Rural leaders seek solutions at climate change conference

MARY LOCHNER

June 05, 2008 at 9:29AM AKST

Rural Alaskans know firsthand about nearly every aspect of climate change.

“There’s deterioration of plants in our area that we smell rotting,” Scammon Bay City Manager James Akerelrea said.

“In the middle of winter, the driftwood that we gather, when it should be frozen on the ground, we’re seeing water underneath the driftwood,” he added.

Akerelrea also said he’s concerned about how fuel costs will affect the people of Scammon Bay.

That’s why, on May 28-30, Akerelrea went to the Alaska Municipal League Communities Conference on Climate Change in Anchorage. He was searching for solutions from among the pack of climate-change experts and fellow public officials.

In addition, he wanted to share Scammon Bay’s efforts to thrive in changing environmental and economic conditions.

Denali Commission energy project manager Kathy Prentki advised rural residents to prioritize projects that conserve the most energy, even if they’re not the flashiest.

Projects like the wind farm at Kotzebue and a geothermal plant at Chena Hot Springs can create a lot of buzz, but for some communities, Prentki said, upgrading existing diesel systems will save more fuel and money than investing in alternative energy.

“A lot of people want to have their renewable energy project that’s visible and exciting, but that’s not always the best thing to do with your money,” she said. “Everybody needs to think about what they need and can support in their community and not grab the first alternative energy project that comes by.”

Alternative energy projects can be a shelter against the looming threats posed by rising fuel costs, however. The Kotzebue wind farm began saving residents 23,965 gallons of diesel fuel per year in 1999 with the addition of new turbines. Kotzebue Electric Association, which operates the wind farm, plans to eventually provide all Kotzebue’s electricity exclusively through wind power, according to the company’s Website.

Other potential sources of alternative energy include tides, river dams and methane from garbage waste. In addition to diesel system upgrades, projects that conserve energy include home weatherization, installing efficient lighting and climate controls in buildings, recapturing heat byproducts and forming interties between villages to deliver energy more efficiently.

Solutions for a village’s fossil-fuel dependence can come with problems, however.

Construction costs in rural Alaska are high, and it can be difficult to operate heavy equipment on tundra, dirt roads and boardwalks.

Batteries for storing energy from alternative sources harbor chemicals that are toxic to people and the environment.

Tide and wind turbines can cause fish and bird fatalities, and dams can interrupt the life cycle of fish.

And even if an energy-saving project is determined to be a beneficial investment for a village, it can come with an intimidating price tag.

Funding sources can include grants from government and nonprofit agencies. Peter Crimp, a project manager for alternative energy and energy efficiency with Alaska Energy Authority, said projects are more likely to be funded when they have community backing and are supported by data.

The authority provides funds for energy-saving projects in rural Alaska in partnership with the Denali Commission.

“For a conservation project, we’d want to make sure you had an energy audit,” Crimp said, “Or at least some idea of what the benefits are going to be. The same would be true for renewable energy projects.”

He said that technical specialists are often needed on projects and that AEA or the University of Alaska is a good to start looking for technical support.

For some villages, the search for solid ground is as much a concern as the search for a stable energy future.

Stanley Tom, tribal administrator for Newtok Traditional Council, spoke at the conference on the planned relocation of his village to a site called Mertarvik on the northern tip of Nelson Island.

He said fall sea storms have increasingly threatened Newtok with flooding, turning it from a coastal village to a shrinking island off the coast for days at a time.

Flooding also washes honeybucket waste back into the village, endangering residents’ health.

Nearby rivers have already swallowed up a dumpsite, barge landing and drilling rig. He said he thinks the erosion that’s forced the massive relocation project is due to climate change.

Fairbanks North Star Borough assembly member Luke Hopkins said his hometown has made adapting to climate change a priority. The borough is using a template from an international group called ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to identify and prepare for impact from climate change. He said thawing permafrost and wildfires can cause harm to roads, buildings and residents.  

Margit Hentschel, director of climate protection services for Walsh Environmental in Denver Colorado, said investing in climate change preparation makes sense even if current models turn out to be less than spot on in predicting the future.

“It’s really just good planning and business,” she said. “A lot of the emergency preparedness — and that’s a big element — reinforces the things (local governments) should be doing anyway.”

Mary Lochner can be reached at (907) 348-2480 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 480.