Question:
It said about 55,000 jobs, including those in commercial and sport
fishing, tourism, recreation and hunting, depended on an unspoilt
environment - more than twice those in the petroleum, mining and
construction industries.
Answer:
Of course very little of that tourism, commercial, and sport fishing takes
place on the North Slope.
I suppose these numbers are recent ones i.e. post-Exxon Valdez numbers which
shows that even with that tragedy, the environment is resilient.
Since we know we have recovered much oil from the North Slope already, it is
nice to know also that these industries can successfully coexist.
How many MORE jobs would Alaska have in the oil, mining, and construction
industries - if all the "wilderness" designations ended tomorrow?
FWIW, Alaska is a (very) job-poor state. During the 1981 recession,
unemployment offices here in North Carolina had signs warning that practically
no jobs were to be had in Alaska - other than for certified EMTs, police, and
firefighters. There just aren't that many total jobs there for your
comparison!
I admit that I have a skewed view of Alaska. I lived in Anchorage for a year
back in the 50's. So far as I am concerned, it was a cold, miserable
mosquite-ridden place and I never want to return.
I don't see it as this pristine wilderness that many do. I know that some saw
it as the last frontier as described in "The Face on the Barroom Floor" or
other romanticized poetry.
Certainly, I don't think it should be laid waste, but why shouldn't its assets
be used like those in the other 49. I believe there can be responsible use of
land and what it contains.
