Nora and Laura's Alaskan Adventures

Snow on the mountains, time for my last Alaskan blog.... :(

2009-08-20T10:50:00.001-07:00

Well, this is it! Tomorrow is my last day at REAP and in the great state of Alaska. I must say, I'm jealous of the bicycle caravan taking Laura to the airport!! My flight leaves Ted Stevens airport at 1:30 AM on Saturday and I'll be getting into Newark at 3:30 pm. I may or may not start to melt when I step outside - this morning the temperature was a lovely 45 degrees, and I comfortably left the house in a t-shirt and jeans. Yikes!

The energy fair was a remarkable success. The weather was perfect and turnout was substantial. All of our hard work paid off, and it was wonderful to see it come to fruition without a hitch. Not to toot my own horn, but my T-shirts were a hit. Since we finished up with the fair, I took a wonderful 3-day trip to Denali with my parents and my dad's cousin. We lucked out and got three days of cloudless, sunny skies with full views of the mountain the whole time. It was extremely dry up north, fires have been burning across Alaska and rain has been scarce. On our drive out we saw some smoke come up over the Alaska Range.

I've been putting together an informational brochure on commuter rail for REAP to take to the state fair, which I am unfortunately missing. I hope I'll be able to continue to help Maryellen, Cynthia and REAP on

This past weekend I took a trip down to Homer, a town on the south end of the Kenai Peninsula. I got to go out on the fishing boat of a friend's parents. Now I feel like I've covered a decent amount of ground in Alaska! (And yet, there's a whole lot I haven't seen! I haven't been off the road system, and I haven't seen the Arctic Circle or Southeast Alaska, etc.)

This has been an incredible summer, in terms of work, play, and travel. I hope to be back in Alaska as soon as humanly possible!

Last Week in Alaska!

2009-08-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

This is my last week in Alaska! It has been an incredible summer. My friend and roommate Liza flew in from Brooklyn to take a one-week Alaskan vacation—Manhattan nannies can afford this luxury. This weekend we went to my friend Matt’s parents’ house in Girdwood. Matt’s dad took us fishing in a chipping yellow boat on the Twenty Mile River.

It was really beautiful, and we were out on the river and the mountain tops were peaking out over a lot of fog. After many hours of talking and eating we didn’t catch anything. Matt’s dad blamed Liza for bringing bananas on the boat—apparently this is a fishing faux pas. He sited something to the tune of “fisherman never used to have bananas in the boat way back when”. Despite his shoddy logic I was inclined to agree with him.

It’s only Wednesday, and I feel like I’ve had a full week at work! Yesterday we had an all day meeting that I helped to organize. It brought together representatives from many conservation organizations around the state who were working on renewable energy and energy efficiency to develop a formal coalition.

It was interesting to see what each organization was doing in terms of energy. Because Alaska is a lot like a developing country in terms of natural resources and extraction potential. This presents a strong mandate for environmental organizations to present environmentally viable alternatives to coal, oil, and gas development. We discussed what each organization was doing regionally with different projects, legislation around energy projects and policy, and an Integrated Resource Plan for the Railbelt.

There was a lot of really technical talk about different energy project proposed in the state- like the Susitna Dam and Chakachamna hydroelectric. Here are some good specs on each project from the REAP website:

Chakachamna - The Chakachamna hydroelectric project is currently under study by TDX Power. Located on the western side of Cook Inlet, the project would entail a lake tap, 12-mile power tunnel, and a 40-mile transmission line extension to provide 330 MW of energy to the Railbelt grid at 1600 MWh annually. Originally studied by the Alaska Power Authority in the 1980s, the project as currently envisioned would divert water from the Chakachatna River to the McArthur Drainage Basin.

Susitna - First envisioned in the 1980’s, the Susitna project would consist of one or two dams on the upper Susitna River about 45-80 miles northeast of Talkeetna. The ultimate capacity of this project ranges from 600 to 1880 MW of electricity. Renewed interest in the Susitna project prompted the state legislature to appropriate $2.5 million to a feasibility study and cost estimate analysis as part of the FY2009 budget. (http://alaskarenewableenergy.org/)

They both have potentially huge effects of on the grid, the environment, and the economy. One interesting thing that came out of the meeting is that there is a lot of individual pieces of legislation, projects, and things like the IRP that are scattered “implementation-level” parts of making Alaska more renewable. However, what is really lacking is an overarching energy policy that can be a guide to implementation (this would mean both a vision and figures to strive for like 50% renewable energy by 2025.
At the meeting, I was informed that a letter to the editor I had written got published. I have been writing LTEs and encouraging others to write them as part of “The Heat Is On” campaign around the federal climate change legislation. This woman wrote a letter to the editor lamenting the disappearance of Alaskans who wanted to be independent from the lower 48. I responded pretty presumptuously on behalf of Alaskan youth. I didn’t think it would be printed because most of my others haven’t been printed, but it was. My environmental studies compatriots will appreciate the plug for a local food system (although local isn’t necessarily better, I know, I know).

While I was typing this blog entry I experienced the first noticeable earthquake of my life! It was about 30 miles away and had a 5.2 magnitude. All the tall plants in our office swayed around, and my co-worker Amanda thought the office above us was moving really heavy furniture.

Before I leave I’m going to spend some time on the mud flats, hopefully take a hike, and go berry picking one more time. Instead of Liza and I getting driven to the airport, my friends are going to bike caravan us there with tandems and an extra-cycle for our luggage. It’ll probably be the best seeing-off I’ll have had.

Energy Stimulus Rally

2009-08-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got another taste of Alaskan politics. There were a number of rallies outside of the Egan Center where the state legislature convened for a special session to vote to override Palin’s veto of federal stimulus funds of $28.6 million. The first rally was the one that I helped to organize through ACA which was a bipartisan coalition with a lot of the conservation organizations, AARP Alaska, several unions, and a lot of people who weren’t present, but wrote letters of support like Alaska State Homebuilders Association, Commonwealth North, Southeast Conference, Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Renewable Energy Alaska Project, Alaska Municipal League, the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference Haines Borough, City of Ketchikan, City/Borough of Juneau, Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage Assembly, the Mat-Su Borough, and the villages of Akiak, Quinhagak, and Emmonak.

Most of the people who showed up to the 8:30am rally were conservationists with the exception with some union people. About 75 people turned out and it was pretty tame—people smiling as the State delegates walked in.

At 11am there was an enormous crowd for the opposition that are part of the “teabagger” movement. They’re invoking the Boston Tea Party to protest all of Obama’s stimulus money, namely for healthcare, but as it turns out also for energy efficiency.

I was actually really impressed with how effective their organizing was. About 100-150 people showed up wearing all black, toting megaphones, teabags, and signs that championed such ideas as “Kill the Bill or Kill our Senators” and “Override= You’re Fired”. I talked to an older woman about her rationale for protesting the override. Her rationale was pretty simple—the federal stimulus money would make it impossible to continue building your house. She told me about all the debt I will be in because of government spending (last I checked my debt is to private enterprise). I have no real idea where she attained this information, but it was pretty moving that so many people were effectively mobilized, and able to stand behind such unfounded misinformation. They were using pretty virulent obstruction tactics and taking stuff right out of Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.

Palin attested that “there are clear ropes attached,” dazzling the Alaskan public with her eloquence once again as she referenced new state-wide energy codes that would be enforced. However, the Federal government has countered that Alaska "does not need to adopt, impose and enforce a statewide building code in order to qualify" (ADN).

Ultimately the override did go through by one vote. Here are some pictures from the Anchorage Daily News:

Yours truly - far left.

You'd think they were still on vacation.

Mr. Egan has to be freshened up before the legislature arrives.

The "teabaggers" we're riled up and appropriately positioned on the right.

On the left- Alli Harvey, veteran of the Tishman Internship and Lang graduate.

And Another Thing

2009-08-07T12:53:00.001-07:00

REAP Fair & Rally

2009-08-07T12:32:00.001-07:00

I mentioned before that I’ve been helping organize a rally around the special session that the state legislature is holding. They are convening during the recess to vote on whether or not they will override Palin’s veto of federal stimulus funds that would provide $28.6 million for State Energy Program Funds. These funds would likely go to communities to aid them in retrofitting and weatherizing buildings. Alaskans face the highest energy costs in the country. Incidentally, Alaska is the only state that has not accepted the stimulus funds. This is a pressing issue especially for remote, rural communities like the Akiak Native Community who averages $100-300 dollars a month on lights alone, and paid $35/gallon for stove oil this winter. Many remote, native communities still generate all of the community’s energy from diesel.

I have been frantically writing press releases, PSAs, and flyers for the rally. We will gather and ask legislature to override the veto. This has a wildly different pace and focus from the kind of organizing I’m used to doing (ha), but it has certainly been insightful to understand the functionings of how layered political interests operate to shape politics and public opinion. One thing I’ve been chewing on is that in Alaska small rallies actually affect the political decision-making process. At this point in New York, rallies don’t seem to get much attention unless hundreds of people show up or the police decide to brutalize protesters. In Alaska even 30 people will likely have an impact simply because rallies are so infrequent and the population is not hugely active… or so I gather.

We also had a booth at the Renewable Energy Fair that REAP (feat.Nora!) organized. It was pretty fun although Nora and I had a walkie talkie mishap (not everyday I get to say that sentence.) We were getting people to sign postcards that encouraged Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Mark Begich to support the American Clean Energy and Security Act. We took pictures of them with a speech bubble, and I will be sending the senators a little care package with the pictures and postcards paired.

Nora!

Alli Harvey! OG of the Tishman Environmental Scholars program. Loved Alaska and the conservation community so much she moved here..

My friend Travis who may or may not be an actual Alaskan..

Lovely Dana who works for the college radio station.

Amanda who I work with at the ACA office.

Other than that I have helped to organize and facilitate a meeting Alaskan climate change coalition meeting for the national level, and I am working on a state-wide Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee meeting with stakeholders from energy authorities, conservation community, and city planning. It’s been interesting to work on a smorgasbord of issues and projects, and get a feel for how liberal environmental non-profits function.

Last weekend I hung out on the mud flats, picked wild raspberries outside of Girdwood and made jam with them which we canned. Tonight I’m going to an Emma Goldman play at MTS- written by a guy I met on a bus (this should provide some interesting perspective for all the political stuff I’ve been doing for work). There is a scavenger hunt/ alley cat bike race tomorrow all over Anchorage-rumor has it that someone built a kissing booth for the event…people get pretty creative about recreational activities up here..

Belated Blogging

2009-07-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

Long time no blog! Work and recreation has kept me going, going, going, hence the lack of updates. Since I last posted, work has geared up in preparation for the Renewable Energy Fair. I should also note that we have a new Governor, as I’m sure you all have heard. I’ve completed quite a bit of design work, including the fair logo, posters for the fair and for another REAP event (both of which are now plastered up all over Anchorage as well as towns all over AK!), the 20-page fair program, the fair tee shirt, and about 15 or so pieces of major signage that will up around the fairground this coming Saturday (eek! Lots to get done before then!).

We’re working frantically to get all the materials and people in the right place at the right time for the fair. Our keynote speaker, interestingly, is Chet Culver, Governor of Iowa. He’s done quite a bit in his state with regard to renewable energy and job creation, including the establishment of the Iowa Power Fund (see below). His talk is entitled “Renewable Energy and Green Jobs of the Future.”

The Power Fund was created to be a tool for OEI, the Power Fund Board, and the Due Diligence Committee to use to promote the goals of Iowa energy independence. Power Fund money is appropriated to the office to be used in providing financial assistance to entities conducting business, research, or programs in Iowa:

(1) To accelerate research and development, knowledge transfer, technology innovation, and improve the economic competitiveness of efforts. (2) To increase the demand for and educate the public about technologies and approaches.

After the fair closes, it will be crunch time for my commuter rail project. I’ve decided that the paper I’m required to write for this internship will be about transit – an unexpected and interesting turn to my summer!

Well that’s work, how about play?

I spent fourth of july weekend between Anchorage, Girdwood, and Hope. I enjoyed the Girdwood Forest Fair, made a stop in Whittier to climb up to a view of the glacier there (and swam, I might add! My coworker Jonathan and I have developed a habit of jumping into glacial-fed bodies of water), and ended the weekend camping in beautiful and small Hope, Alaska.

I’ve taken some great backpacking trips and hikes in the past month or so. I’ve been on two overnights in two different sections of the Hatcher’s Pass area, up by Wasilla (home to our FORMER Governor). The first was a 18-mile (round trip) excursion through a valley following the Little Susitna River to Mint Glacier. This was a wonderful trip, although there were some casualties – Algu killed two beavers!

The second major hike was this past weekend, up to Reed Lakes in Hatcher’s Pass. It’s only 4 miles up, but what really counts is the elevation gain, which was pretty significant. Also it was raining, but that’s pretty typical for Alaskan summer (although not this summer, up until this week!). After taking an accidental mile detour across a very steep wall of boulders, my hiking partner and I rerouted and came up on a beautiful lake amidst the ridges. Hatcher’s pass is the site of some old mines, and the scenery is just incredible. Watching the clouds roll in at night and settle around the tops of the mountains is mysterious and beautiful. There was one casualty on this hike as well, I’m afraid – Aglu got to a marmot. (Pictures soon to come, I promise!!)

Tonight I’m headed out to hike up Flattop Mountain in Anchorage – the most popular hike in the area. I feel like I have to do it before I leave! Now that it’s been raining, the smoke from the forest fires has cleared out, so the views should be great. J

What comes next? After the fair I’ll be taking a road trip with my mom, dad, and my dad’s cousin up to Denali. I’m really looking forward to sharing Alaska with them! A few weekends from now I’ll be heading down towards Homer and taking the ferry to Kodiak, which I’m very excited about! My friend and former Alaskan roommate Megan Sharkey is now working on a fishing boat down there, so it will be great to see her again.

The wheels have been turning in my head – how can I get paid to come back here next summer?? I’m working on the solution to that problem, and I think there may be a niche for me here in terms of graphic design work for conservation groups. I’m completely enamored of Alaska and I don’t think my time here ends on August 22^nd. Twelve weeks just isn’t enough time!

Here are some photos of the first hike I took in Hatcher's Pass with Jonathan, Erin, and Jenny (and Aglu). As you can see, there's some photographic proof that both Aglu and I enjoyed the cold glacial waters! Also, that's Erin and I trying to summit a big rock :P

IRP and Homer!

2009-07-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

This week I have been working on coming up with the beginnings of a document that the conservation community would present to lawmakers overseeing the creation of an Alaskan Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). An IRP is plan that utilities use to analyze energy resource supply and demand to meet statewide energy needs and to maximize efficiency (economic or otherwise). My role is looking at IRPs from other states that have been particularly focused on renewables and energy efficiency, and to synthesize a document essentially marketing the idea of renewable energy potential in Alaska to (hopefully) be used in an IRP. Interesting, eh?
Some fast facts:
• A typical 1000-kW wind turbine can displace about 17,800 gallons of diesel fuel per year, a savings of nearly $55,000 to an electric utility paying $3.10/gallon for diesel fuel. The largest areas of class 7 (superior) wind power in the United States are located in Alaska. (Renewable Energy Alaska Project).
• The total wave power flux on southern Alaska’s coast alone is estimated at 1,250 TWh per year, about 300 times the amount of electricity used by Alaskans annually, though only a small amount of that would be economically recoverable. (Renewable Energy Alaska Project)
• “Jet fuel constitutes 43% of total energy end-use in Alaska, however a large portion is used for international flights and is not actually consumed in-state. An additional 484 Mmbtu can be attributed to energy used for oil and gas production in 2006, and while this was energy consumed in-state, a vast majority of the product was shipped out of state as crude oil exports” (AEA 22). An effective IRP would support and develop clean energy projects that would be used in Alaska to fuel the state economy. (This one targets the Alaskan libertarian ethos.)

In other news I spent last weekend in Homer again. We drove to the very end of the peninsula and then down the steepest incline that I’ve ever been in a vehicle for (maybe this is not the best blog to be praising all-wheel drive in, but sheesh!) We drove down onto the beach and then ran into the ocean. I guess this is common currency for wild and crazy Alaskans, but it definitely blew my mind.

Pictorial Documentation of Alaskan Life!

2009-07-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is a cow parsnip
plant! They are all over Alaska. When they dry out they so sturdy and structurally sound that you can use them for a lot of things. Some people make flutes out of them. Mark, an older artist whose studio is next to MTS gallery, is planning on building a geodesic dome out of dried cow parsnip.

Mountains on the way to Girdwood!

We went to Girdwood, a beautiful small town south of Anchorage. It is a ski town, and we took advantage of the abandoned ski lift for a spectacular vantage point.

Every Thursday night Kayla gives a free community class on art at MTS gallery. The last few weeks we've been doing paper making out of recycled scrap paper.

Lupines also grow wild everywhere. I'm always reminded of the Lupine Lady when I see them.

We had just driven in to Homer, and parked to soak up the scenery.

Here is a band of crusty travelers from New Orleans that were playing old-timey music down in Homer on the guitar and a banjolele.

The pink flower is called the fireweed. It is pretty important in Alaskan culture--many people make jams and jellies out of it. It is also used to measure the seasons- In mid summer it blooms in the middle of the stem. As it flowers up the stem, you can tell that fall is approaching. When the flower turns to cotton, Alaskans know that winter is beginning.

Of Late

2009-07-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

I’ve been waiting to post until I have pictures, but I’ll have to post them later. Since Seward I’ve been working mostly on The Heat is On Campaign and organizing a statewide coalition for renewable energy and energy efficiency. For THIO I’ve been contacting climate change point people at different non-profits throughout the state to invite them to a meeting we’ll be facilitating in Anchorage. Here are the organizations who will be in the loose coalition we are forming:

REAP- Nora’s organization! An all-purpose clean energy support engine.

Alaska Marine Conservation Council- they work with coastal communities trying to maintain Alaska’s marine ecosystems.

Alaska Center for the Environment- general conservation org. Tishman Scholarship’s Star Veteran, Alli Harvey now works for them as a political watchdog and a sustainable food systems advocate!

Anchorage Audubon SocietyNational Conservation Society with a focus on birds, but consequently conservation. This is the first time they’ve been involved with climate change and renewable energy organizing in Anchorage. I also recently learned that “bird watching” is no longer used and the preferred term is “birding” because it is more interactive than simply watching.

Repower America- National program around renewable energy through the Alliance for Climate Protection.

Alaska Youth for Environmental Action trains youth leaders to impact environmental issues through community action, leadership training, environmental education, civic engagement, and community organizing.

Alaska Center for Appropriate Technology- Design oriented non-profit promoting sustainable development.

THIO is a national campaign that is focused right now on getting the American Clean Energy and Security Act passed. The Senate moved to have a special session on August 10^th that we will be organizing around. The special session is being held to override Palin's veto of federal stimulus funds for energy-related projects . We are planning a rally and press conference around the special session to thank legislators for overriding the veto and to ask them to support ACES. My part in this will be organizing a bike ride that will end up at the rally—I think it should be pretty high-energy because I’ll probably get a lot of critical mass riders and tall bikes to come out as well as the usual spandex, rear-view mirror-on-helmet crowd.

I’ve also been preparing for our conference creating a statewide Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee. This is going to be a statewide committee of people in different decision making roles in their organizations like non-profits and regional electric authorities to come together and work towards creating an amenable environment for REEE projects and facilitating them. I’ve been working under someone who used to be an anti-tobacco lobbyist, and I have been learning a lot about what lobbying and political decision-making looks like.

This weekend I will probably be tabling in Homer, Alaska for Concert on the Lawn which is a big festival that happen annually and try to encourage people to sign off on some Letters to the Editor about the ACES bill as well as send in postcards to Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Begich asking them to support ACES.

Hopefully I will post some pictures and talk a bit about what I’ve outside of working in a couple of days.

-laura

Update: Fourth of July and Things to Come!

2009-07-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

Haven't Blogged for bit! I went back to the East coast for one week to run a Unitarian youth conference on an island off the coast of New Hampshire. That was a wonderful experience, but I will attempt to keep this blog relevant to Alaska.

My work on the Clean Energy Photo Contest is slowing down, and there are some new projects going on. I am working on a project that is going to be starting a state-wide coalition of non-profits around Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. The working mission statement for the group is to seek "a statewide vision for Alaska to move towards an economy and communities centered around clean, affordable energy by promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy planning for electrical production and space heating". This is a state-level project, but on the federal level we are also developing a campaign called "The Heat is On" to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, establish a cap and trade program that relies strongly on the marketplace to set carbon prices, and to use generated state revenues to fund clean energy technology and jobs as well as community and natural resource impact assistance, especially for Alaskan communities that need to be relocated".

This weekend I went to Seward for work. There is a huge race called the Mount Marathon Race. It seems that naming a Mountain "Marathon" serves as a sort of mandate to hold an annual race up it. Apparently, it is not uncommon for people to run through the finish line bleeding and scrapped up.

I was tabling all weekend for ACA in downtown Seward. A couple days before the League of Conservation Voters sent us boxes of t-shirts, posters, and construction hard hats that say "MAKE OUR ENERGY CLEAN, MAKE IT AMERICAN". How is that for fourth-of-July-appropriate counter rhetoric? In Alaska, especially for the conservation movement, there is a distinct effort to pander to the right, and to appeal to a moderate audience. The Alaska Conservation Alliance is non-partisan, and because of that makes many efforts to reach out to different constituencies (I.e. conservative Alaskans).

At the booth I got people to sign postcards to Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Mark Begich asking them to support clean energy legislation. The bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act just passed the house, and is slated for the senate. The bill provisions include that electric utilities meet 20% of their electricity demand through renewable energy sources and efficiency by 2020, investment in clean energy technologies and energy efficiency, like carbon capture and sequestration, electric and other advanced technology vehicles, and basic scientific research and development. energy-savings standards for buildings, appliances, and industry, and a reduction in carbon emissions by 17% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 (Alaska Center for the Environment). People seemed pretty enthusiastic about signing, and the fact that Palin had resigned that day seemed to help our booth as people kept coming up to try to speculate about the possible causes.

After many hot hours of tabling, we camped on the beach in Bird Point, a spot on the Turnagain Arm by the beach. Probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

Other points of interest included:
The 'drunken trees' that lined the sides of the highway. My informal tour guides and I speculated that they were created by flooding, but I will ask the ecologist in my office and blog a more researched explanation.

Hanging out on a canyon on the way to Seward.

Finding a bizarre-o abandoned mini-train in Sterling on the way to a junk shop in Soldatna

Kayla playing the autoharp by the beach in Seward, and Dana and I enjoying the view.

Goings-on!

2009-07-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on life in Alaska:

I’ve loved getting out and about! Last weekend I hiked up Bird Ridge with some friends. The trailhead is south of town on the Glenn Highway. Quite a steep trail! But the views at the top were well worth the climb – I’ll include the pictures here.

Since I last wrote REAP hosted a Wind Diesel Forum at the Anchorage Museum. Speakers included Steve Drouilhet from Sustainable Automation, Inc., Martha Dabot from TDX Power, James F. Manwell from UMass Amherst, and James Jensen from AEA. It was a good opportunity for me to learn about wind-diesel hybrid systems (systems that switch between diesel power generation and intermittent wind generation), a technology that is particularly pertinent to Alaska, where remote communities are in need of cheaper methods of power generation that use less diesel fuel (which is expensive to transport). I learned about the challenges of wind/diesel – varying load, varying wind speeds, different types of storage (battery, pump, etc.), creating a control system that smoothes out these fluctuations, and dealing with the limitations of diesel generators.

Something interesting that my boss is involved with: IRP (Railbelt Integrated Resource Plan). At this point, this project exists only conversationally and in the form of a business model, but it aims to integrate the 6 regional utilities under one body. Seventy percent of Alaska’s population lives along the area in question. Chris Rose is on an advisory committee to the state that is aiming to create a 30-year plan for future generation and transmission in the railbelt. Current legislation addressing the IRP, if it passes, is merely permissive, not mandatory, and only the Governor has the power to force the matter. The business plan I mentioned, commissioned a few years ago by Representative Rokenburg, details one body in charge of building generators and transmission and 6 “distribution coops,” the current 6 utilities.

And finally – I rode the Chugach Explorer during its dedication! It was a great ride for several reasons. One, it was a stunning day in the Chugach National Forest, complete with black bear and bald eagle sightings; two, I was riding with such public figures as Senator Begich, the new Mayor Sullivan of Anchorage, Mayor Rupright of Wasilla, and various members of the railroad, the forest service, and the conservation community. The ride marked a partnership between the railroad and the forest service, but each speech included a reference to “the potential of commuter rail,” which was encouraging. When I finally managed to tear my face away from the windows, I spoke with Bruce Carr, Director of Strategic Planning at the ARRC (the railroad) about my marketing document project. He seemed on board and willing to help.

As for the fair – I finished up the poster and sent it to the printer and am plugging content into the program. We’ve been getting merchandise like tees and water bottles ordered. Jenny, the Yale intern (and my new running buddy) is working hard collecting donations and items for the silent auction, and Jonathan (Americorps VISTA) is getting various exhibits prepared (like phantom load, wall insulations cross sections, and more!). I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the weather on August 1^st is as perfect as it has been so far this summer.

Ok that’s all for now folks!

Oh I forgot one thing! Last Friday I went to a bluegrass festival in Sutton, north of Anchorage. It was great, and purely Alaskan - disguised from tourists by a "Picker's Retreat - Family Fun" Sign along the side of the road (I infiltrated). :P

Here’s a link to the study I mentioned:

http://www.akenergyauthority.org/REGAFiles/9-12-08_AlaskaRailbeltREGAStudy_MasterFinalReport.pdf

Also, be sure to check out REAP's great new website!

http://alaskarenewableenergy.org

or: REalaska.org

made it to the top! Elevation about 4,000 ft.

That last one is Jenny, Erin and me stopping on the way to my boss's place and the bluegrass festival on Friday

Pics!

2009-06-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

I hiked up Rendezvous Peak in Eagle River with my coworkers Jen and Jonathan, and John's friend Brennan (And the dog!). It was great (But very cold and windy at the top!)

Jen!

Myself, Brenden, and Jonathan

There's the pooch

Quick update

2009-06-23T14:36:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

This past weekend was the solstice - up north in Fairbanks, people experience the "midnight sun," but down here in Anchorage it does, unfortunately, dip below the horizon for a couple of hours. I hiked up a small peak on Saturday with some friends and the dog and saw some stunning views of Anchorage and Eagle River. It was only about 2 miles up.

Some exciting news! Next week I'll be tagging along with Chris Rose on the demo ride and dedication of the Railroad's new DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit). It will be a roundtrip from Ships Creek to Grandview, which is on the Kenai peninsula. (I think everywhere in Alaska should be named Grandview, but that's just me!) More on this to come!

Laura and I had our first weekly "brown bag" meeting of the ACF interns. Those of us in Anchorage met up at ACF's boardroom and via conference call, reached everyone elsewhere in AK. Sam from AYEA (Alaska Youth for Environmental Action), Marty from AlaskaCoal.org and Sarah from ACE (Alaska Center for the Environment) updated us on their work thus far this summer. Once again, I want to mention what a wonderful group of women this is!

I can't believe I've already been here a month - I wish time would slow down. I never thought I'd say so, but New York has a lot to live up to when I get back :P

-Nora

New Things!

2009-06-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

The main project that I have been working on is organizing a photo contest. Recently, the Alaska Conservation Alliance (ACA) supported legislation creating an Alaskan Renewable Energy Fund that has so far invested $125 million into 107 renewable energy projects across Alaska. Examples of these renewable projects include power-producing hydrokinetic turbines in Ruby, geothermal power that will heat the Juneau International Airport Terminal, and wind turbines in Toksook Bay that produce about 643,633 kilowatt-hours per year (Alaska Native Energy).ACA also helped to convince Legislators to invest $360 million in weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades in homes across the state. With work on these two projects underway, the photo contest aims to document these projects. In less romantic terms, I’ve been spending a lot of time writing press released and soliciting “green” businesses to donate prizes. I’m excited to start working on more advocacy-focused projects next month.

My friend Kayla is a printmaker with a studio at MTS Recently, she and her studiomate Jimmy were just donated a 4 ton vintage lineotype machine! They didn’t have space in their gallery to store it so the Anchorage Land Trust has given them AN ABANDONED 70’s MOTEL to store it in! There are a lot of abandoned buildings in Mountainview (a neighborhood in East Anchorage)—it almost reminds me of parts of Brooklyn in this aspect Here are some pictures of the transporting the machine:

And here is a picture of me giving a judgmental look to Jason while Jodi looks cute in MTS:

ACF Orientation, Work, etc!

2009-06-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well, Laura just laid out a great description of our ACF orientation, so I won't go over it all again. However, I will say that for three days spent (mainly) in a board room, it was a great experience. Alaska is the perfect lens through which to to view the globe's environmental challenges (the term "canary in the coal mine" is used a lot), and it was really interesting to hear about the history of conservation here from major figures like Deborah Williams and Peg Tileston.

It was also very interesting to learn about the history of native peoples from Vernita Herdman and Andrea Sanders, a history which differs so significantly from that of the native populations in the lower 48. The creation of native corporations - although assimilative and contrary to many native traditions and attitudes towards land ownership - gave native populations considerable political and economic clout that is absent in the lower 48.

About work....

I've begun some design work for REAP, and am creating a logo for their 5th annual Alaska Renewable Energy Fair (August 1st!). I'll be creating posters and programs for the fair.

I'll be sure to post my work when it's presentable!

I'm continuing to familiarize myself with the transit issues I'm working on. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm creating a marketing document for the creation of a commuter rail line going from Anchorage to the Mat Su borough, north of here. Here's the low-down:

Hundreds of commuters drive along the Glenn Highway from places like Wasilla and Palmer to Anchorage and back every day, a distance of about 45 miles. The Alaskan Railroad has tracks running along the same route, but despite the fact that the infrastructure is in place, no commuter service exists. For years commuter rail has been talked about, promoted, and pushed by people my my boss, Chris Rose, and former Sierra Club employee and REAP board member Mary Ellen Oman. The railroad itself has completed various projects in anticipation and support of the commuter rail.

More about that here: http://AlaskaRailroad.com/pdf/2009%20Commuter%20Partnership%20&%20Opportunities.pdf

Also, a study commissioned by the railroad in 2002 by a transportation consulting firm about the potential for commuter rail concluded that a RTA (Regional Transit Authority) is critically important for the success of the project. All parties agree on this point. The RTA would allow for multi-jurisdictional coordination between Mat Su and Anchorage as well as between the railroad and the Anchorage bus system (people mover) to create a cross-borough, "multi-modal" transportation system. The RTA was introduced in the Senate this year but did not pass, so at the earliest, it will be established by this time next year.

Long story short, it's been on the ARRC's (Alaskan Railroad Corporation) agenda for a long time....too long. The goal here is to push the schedule up, not back, and begin the next phase of commuter rail sooner rather than later. I'm simply working in conjunction with people who have been pushing for this for years, creating a tool they can work with and helping in any other way I can.

About home...

I've moved out of my temporary home with Caren Moss, office manager of REAP, and her roommate, Megan Sharkey. They very generously put a roof over my head for two weeks! I'm now house sitting for Paul Twardock, a professor of the outdoors at APU (Alaskan Pacific University) while he takes a kyaking trip. His husky mix, Aglu, is my care for the duration. She is VERY energetic! (a sled dog)

Sorry for the lack of photos, I still do not have a functional camera, aside from my phone. Enjoy Laura's in the meantime!

I'm still loving Alaska and am beginning to understand why so many stories start with "I just came here for a two week trip, but ended up staying for 15 years!" I feel incredibly lucky to be in such a magnetic, beautiful place.

That's all for now, folks.

-Nora

Intern Orientation and Hike in the Chugach

2009-06-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

This is the view from the bike trail that I ride to work along every day called the Coastal Trail. We walked along it to go to a barbeque at executive director of the Alaska Conservation Foundation, Nick Hardin's, house.

Here are almost all of the interns. Yes, except for the one man who was MIA during orientation we are all 20-something and female.I guess an eco-feminist movement might have some substantial numbers.

A blurry picture of THE FIRST MOOSE I HAVE EVER SEEN. It was after our hike in Chugach National Park. Here are some more pictures of the beautiful (and difficult!)7 mile hike that we took.

Pictured is the first snowball I have ever made in June. Next to me is April, a biology major from Nebraska who's family owns a conventional farm. We talked about ag all the way down the mountain!

That's it for now!

Ancho-rage on!

2009-06-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Since my last blog a lot has happened. Nora and I had a really informative orientation session where we heard from a slew of different voice inside and outside of the conservation community. We talked to Deborah Williams, former Executive Director of Alaska Conservation Solutions and Alaska democratic candidate, and Peg Tileston, founder of the Alaska Conservation Foundation. They gave a great background on unique the history of conservation issues in Alaska including land conservation, marine conservation,, toxics, resource extraction, and (drum roll, please) global warming. Deborah was a really compelling speaker, and talked excitedly and emphatically about how amazing Alaska’s national resources are. 83% of America’s national wildlife refuge is in Alaska. There are 150 million acres of land that are set aside for special protection, 45 million acres set aside for native communities, and 100 million acres of state-owned land. Only 3% of Alaska’s land is privately owned! (How do you like that, NYC?)

We also heard from Senator Bill Wielechowski and former Representative Ethan Berkowitz. They talked about fisheries and predator control laws in Alaska as well as the great potential for renewable energy that Alaska has with 90% of the nation’s tidal power, and 70% of its wave potential.

The last speakers were Vernita Herdman, an Inupiaq activist, and Andrea Sanders, a recent Georgetown graduate who is the Alaska Renewable Energy organizer at the Union of Concerned Scientists( based out of Cambridge, MA! Yeeaaah!). Vernita worked for Alaska Native and tribal advocacy organizations on hunting and fishing issues, and on Alaskan rights and autonomy. They presented a really comprehensive history of different Alaska native communities and tribes. From 1867 at the Treaty of Session (Alaska’s purchase) to 1971 with the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Native people’s rights were not recognized or discussed by the US government. The native claims act mandated indigenous people to for regional and tribal corporations. ( Isn’t the ever evolving arm of capital imaginative?) I talked to Andrea after who recommended me the book Take My Land, Take My Life ( which I will definitely be picking up.

In other news, if I needed a reminder that the conservative right exists after living in New York and Boston, Alaska was the right place to come. The Anchorage assembly will be voting to revise an anti-discrimination ordinance which already protects people based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, or physical or mental disability. The proposal adds to this list sexual orientation and gender identity. It is wild that is not only a discussion, but a highly contentious and heated debate. There was an assembly meeting where tons of bigots gathered to display their sign-making skills.

I have managed to find some radical undercurrents in Anchorage. One of them is a great bike collective called Off the Chain. The shop is collectively run by volunteers, and works mostly off donations like Recycle-a-Bicycle in Brooklyn! They work with the Boys and Girls club teaching kids bicycle maintenance, and want to promote ridership in Anchorage (a pretty sprawling, car-dependent place compared to NYC). I am organizing a weekly ladies night at the shop with some other ladies. Another cool space that I have learned about is MTS gallery . I am going to a free screen printing there class tonight complete with photo emulsion and delicious lentil soup!

I’m signing off, but I hope to have more info in the next blog about the Transcontinental Pipeline, a pizza party, and a hike in Chugach state park.

First Post!

2009-06-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hello!

This is my first post. It may have to be short because the coffee shop I'm posting from is closing soon.

I got to Alaska early Friday morning from a Seattle layover. I'm working with the Alaska Conservation Alliance, ACA, this summer (there seems to be an acronym for everything in Alaska). My boss, Caitlin Higgins, dutifully picked me up from the airport at 2:30 AM. I'm staying outside of downtown Anchorage in a neighborhood called "Turnagain". I'm subletting from a lady named Karen who works doing medical research for native communities all over Alaska. Karen is also a 'triathlete'. When I accompanied her for my first hike in Alaska I had to ask her to abandon my panting self as she began to jog up the mountain. I tried to save face and blame it on the poor New York air quality, but I am pretty positive she can see right through that.

ACA is a 501c3 non-profit with a focus on advocacy and education (http://www.akvoice.org/). They represent over 40 different conservation non-profit organizations all over the state (hence, the "alliance" bit). They are working on an advocacy project called the "Crossroads Campaign". It is based on the idea that right now Alaska is at a pivotal turning point for energy. The campaign looks to the development of a huge potential of renewable energy in the state alongside the conservation of places like Bristol Bay that are threatened by the development of coal. (http://www.akvoice.org/home-slot-two/crossroads-campaign)

Looks like that's it for now. I will post about orientation, the bike collective, and hiking soon!

Settling in

2009-06-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in Alaska now for about a week, and loving every minute of it. The weather lifted after Friday morning and I’ve been experiencing some gloriously sunny days (and nights).

I started work at REAP on Thursday and am spending most of my time researching. My boss, Chris Rose, has commissioned me to work on a marketing document aimed at creating a commuter rail line running north from Anchorage to Mat-Su on the already existing main line of the Alaskan Railroad. This line runs along the Glenn Highway, a route frequented by commuters living in towns north of the city. Basically, the infrastructure and the riders are there, but funding and a managing body is not. The purpose of the document I’m working on is to get major parties excited about the project and show them that it is doable and affordable with the proper funding. If the project is taken on, it would have significant impacts on reducing highway congestion and fossil fuel usage/carbon emissions. It’s a very exciting project! Also, this week the office will be gearing up for the planning stages of the energy fair, which occurs two months from now.

More on Anchorage and Alaska: I’m not in Kansas (well, New York City) anymore! Alaska has a unique character that feels different from any place I’ve ever visited or lived in before both culturally and geographically. It’s difficult to explain in few words. Demographically, there is a large population of native Alaskans, and for all the diversity of NYC, this is a new experience for me. It’s also an odd feeling to be in such a large, sprawling city – one that could be anywhere in America in terms of planning and design –then look out and see stunning mountains with endless cloud patterns rolling above. I’m still learning a lot about the place, so I don’t want to characterize or generalize too much.

This week is the intern orientation, from Wednesday to Friday. I’ll be meeting other interns working in and outside of Anchorage at various conservation-type organizations. We’ll all be updating each other throughout the summer on what we’re working on via weekly teleconference.

It’s going to be (and already is) a great summer J

First Blog Post!

2009-05-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I've made it to Alaska in one piece after a flight to Seattle from Newark, a brief late-night layover, and a flight on to Anchorage. My mind was substantially blown when I looked out the window as we flew from Seattle to Anchorage and I saw the dead of night lighten. When I landed at 2:30 AM in Anchorage, the only thing keeping the early morning so dark were the clouds. To make things even weirder, just two days ago I was sitting on the beach at the Jersey Shore in my bathing suit, and yesterday I was in my jacket reaching out to touch the ice of the Portage Glacier, south of Anchorage!

As for living arrangements, I'm staying with someone from the REAP office for about 2 weeks, then house sitting for a friend of my boss for the remainder of the summer - I really lucked out! (Also, I'll be taking care of a husky mix!)

Today is my first day at REAP.

I hope everyone is enjoying the start of their summer!

-Nora