Why Native Alaskans Support Shell’s Arctic Drilling

gCaptain ^ | August 6, 2015 | Paul Barrett

[artichokegrower]

Activists trying to stop Shell’s offshore oil drilling in the U.S.’s Arctic Ocean region invoke the interests of native Alaskans. “These communities depend on this environment for food and resources and have stewarded it for centuries,” Greenpeace says, as part of its “The People vs. Shell” campaign—what the group describes as possibly “the most important fight in environmental history.”

A lot of native Alaskans, including many who live along the state’s North Slope, would prefer that Greenpeace mind its own business.

[artichokegrower]

“It reeks of the paternalistic past when the state of Alaska was plundered by people from Washington and elsewhere who coveted our resources,” Brower wrote. “But instead of whales, fish, or timber, as it was in those days, it’s wilderness areas and romantic notions of what the Arctic should be that continue to drive outsiders to glibly advocate for limiting resource development.”

Come on you can't talk sense to rich liberal environmentalists.

[knarf]

Last night at the school board meeting I was hit in the face with the reality ...

NONE of these frikkin' people are parents !

The teachers are all young with no kids or unmarried.

I'm formulating a scathing speech for the next public input session.

[Yo-Yo]

Because each and every native Alaskan gets a check each year from the state’s oil royalties. More oil = more money.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The same thing is also happening with oil and coal on the Indian reservations here in the “lower 48.” It ain’t lookin’ good for the haters.

[thackney]

They only real concern the North Slope natives have put up is fear the seismic operations would interfere with the whale hunting.

[thackney]

Because each and every native Alaskan gets a check each year from the state’s oil royalties.

You don't have to be native. I got that check for 4 years. Just be there Jan 1 to Jan 1 with limited travel time "outside".

The majority of the check is from the return on investments of the massive Permanent Fund. Last time I checked the oil portion was around 20% IIRC.

[KC_Lion]

Alaska Ping!

[SevenofNine]

My Alaskan natives relative they totally hate Greepeace and PETA with PASSION

My aunt told me she saw Pam Anderson in Alaska she would deck her

[SevenofNine]

Yeah that other little secret more oil royalites more money

[thackney]

At a fur auction in Anchorage, I saw a sign like:

[MayflowerMadam]

I worked for Shell Exploration (SWEPI) in Anchorage in the ‘90s. The natives always have supported oil drilling. They despise Greenpeace. Besides, they know that the oil companies are diligent when it comes to the environment. One of my duties was to accumulate data on wildlife. When one of the Shell ships or barges spotted any critter, no matter how bid or small, it was transmitted to the office, and I reported it to some government agency via encrypted fax. The environmental whack jobs never pass on this information.

A bit off topic, but after the Valdez oil spill there were bumper stickers, “Hazelwood for Governor”. The oil spill created hundreds, maybe thousands, of jobs for Alaskans.

They’re like all Americans in that they need money to survive.

[Jet Jaguar]

Alaska ping.

Last one from me. I have moved. If anyone is interested in adopting the ping list, please let me know.