Alaskans must fight for renewable energy

We're facing a fundamental dilemma. Alaska, like the rest of the nation, needs energy. But the fossil fuels we rely on so heavily are becoming scarce, cost too much, and when carbon dioxide emissions get absorbed by the ocean, our fisheries are threatened. Logic dictates earnest investment in Alaska's renewable resources.

There is a wealth of energy waiting to be tapped by hydroelectric dams, wind farms, tidal generators and solar panels, plus atomic if needed. Not far from Anchorage lies yet another source of unlimited energy -- the geothermal potential beneath Mount Spurr.

In short, Alaska no longer has to rely on the burning of oil, coal and natural gas. A forward-looking effort to develop renewable resources would quickly begin reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and, in time, lower the cost of energy to consumers. With sufficient will and financing, our renewable resources could provide for the state's energy needs far into the future, and without the detrimental effects of fossil fuels. The same goes nationwide.

If today's Alaskans are to leave future generations any lasting legacy, it ought to be access to plentiful, clean energy -- energy developed here at home by American businesses employing American workers, not purchased overseas from countries that do not have our best interests at heart.

Burning fossil fuels produces gasses that foul the air, and one of them, carbon dioxide, is acidifying the world's oceans, threatening directly Alaska's fisheries, our economy and our way of life. This issue is critical to every Alaskan, especially commercial fishermen, all of us who catch fish for our own dinner tables and those dependent on Alaska's vital tourist trade.

Alaska fisheries produce more than half the seafood landed in the United States. Were the state a nation, it would rank ninth among seafood producing countries. The industry's contribution to the state economy is topped only by North Slope oil and gas and expenditures by the federal government. The value of a vigorous fishing industry to Alaska's future cannot be overstated.

I've spent a lifetime ensuring Alaska's fisheries remain strong and healthy. I'm hardly alone among Alaskans in advocating that we take care of our fish. But finding the right solutions to the planet-sized problems of burning fossil fuels and ocean acidification are well beyond the capacities of states or fishermen alone.

We need our senators to steer substantive action through the federal legislative process. We need law that will establish a new national energy policy, put a price on carbon, reverse ocean acidification and promote renewable energy infrastructure and the jobs that go with it.

Alaska fought for statehood to protect our fisheries. Our leaders should fight equally hard for meaningful legislation needed for a reliable and prosperous future for our grandchildren. Will it mean a lot of hard work? Of course, but since when were Alaskans afraid of that?

Clem Tillion is a former state legislator and former president of the Alaska State Senate. A retired commercial fisherman, he lives in Halibut Cove.