Alaska livestock - Alaska

Bear aware: Fish and Game warns residents to remove trash - Kenai Peninsula Online

15.04.09

In the Lower 48, April showers bring May flowers, but in Alaska, melting snow brings bears searching for food to and fro.

"It should be any time now," said Jeff Selinger, area wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Wake-up can be variable from year to year, but generally late March to early April is when bears emerge from their winter dens. More daylight, heat from warmer weather, their dens getting wet from melting snow and the bears having burned up their fat and energy reserves put on last year, all combine and cause these creatures to stir after several months' slumber.

"We've had reports of bear tracks on the ski trails at the (Kenai National Wildlife) Refuge, and a big, male was taken by a hunter up by Cooper Lake last week, but there hasn't been much else in the way of sightings yet," Selinger said.

Still, it won't be long until more bears are out and about, and one of the first things these hungry bruins will do is attempt to start putting

Source: Kenai Peninsula Online, AK

Effects of Oil Drilling in Alaska

Alaska, in the United States of America, is the largest state area-wise and also the least populated. It is flanked by Canada, the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and Russia, further west across the Bering Strait. Alaska was purchased from Russia on March 30, 1867. The price paid for this landmass was $7.2 million. It has seen numerous administrative changes and finally became an organized territory in 1912. It was recognized as the 49th state of the U.S. in 1959. The name means 'mainland' or 'great land'. The economy of the territory is dominated by the oil and gas industry. More than 80% state revenues are earned from the extraction of petroleum. Besides oil and natural gas, other revenue options include fishing, agriculture and rearing livestock. Most of inland employment is generated from the government offices and offices involved either directly or indirectly with natural resource extraction. The allied industries such as shipping, transportation of oil and natural gas and military bases offer people a source of income. The oil drilling activities in Alaska are the significant components of the economy. Reasons for Drilling in Alaska: Alaska, inland and offshore, is rich in energy reserve. The North Slope and Cook Inlet basins and Prudhoe Bay are full of crude oil deposits. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline brings to the surface more than 2 million barrels of oil each day! Alternately, the coal deposits supply the nation with bituminous, lignite and sub-bituminous coal basins. This region does not only offer very high hydroelectric power potential, but also equally dynamic generation of wind energy and geothermal energy. The effects of oil drilling and extensive industrialization within this otherwise serene and unpolluted region have taken a toll on resource and quality of life. Pros of Oil Drilling in Alaska: The pros that support oil drilling in Alaska include:
Generation of huge amounts of hydroelectric, geothermal and wind energy resources for the whole nation.

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