David Fickling’s “Sunset for oil is no longer just talk” should be read by all Alaskans. Fickling outlines why Shell, “a company having genuine doubts about the long-term future of its core business,” may not just be talking about evolving into the next generation of energy but managing their company with an eye to a future that doesn’t run totally on oil. What a novel idea. It is my sincere hope our government officials, both elected and public employees, can lay aside the short-term $3,000 vs $1,600 PFD issue for a moment to contemplate the broader picture. Big Oil and Alaska are totally dependent on the notion that the world will endlessly increase their consumption of oil.
Fickling’s article strongly suggests we — oil companies and those who are dependent on them — need to wean ourselves off oil as we explore, develop and utilize oil-less energy alternatives. In my humble opinion, this is exactly the scenario the creators of the Permanent Fund intended their work to address.
— Patricia Linville
Seward
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