Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau
Guitar maker opts for more sustainable Sitka spruce
A little piece of Alaska has helped create some of the music industry’s biggest hits. Sitka spruce is a prized “tonewood” used to make guitars and violins. But one guitar company is pushing back and asking the feds and music insiders to reconsider clear cut logging in the Tongass National Forest. Listen Now
Plugging in could become cheaper for Juneau’s electric vehicle owners
The price to plug in could become a little cheaper for electric vehicle owners in Juneau. That’s because the city’s privately-owned electric utility is trying to expand a program, aimed at shifting when those drivers juice their cars. Listen Now
New guidelines for Hawk Inlet draw criticism
Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation is working on new guidelines for Hawk Inlet — the location of Hecla’s Greens Creek Mine. Listen Now
Glacial fjords home to surprise coral, but maybe not for long
Most people wouldn't expect coral to thrive in Southeast Alaska. But it exists in the silty waters of glacial fjords. Now scientists are wondering if the coral, which serves as important fish habitat, could be in danger from an invisible threat — ocean acidification. Listen Now
As objection hearings wrap, countdown to new Tongass plan
The U.S. Forest Service wrapped up objection hearings Wednesday on a plan that could shape the future of timber in the Tongass National Forest. Listen Now
Squirmy sustainability: one man’s mission to fix a common problem
There’s nothing like taking a walk on Alaska’s pristine wilderness. Unless you step in something — unexpected along the way. For park goers, what dogs leave behind on the trail can be a sensitive topic. But one Juneau man has an unconventional solution he thinks could ease tensions and reduce waste, all at once. Listen Now
New Southeast atlas identifies valuable habitat and threats
Audubon Alaska recently released an atlas showing where the most valuable salmon streams and bird habitat are located in Southeast. It also identifies the biggest threats to those areas. Listen Now
One last chance to protest at the end of an era for the Tongass
The federal government is getting close to finalizing a plan that could shape the future of timber in the Tongass National Forest. Various stakeholders have given input through the years. But if the objection letters are any indication, several agencies and groups are still not content — for different reasons. Listen Now
Why Alaska utilities can build now, ask for rate increases later
Alaska’s privately owned electric utilities can’t increase their rates overnight. They first have to go through a process with the state’s regulatory commission to demonstrate a need. That’s what Juneau’s utility — AEL&P — is at the beginning stages of doing. But customers get little say about projects already on the books. Listen Now
A hydro license brings district heating one step closer in Juneau
After years of waiting, Juneau Hydropower Inc. was recently awarded a federal license for Sweetheart Lake Dam. It gives the company the go-ahead to start serious planning for a new multi-million dollar hydro facility. It could power a gold mine and supply heat to the downtown core of the capital city with an innovative system. Listen now
No range anxiety for Juneau electric car owners
If the capital city were a state, it ranks with places like California when it comes to the number of electric vehicles per capita on the road. And Juneau’s EVs owners love to show off. This past weekend, the quiet cars rolled into a local park so the public could take a glimpse.
As tiny homes take root, where do you park them in Alaska?
There might be a small solution to the capital city’s housing problem but it’s not without its roadblocks. A Juneau company is building its first tiny house on wheels to sell commercially and it intends to make more. The diminutive dwelling is crafted with reclaimed materials and locally-sourced wood.
NOAA announces some Alaska whales no longer endangered
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that most humpback whales will come off the endangered species list. And that means some whales that spend time in Alaska. Listen now
Gone glacier: fashion magazine depicts Mendenhall melt too soon
The magazine Marie Claire sent a team of journalists and fashionistas to the Mendenhall Glacier in the summer. The story that appeared in its September issue is called On Thin Ice: Can the Fashion Industry Help Save the Planet? But as first reported in the Juneau Empire, the magazine got a couple of key things wrong. Listen now
One People Canoe Society to paddle for Standing Rock Tribe to protest controversial pipeline
Members of the One People Canoe Society will travel this week from Alaska to North Dakota to paddle in protest over a controversial pipeline. Listen now
Forest service gives go ahead for Kuiu Island timber sale
An old growth timber sale recently announced in a Ketchikan newspaper has one conservation group scratching its head. That’s because this type of harvest — near valuable salmon streams — won’t be allowed in the future. Listen now
NASA keeps watch of shrinking Arctic ice
The future of monitoring Arctic ice begins in space. Listen now
As wildfires blaze, Southeast glaciers could be feeling the melt
Out on the glimmering white expanse of the Juneau ice field, a group of students and scientists work an assembly line of sorts. Listen now
Why students and scientists spend summer on ice
The Juneau Icefield Research Program has been around for 70 years. First, exploring the icy expanse. And later, tracking the rate Southeast glaciers are shrinking.
Unlikely allies: U.S. and Russia work together on walrus
A new federal database, created with over a century of information, shows where Pacific walruses haul out on both sides of the border. And that’s especially important as sea ice disappears and the animals spend more time on land. Listen now