Anchorage Daily News

Forget a pipeline -- ship the gas

Pipeline? Maybe we don't even need a pipeline. With global warming and ice-free polar shipping lanes, we could just load tankers from the North Slope and ship natural gas to market that way. Time to think outside the box, Alaska.

-- Judy Carr

Wasilla

Racist message does nothing to lower school dropout rate

Today's younger generation showed its ignorance by using a hurtful, racist quote as a way to pretend to be helping the minority dropout rate ("Thought-provoking or a slur?" Feb. 9). Today's generation actually felt that a stunt (and don't kid yourself, this was a stunt) like this is somehow "taking action." The problem is, stunts like these are unable to hold up to even the most basic scrutiny.

Had anyone asked the so-called Beautiful Colors group, "What have you done to help the minority dropout rate?" Their answer would have been "I wrote hurtful, racist words on the wall at school," followed by a smarmy, self-righteous smile.

That's it? That was how you helped? That is your contribution to the world? Are we tackling teen obesity next week with "Hit the treadmill, you disgusting fat [epithet], hit the treadmill!"

The principal never should have allowed this and instead, maybe should have encouraged the children to donate their time tutoring kids (of all colors) in trouble academically.

If this is a question of rights, let me give them a little lesson on rights: You have the right to do whatever you please, until the expression of your rights steps on another person's rights.

I guess my point is this: You have the right to say hurtful, racist things to "make a point" but does that make it right?

-- Steven Lynch

Anchorage

Our government sets bad example

When we don't stand on the side of accountability, we teach our children that they can do whatever they want and there are no consequences. Look at the state of the world right now. Is this really what we want for our nation, our children and ourselves? I, for one, do not.

Government is like a parent to the nation; it sets an example of behavior. This once great and respected nation is lost if we don't stand on the side of honor and accountability.

-- Audrey Collins

Anchorage

Contrary to story, Alaska biofuels do not harm the environment

The New York Times article "Climate may be harmed by biofuels" printed in the Daily News on Feb. 8 ignores Alaska's unique biofuel opportunities. What was missing from the article comes from the study's author's own news release:

"Researchers did note that some biofuels do not contribute to climate change because they do not require the conversion of native habitat."

Alaska's biofuels do not destroy native habitat, and I would argue, reduce our impact on climate change.

While the study especially condemns the clearing of tropical lands for agricultural biofuels, Alaska is dumping the equivalent of 13 million gallons of fish oil and is exporting nearly half a million gallons of used deep-fryer oil. In addition to capturing these wasted renewable resources, we need to support the Delta growers planting canola on existing croplands for fuel to power Alaska's family farms.

Although Alaska biofuels cannot replace all our fossil fuel use, they can displace a significant amount of diesel, save our communities from high fuel prices, reclaim wasted resources and reduce Alaska's carbon emissions.

They're not a silver bullet, but Alaska biofuels are a part of a sustainable solution.

-- Will Taygan, coordinator

Alaska Biodiesel and SVO Network

Chugiak

Look to the commercial fleet to see why sportfishing is down

In response to John Nelson's comments ("Do not allocate more salmon to Alaska sportfishing interests," Feb. 8): You're right! It is the job of the Board of Fisheries to allocate among all the user groups, and it's a tough job.

What they also do, and what Nelson isn't paying attention to, is deal with biology. Currently Northern District fish on many systems aren't even making minimum escapement goals. The Northern District has experienced closure after closure in the last few years because not enough fish are returning to the rivers to spawn, and so far the whole conservation burden has been borne by the sport fisheries while commercial fisheries have had banner years. The interception of large numbers of northern-bound fish has got to be curtailed, at least to the point where we can hit the midpoint of these escapement goals so we can ensure healthy fish stocks for the future.

Nelson said in his letter that tourist sportfishing is down 26 percent -- gee, I wonder why. Could it be because we've been shut down year after year? Maybe if we just got rid of the 29 percent of the Upper Cook Inlet drift fleet that are nonresidents we could start meeting our escapement goals again.

-- Denny Hamann, chair

Mat-Valley Fish & Game Advisory Committee

Wasilla

This election offers opportunity to return integrity to White House

Bill Clinton was the watershed president. Before he was in office we might not have agreed with the person, but we respected the office. We heard and read things about former presidents, but the office was still about character. Then came Bill Clinton looking into the camera and saying, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," and George W. Bush telling us to "go shopping" after 9/11. Those two incidents are microcosms of what is wrong with our country.

For me this year's election represents a chance to return to character and respect. That's why I was one of those who reregistered from independent to Democrat so I could attend and vote in the caucus Feb. 5. That's the main reason why people are excited about Barack Obama. They are tired of big business as usual with the Republicans, and they don't trust Hillary Clinton because power means more to her than her own integrity. I'm hoping this is a watershed election. We need an honorable president now more than ever before.

-- Jennifer Carr

Seward

Quote was meant to inspire; it should be put back up

I was absolutely appalled at the removal of the quote that was in the Service High School display case by the library ("Polarizing quote is taken down by Service principal," Feb. 15). I am a freshman at the school and hearing about this issue made me quite upset. The quote was meant to inspire, not hurt people. Many in the school did not consider the quote racist. One of my friends said it best when he said, "People are afraid of change."

The quote was meant to spark change and motivate students to better themselves. Which I believe it did.

I believe that removing the quote was wrong, and that we should speak out. In my opinion, the quote should be displayed once again in our school. All students have an individual voice, but if we speak as one, maybe the administrators will see our point of view.

-- Carson Nelson

Anchorage

In the hubbub of election season don't forget about Cheney's lies

All this excitement over elections has distracted us from correcting the error of Vice President Dick Cheney. We have a civic duty to bring impeachment hearings against our vice commander-in-chief for conspiring with the CIA to provide a one-sided report to sell a war in Iraq, which omitted the fact that the sole informant on WMDs was a known fabricator, and for misleading Colin Powell to lie to the U.N., saying that we have multiple sources and that there is no doubt about this imminent threat. This war crime has allowed our enemies to gain strength and refuge in Pakistan, and it has exhausted our military capacity to find and destroy them. Now, we are at much greater risk than ever before.

Once convicted, Cheney should be exiled to the Sunni Triangle of Iraq, and President George W. Bush should resign at once.

Only when our government admits this criminal error in pushing us to war in Iraq will the rest of the world respect us and have confidence in our economy and currency once again.

-- Dan Russell

Willow

Hopefully Palin is tough enough to resist oil company pressure

We know Gov. Sarah Palin is pretty, intelligent, articulate, honest.

What we don't know, but hope for, is that she is mentally tough, intelligent and persistent enough to resist the oil and gas producers and their minions' PR campaigns, their exploration game-playing, and their prevailing courtship on the proposed gas pipeline contract.

Conoco Phillips et al. want fiscal certainty in marketing Alaska's natural gas. Translated, that means assured profits for decades. This is absurd! All U.S. businesses have risk in their operations and investments.

The North Slope companies have resisted marketing the gas for decades. The state may have to consider canceling their oil and gas leases, and expropriating these Alaska-owned natural resources for the benefit of Alaskans. This may seem a drastic action. However, their ignoring the AGIA law and attempts to intimidate our legislators must stop. Enough is enough!

If there are lessons learned in dealing with the oil and gas industry, the governor should next address the mining industry (Pebble, Red Dog, et al.). (See "Canadian firm's mining slag poisoned US lake," Feb. 17, Page B-2.) Alaska should not risk further pollution of its clean water, fisheries, clean air or the environmental devastation being wreaked by the mining industries worldwide.

-- Richard Hahn

Soldotna

State's talks with Conoco Phillips discredit gas process

Why is the State of Alaska entering into sidebar discussions with Conoco Phillips, which chose not to participate when pipeline proposals were solicited? Doing this discredits the state's process and is a disservice to those companies that did submit proposals.

As Conoco Phillips ramps up its "shopping for answers" campaign, people in Juneau need to remember something Conoco Phillips is hoping they've forgotten: pandering to big oil is a good way to a) get voted out of office and/or b) earn a stay at the Gray Bar Inn.

-- Mary Miner

Anchorage

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