Opportunities in Alaska

• The fishing industry

  • Commercial fishing provides 78,500 jobs and adds US$6 billion to the state economy per year.

  • 3000 rivers in Alaska that are relied on by Native American communities for subsistence fishing.

• Mineral extraction

  • One third of the state’s mining wealth comes from gold.

  • In 2013, the Pebble Mine project was cancelled because indigenous people protested against it. It would have been the largest open-pit operation in North America. Anglo America walked away from a $500 billion investment.

  • The toxic chemicals used to process gold (mercury, cyanide and nitric acid) damage humans and the environment.

• Energy production

  • 50 hydro-electric power plants supply Alaska with a fifth of their energy.

• Tourism

  • 1-2 million tourists attracted per year, so work is seasonal and tour guides are sometimes poorly paid.

  • 60% of tourists are cruise ship passengers.

• Oil production

  • 90% of taxes come through oil.

  • 1 in 7 Alaskans have a job in oil production.

  • The pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez passes underground in some regions so that it does not disturb caribou migration.

  • Took $8 billion to build.

  • In 1989, 12 orcas, seabirds and other sea life died due to an oil spill.

Challenges in Alaska

• Extreme temperatures

  • Temperatures fall well below -30 degrees Celcius.

  • This creates hostile working environments and treacherous road conditions.

• Inaccessibility

  • Sparcely populated and very remote region.

  • People may not be able to rely upon supplies of food and energy.

  • Most people are self-sufficient because of this.

• Provision of buildings and infrastructure

  • Roads are prone to cracks when the active layer of the permafrost melts in the summer.

  • Roads are built on raised gravel beds 1-2m deep to avoid heat transfer.

  • Buildings are triple glazed to prevent heat loss and have steep pitched roofs to get rid of the snow.

  • Airport Runways are painted white to reflect sunlight