Opinions

We’re future leaders of Alaska. We say ‘no’ to the Pebble mine.

Last week, seven of us young Alaskans traveled over 4,000 miles to Washington, D.C., to ask Sen. Lisa Murkowski to protect our homeland and our futures from a threat that could drastically change Alaskan life as we know it: Pebble mine. Pebble mine not only threatens our livelihoods but our culture and future as Alaskans. This drove us to travel to Washington, D.C., with Alaska Youth for Environmental Action to take matters into our own hands.

Right next to where the proposed Pebble mine site, is our Bristol Bay fishery. It is the world's biggest wild sockeye salmon run and one of Alaska's most significant sources of sustainable income. Fishermen come from across Alaska to fish there each summer, and that money supports their families and sustains their communities.

Like many communities, Jasmine Ieremia’s hometown, Petersburg, would not exist without healthy salmon runs — including the salmon caught in Bristol Bay. Salmon is not only an economic factor but a pillar in our Alaskan identity with fishermen traveling from all corners of Alaska to fish Bristol Bay. While Pebble likes to state that the mine will bring in many new jobs, we must remember the thousands of recurring jobs we would lose due to the environmental impact this mine will have. Pebble mine’s threat to our economic viability, the health of our communities, and our culture are not specific to one area, but to communities across Alaska. Most of us directly or indirectly depend on fish.

Cassidy grew up in McCarthy, where multiple mining sites, smaller than Pebble, have had a destructive impact on the surrounding environment. They still cannot drink from specific waterways as a result of the contamination from 100 years ago. As a much larger mine in a more environmentally sensitive area, Pebble will be far more devastating, and we would feel the impacts statewide.

The health of our Alaska communities depends directly on the quality of the land around us. Climate change already is affecting our communities at such an extreme rate that we are unable to adapt, meaning a mine like Pebble — projected to emit one million tons of greenhouse gases annually — makes no sense for any practical Alaskan.

We see the value of protecting fish habitat: It breathes life into our communities. Protecting our future is an economic and cultural duty that our representatives must take on. We believe that fish, clean water and the land we depend on are more important than the temporary benefits mining offers.

Last week, we shared our stories with Sen. Murkowski. We told her about our families, our communities, and our futures that are all connected to healthy salmon. She listened, but she did not commit to opposing Pebble mine. Instead, she told us that it is the responsibility of our generation to find solutions to the issues that we face. She also reminded us that we are the next generation of leaders. This is a calling that we do not take lightly.

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As our state’s future leaders, we are asking our current leaders to take action now instead of leaving it on our plate. Every choice made today will affect the rest of our lives. We are asking Sen. Murkowski and all of our representatives to use their congressional power to support Alaskan communities by opposing Pebble mine.

We are prepared to lead efforts to preserve Alaska lifestyles for all Alaskans for generations to come. We hope our members of Congress can show us a clear path by protecting the resources that sustain our way of life and give us a future to look forward to by saying no to Pebble Mine.

Gabe Stenek (18, Shishmaref), Maude Adams (18, Brevig Mission), Eve Downing (17, Soldotna), Bailey Hahn (18, Dutch Harbor), Ronald Adams (17, Brevig Mission), Cassidy Austin (17, McCarthy), and Jasmine Ieremia (18, Petersburg) are young Alaskans who traveled with support from Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (a program of The Alaska Center Education Fund) to Washington, D.C., for its annual Youth Lobby Day.

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