As I reflect back on this class and our guest speakers, a common theme comes to mind, “Change”. As with anything, it’s going to occur. Change is inevitable. It can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the circumstances. As a child in the early 1920’s, my grandmother and her siblings witnessed the first airmail delivery to her hometown McGrath, Alaska. Ben Eielson represented change and a dream come true for this community. Little did she know that her siblings and eventually her own children, grandchildren, and many other relatives would become aviation pilots or employed in the aviation industry. Residents could look forward to fast, regular service in transportation of people, goods, and supplies in the interior. No longer did they have to wait 20-days for mail to be delivered by dog sled. Having items in a timely manner is a huge difference, but it comes at a cost. With fuel prices going sky high, passenger and freight costs have increased tremendously. Rural residents are caught in the middle trying to live a rural/subsistence lifestyle with today’s high prices of fuel. Energy alternatives need to be considered. Solar, wind, and water projects need to be brought in to the rural areas of our state. They may be costly projects to start up, but the pay offs in the long run would make it worthwhile. With rising costs in rural Alaska, people are abandoning this lifestyle to move to the city where there are jobs and reasonable costs of goods and services. The emotional and psychological toll this takes on a family can be excessive and evident in numerous ways in our community. Be pro-active and don’t wait to deal with the energy issues. By waiting to intervene, problems escalate. Let’s get the ball rolling and work from the preventive standpoint!
Deb Winkelman
WOW! Let me be the first to congratulate you on a well-written and thought-provoking blog!! Way to go! I could feel your passion and emotions. The best writing comes from the heart!
ReplyDeleteTom T.
That is neat to hear your family history in Alaska. It is interesting to hear how the airline industry has transformed Alaska. You mentioned with the rising costs in rural Alaska, people are abandoning this life style to move to the city where there are jobs and reasonable costs of goods and services. It is true that there is a movement to move to the city but at the same time I think it is important to recognize that there is a significant population (majority) of Alaska Natives who will stay in their communities and not abandon their lifestyle. Ethan Berkowitz mentioned that the decisions we make are not always based on economics (US investment in space exploration as an example). There will always be a significant part of the Alaska Native population that remains in the Native communities of Alaska and for that reason I would echo the sentiment you shared about the need of developing renewable resources to make it economical to live in rural Alaska.
ReplyDeleteMatthew G