As Eco-Extremists “Cork” Murkowski, They Hypocritically Disregard Fossil Fuel and Mined Product Usage and Increased Carbon Footprint

June 14, 2019

A recent article from Alaska Public Media focused on a new way anti-development zealots are targeting the proposed gold- and copper-rich Pebble deposit:  By mailing “corks” – used at tops of fishing nets for flotation – to the Senator’s Washington, D.C. office.

The hypocrisy of the environmental movement has never been more evident than with this action.

First of all, the corks are generally made from either Styrofoam or a combination of polymers, all of which are petroleum based, which require both mined materials and other fossil-fuel-based equipment to produce.  Nothing like protesting development of a resource by writing on other resource-based products with a marker (another product of a process begun with fossil fuel extraction), right?

The story notes that used corks are in abundance in fishing areas (“The corks are everywhere. I mean, you can find old corks on the beach, in the grass, and then in these boatyards…,” said Nels Ure, in Naknek), which begs the question about how fishermen really value the waters they fish in, since old corks can be washed out to sea and pollute fishing grounds, breeding areas and the like.

Even if we give the aggressors credit for possibly minimizing pollution from old corks, let’s not forget that they are then mailing them to the Senator’s office, which, from Anchorage, is over 3,300 air miles.  Although the corks aren’t exactly heavy, their bulk will require additional cargo capacity, versus a letter or other packaging.  Is there an additional carbon footprint for the air travel between cities?  I’d expect most people to answer “yes”.

Finally, the extremists forget that – until boats and processing plants can be powered with renewable energy to replace combustion engines – their entire livelihood involves using fossil-fuel and mined products in every facet of their profession.  A worldwide lack of copper is one of the main inhibitors holding up enhancements and technology to increase green-powered engines.  Pebble has a world-class deposit, but to the fishermen and others “corking” the Senator, hypocrisy is secondary to emotion.

Here’s hoping the Alaska delegation finds their collective voice to support the process that Pebble – and all new mines in the US – must go through in order to be built, and reject the extremist position that somehow, some way, Pebble should be denied their right to a fair process.

Power The Future supports Alaska’s energy workers, their future opportunities for continued responsible development, and the right of companies across this great nation to have the ability to make their business case using established processes, and not be thwarted by the whims of the environmental extremists who would rather obstruct and whine than work for a brighter future for America.