Living in the North has its benefits and for the most part it’s a healthy place to live. One unique health factor is our overwhelming consumption of seafood, enjoying the highest per capita consumption of fish and shellfish of any state in the union. Seafood provides incredible nutritional value, with its high protein content, heart [...]
Alaskan’s have become increasingly aware of the relationship of mercury and guidelines for fish consumption. Much of this awareness is the result of efforts made by activists like Dr. Jane Hightower MD, who recently had her book Diagnosis Mercury: Money, Politics, and Poison published. State public health officials continue to emphasize how important the benefits [...]
As an arctic state, it is recognized that Alaska will bear the significant effects of climate change. Extensive beach erosion and disappearing lakes offer clues of coming change. The state worldview of the issue is at times tenuous. While many leaders here deny even the existence of climate change, most will concede change is underway. [...]
A group of three organizations, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Archives and Records Administration and citizen science association Zooniverse have joined forces to transcribe weather data from historic ship logs. The US Navy, Coast Guard and Revenue Cutter log books date from the 1850s into the 1940s. They represent an extensive record [...]
Research Geologist Bruce Molnia of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has authored a comprehensive report on the condition of glaciers in Alaska that bears an obvious title The Glaciers of Alaska . Glaciers are ubiquitous features of the Alaskan landscape and contribute to our mental image of the Great Land. A disturbing conclusion for [...]
Researchers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the University of Washington Seattle have completed a comprehensive survey that shows dramatic Arctic sea ice thinning between the years of 2004 to 2008. The once dominant and thicker multi-year ice is being supplanted by thinner seasonal ice. Data for the study was provided by [...]
