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island can absorb significant amounts of rare earth elements that leach out from the Bokan Mountain site. (National Marine Sanctuary photo provided by NOAA)

Federally funded project will search for rare earth elements in Southeast Alaska seaweed

What if prized rare earth elements could be extracted from seaweed, avoiding the need to dig into the ground for the materials used in technology… Continue reading

Varieties of kelp are seen underwater. A U.S. Department of Energy-funded project will investigate whether kelp and other seaweed in the waters off Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island can absorb significant amounts of rare earth elements that leach out from the Bokan Mountain site. (National Marine Sanctuary photo provided by NOAA)
The Yukon River, seen here as a wide white band, is freezing later in fall and breaking up earlier in spring than it was a few decades ago. (Photo by Ned Rozell)

Alaska Science Forum: Long-term views of a changed Alaska

As an instructor for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, I have stood before a group of Alaskans every Tuesday night this November. During the most recent… Continue reading

The Yukon River, seen here as a wide white band, is freezing later in fall and breaking up earlier in spring than it was a few decades ago. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
The deadly landslide that struck Wrangell on the night of Nov. 20 is seen the next day. Southeast Alaska is, by nature, vulnerable to such landslides, but climate change is adding to the risk by bringing more precipitation and more extreme rainfall events. (Photo provided by Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)

Deadly Wrangell landslide is part of a pattern in vulnerable Alaska mountainous terrain

Scientists warn climate change, by increasing precipitation and extreme rainfall, adds to risks.

The deadly landslide that struck Wrangell on the night of Nov. 20 is seen the next day. Southeast Alaska is, by nature, vulnerable to such landslides, but climate change is adding to the risk by bringing more precipitation and more extreme rainfall events. (Photo provided by Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)
Rain at the National Weather Service Juneau station on Nov. 11 doesn’t exist as snow until hits the upper portion of nearby Thunder Mountain. So far this November has been both warmer and wetter than normal. (Photo by National Weather Service Juneau)

El Niño playing outsize role in Juneau’s warmer temperatures, according to National Weather Service

Early peek at numbers shows Juneau is 4.9 degrees warmer than average this November.

Rain at the National Weather Service Juneau station on Nov. 11 doesn’t exist as snow until hits the upper portion of nearby Thunder Mountain. So far this November has been both warmer and wetter than normal. (Photo by National Weather Service Juneau)
Lisa Daugherty, owner of Juneau Composts!, stands in front of a recently acquired trommel screener, which separates different materials like soil, gravel, mulch and sand. She has invested $250,000 in the company since she started it in 2017. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)

Federal dollars for public composting project concerns private-sector operator

Juneau Composts! owner says city project could ultimately shut down business

Lisa Daugherty, owner of Juneau Composts!, stands in front of a recently acquired trommel screener, which separates different materials like soil, gravel, mulch and sand. She has invested $250,000 in the company since she started it in 2017. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
(Photo courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)

Opinion: Choosing a seat at the table

To advocates for limiting cruise ship tourism and combatting climate change, partnering with the titans of industry seems like a lost cause. However, Jim Powell,… Continue reading

(Photo courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)
Steller sea lions bask on rocks in the Gulf of Alaska on June 29, 2003, with the research vessel Tiglax sailing in the background. Of all NOAA-managed Alaska marine mammals, Steller sea lions were the most frequent victims of human-caused deaths and serious injuries, according to a newly released five-year report. (Photo provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Steller sea lions top list of Alaska marine mammals killed by human activities

Encounters with humans from 2017 to 2021 killed hundreds of Steller sea lions and other marine mammals that swim in Alaska waters, along with dozens… Continue reading

Steller sea lions bask on rocks in the Gulf of Alaska on June 29, 2003, with the research vessel Tiglax sailing in the background. Of all NOAA-managed Alaska marine mammals, Steller sea lions were the most frequent victims of human-caused deaths and serious injuries, according to a newly released five-year report. (Photo provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Jack Scholz, left, Tristan Cameron, center, and Dilip Ratnam discuss cultural upbringings in a rehearsal scene of “A Nice Indian Boy” at Perseverance Theatre on Tuesday night. The production is scheduled for the theater’s main stage from Dec. 1-17, with video on demand available Dec. 13-Jan. 22. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Intimate confines of Juneau bring new layers to familiar meet-the-family feud

Perseverance Theatre’s “A Nice Indian Boy” makes characters with big culture gaps cope on small stage.

Jack Scholz, left, Tristan Cameron, center, and Dilip Ratnam discuss cultural upbringings in a rehearsal scene of “A Nice Indian Boy” at Perseverance Theatre on Tuesday night. The production is scheduled for the theater’s main stage from Dec. 1-17, with video on demand available Dec. 13-Jan. 22. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Kinross Gold’s Fort Knox mine, is seen from space. (Google/Maxar Technologies, Airbus)

Mining exec: Alaska’s pricy, fossil fuel-based power could thwart investment

Kinross Gold says its Alaska investments have ‘extremely high’ energy costs and carbon emissions.

  • Nov 21, 2023
  • By Nathaniel Herz, Northern Journal
  • mining
Kinross Gold’s Fort Knox mine, is seen from space. (Google/Maxar Technologies, Airbus)
A board at the University of Alaska Anchorage Student Union, seen on Nov. 16, 2022, holds notices of employment opportunities. Alaska’s minimum wage is set to rise on Jan. 1 to keep up with inflation, and an initiative campaign is underway to bring about faster increases. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska minimum wage increases next year; additional hikes proposed in ballot initiative

Alaska’s minimum wage will increase on Jan. 1, 2024 from $10.85 to $11.73 an hour, in accordance with a law put in place by a… Continue reading

A board at the University of Alaska Anchorage Student Union, seen on Nov. 16, 2022, holds notices of employment opportunities. Alaska’s minimum wage is set to rise on Jan. 1 to keep up with inflation, and an initiative campaign is underway to bring about faster increases. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
An exploration site at ConocoPhillips’ Willow prospect is seen from the air in the 2019 winter season. Willow is located in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. (Photo by Judy Patrick/provided by ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.)

Environmental groups ask federal appeals court to halt Willow oil project

Two coalitions of environmental groups, having lost their case in an Alaska courthouse, are asking the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to issue an… Continue reading

An exploration site at ConocoPhillips’ Willow prospect is seen from the air in the 2019 winter season. Willow is located in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. (Photo by Judy Patrick/provided by ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.)
A sticker expressing opposition to the Pebble Mine is seen on a coffee shop window in Kodiak on Oct. 3, 2022. Opposition to the mine has been widespread in Alaska’s fishing communities for several years. The fight is now being waged in briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, as the Pebble Limited Partnership continues to push for mine development. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Debate over Pebble mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region moves to dueling US Supreme Court briefs

Company sticking to development plans, despite federal action barring permitting for the project.

A sticker expressing opposition to the Pebble Mine is seen on a coffee shop window in Kodiak on Oct. 3, 2022. Opposition to the mine has been widespread in Alaska’s fishing communities for several years. The fight is now being waged in briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, as the Pebble Limited Partnership continues to push for mine development. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board members, staff and advisors meet Oct. 30 at the corporation’s headquarters in Juneau to discuss a proposal to raise the fund’s rate of return by making riskier investments. The idea stalled when advisors suggested the strategy and timing are ill-advised. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire File).

My Turn: Need for accounting and legislative oversight of the Permanent Fund

The governor or Legislature or both need to conduct an audit format available to the public or engage in serious oversight of the Alaska Permanent… Continue reading

Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board members, staff and advisors meet Oct. 30 at the corporation’s headquarters in Juneau to discuss a proposal to raise the fund’s rate of return by making riskier investments. The idea stalled when advisors suggested the strategy and timing are ill-advised. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire File).
Jennifer Kirk, left, and Susanna “Sue Sue” Norton both died, two years apart, in homes owned by a former mayor and often occupied by his adult sons. Credit:Left photo: Facebook; right photo: courtesy of Lesley Sundberg

One woman died on an Alaska mayor’s property. Then another. No one has ever been charged.

Ex-mayor’s sons faced few consequences despite history of similar allegations.

Jennifer Kirk, left, and Susanna “Sue Sue” Norton both died, two years apart, in homes owned by a former mayor and often occupied by his adult sons. Credit:Left photo: Facebook; right photo: courtesy of Lesley Sundberg
Bering Sea snow crab, with two specimens seen in this undated photo, support an iconic Alaska seafood harvest, but a crash in population since 2018 triggered the first ever closure of the fishery in 2022. That closure was extended for the 2023-24 season. A newly published study shows that snow crab have some resilience to ocean acidification, with eggs and embryos that fare better in acidified conditions than do those of other Alaska crab species. (Photo provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Alaska’s snow crab show resilience to ocean acidification, which is underway in the Bering Sea

Study a possible bright spot for species hammered by a warmth-triggered crash.

  • Nov 11, 2023
  • By: Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon
Bering Sea snow crab, with two specimens seen in this undated photo, support an iconic Alaska seafood harvest, but a crash in population since 2018 triggered the first ever closure of the fishery in 2022. That closure was extended for the 2023-24 season. A newly published study shows that snow crab have some resilience to ocean acidification, with eggs and embryos that fare better in acidified conditions than do those of other Alaska crab species. (Photo provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Demonstrators protest against the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow oil-drilling project before a scheduled speech by Biden at the Department of the Interior in Washington, March 21, 2023. A federal judge on Thursday upheld the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow oil-drilling project on Alaska’s remote North Slope, a massive project that had drawn the ire of environmentalists who accused the president of backpedaling on his pledge to combat climate change. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Federal judge in Alaska upholds Biden administration’s approval of the massive oil-drilling project

A federal judge on Thursday upheld the Biden administration’s approval of the massive Willow oil-drilling project on Alaska’s remote North Slope, a decision that environmental… Continue reading

Demonstrators protest against the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow oil-drilling project before a scheduled speech by Biden at the Department of the Interior in Washington, March 21, 2023. A federal judge on Thursday upheld the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow oil-drilling project on Alaska’s remote North Slope, a massive project that had drawn the ire of environmentalists who accused the president of backpedaling on his pledge to combat climate change. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire
Denise Koch, director of engineering and public works for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains efforts being made to secure various types of flood mitigation funding while City Manager Katie Koester listens during a Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night in the Assembly Chambers.

City still seeking millions in federal flood funding, despite FEMA disaster aid rejection

NOAA, Army Corps of Engineers, others being asked to help with future prevention efforts.

Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire
Denise Koch, director of engineering and public works for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains efforts being made to secure various types of flood mitigation funding while City Manager Katie Koester listens during a Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night in the Assembly Chambers.
Henry Fleener, hatchery manager at Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute Mariculture Wet Lab, talks about a NOAA Fisheries project that involves building a small hatchery to house, condition and spawn oyster broodstock in order to find ways to improve existing processes. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)

Pushing to expand mariculture in Alaska (Part 2): The pearl in mariculture, for now, are the oysters

Shellfish is still small business, but on the rise as Alaska works to diversity food sources.

Henry Fleener, hatchery manager at Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute Mariculture Wet Lab, talks about a NOAA Fisheries project that involves building a small hatchery to house, condition and spawn oyster broodstock in order to find ways to improve existing processes. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
A marker for the U.S.-Canadian border sits between Skagway, Alaska, and Stikine Region, British Columbia. (Photo by Philip Yabut/Getty Images)

Opinion: British Columbia is committed to responsible mining practices

As close neighbors, British Columbia and Alaska share a common goal: to foster responsible resource development by championing the highest standards of environmental protection for… Continue reading

A marker for the U.S.-Canadian border sits between Skagway, Alaska, and Stikine Region, British Columbia. (Photo by Philip Yabut/Getty Images)