Environmental Extremism in Alaska Shows Greens’ Talk is Cheap

June 21, 2022

So much talk is currently coming out of Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, regarding the need to establish domestic supply chains of critical and strategic minerals.  Currently imported in near-entirety from Communist China and elsewhere, these resources are used in every sector of technology.  Having their supply chains controlled by countries and leaders unfriendly (at best) to the United States is a fool’s errand. At any time, supplies could be curtailed and our nation would be in dire straits, with everything from military to agriculture to energy grids threatened.

The environmental movement would have you believe they care about sourcing the components domestically, as they are necessary to implement their vision for a ‘green’ technology shift away from traditional sources of energy, including coal, oil and gas.

However, talk is cheap, and their actions certainly suggest a completely different plan.  Why else would they fight Alaska’s projects and prospects that could help supply American manufacturing plants with resources for their desired transition?  Look no further than the tens (if not hundreds) of millions of dollars and incredible amounts of mis-information opposing the Pebble Mine, which would supply copper, molybdenum, rhenium and gold in world-class supplies. 

The mine’s opponents have waged a narrative of fear against Pebble, even though the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ studies and environmental impact statement are clear that the mine poses little threat to the massive Bristol Bay salmon fishery.

A newer – but just as puzzling – fight has erupted over the Ambler Mining District and an access road to deposits of strategic minerals that could supply massive amounts of necessary resources, rather than requiring imports. 

Those same radical environmental groups are mobilized to thwart those efforts, and now are turning toward the West Susitna mining district in Southcentral Alaska as well.

Each of these projects would employ Alaskans, bring regional economic opportunity not currently available, provide for local, state and federal royalties, and – in what should be most important to the ‘green’ movement – source components for their desired goals.

It is clear from environmentalists’ actions that they don’t really care about walking their talk, and that’s a shame, as their hypocrisy is negatively impacting Alaska and America, and putting our nation at risk of unnecessary supply disruptions in the future.