Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau
Clock approaches midnight for Congress to renew this oil industry tax
As the New Year approaches, time is ticking down for Congress to renew an excise tax collected on domestic barrels of oil. The money goes into a government trust used for oil spill cleanup and prevention. Listen now
Alaska Christmas trees: backyard charm or out-of-state beauty?
This year, the Governor’s Mansion is decorated for the holidays with a Sitka spruce tree from the Tongass National Forest. But Alaskans in the capital city aren’t just decking the halls with local greenery. Listen now
Wolves and logging both cut into Prince of Wales deer
This deer season has been the worst in recent memory for a lot of hunters on Prince of Wales Island. Large-scale industrial logging has damaged important winter habitat, and some locals believe a rapidly growing wolf population is also devouring the deer. Listen now
Tongass in transition: Striking a chord with old growth trees
Alaska Specialty Woods uses salvaged trees to make instrument tops, which are shipped all around the world. This sustainable company still wants the timber industry to stick around.
Tongass in transition: An uncertain future for Alaska’s last big mill
Logging old growth trees in the Tongass National Forest was supposed to be phased out. The owner at Viking Lumber has struggled to see a future where the business could survive. But this past year has restored some hope. Listen now
Talking Trash: You bought it. You tossed it. Rural towns struggle shipping it out
A lot of hazardous waste shouldn’t be tossed in a landfill. So at great expense, small municipalities are stuck trying to fix the problem. Listen now
Murkowski moves forward with legislation to nix Tongass plan
Congress could be one step closer to undoing a U.S. Forest Service decision to end old growth logging in the Tongass National Forest. Listen now
Tracing social unrest in ancient Egypt to a volcanic eruption in Alaska
"People recall a time in the past when there was widespread famine," said Joseph Manning, a professor at Yale University. But the ancient civilization didn't know it was caused by eruptions halfway around the world. Listen now
One Arctic species is listed, one isn’t. Did politics play a role?
Two of the Arctic’s most iconic animals, polar bears and walrus, face challenges with retreating sea ice. But they haven't been granted the same federal protections. Listen now
Congress could decide fate of Tongass plan to move away from old-growth timber
Conservationists and timber industry groups thought the Forest Service’s decision was finalized last year. But now Congress has a chance to weigh in. Listen now
This Juneau homeowner’s energy savings afforded the ultimate way to beat the chill
Heat pumps are nothing new. But upgrades over the past 30 years have made the systems a lot more reliable. Now Juneau installers are racing to keep up with growing demand. Listen now
Environmental group to sue Trump administration over Pacific walrus
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service declined to grant protections for the Pacific walrus. Now the Trump administration may have to answer in court. Listen now
Are Pacific walruses adapting to warming? Feds say no need for more protections
"If the Fish & Wildlife Service had protected the Pacific walrus from threats of climate change, the Trump administration would have to admit that climate change is real," Shaye Wolf with the Center for Biological Diversity said. Listen now
State rejects teen climate change petition
The commissioner at the state's Department of Environmental Conservation said the request posed “significant consequences for employment and resource development." Listen now
How much could electric vehicles put the brakes on Alaska’s oil economy?
As more people move away from gasoline powered cars, the big players in the oil industry have started to pay attention -- and that includes Alaska. Listen now
Alaska could become climate change refuge for tropical fish
Researchers from the University of Washington used 80 years of data to figure out how much warming fish could withstand. They discovered fish in the tropics are already living in water at the upper end of their threshold. Listen now
For third year in a row, Alaska seabirds wash up dead
For the third year in a row, seabirds are washing up dead along the coastline in Alaska. Hundreds of birds have been discovered along a stretch of the Bering Sea, on the Pribilof Islands and as far north as Deering.Listen now
Alaska teens ask state to stop delaying action on climate change
The teens hand delivered a petition to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, asking for reduced carbon emissions and a strategy moving forward. Listen now
One man’s quest to find Glacier Bay’s ecological Holy Grail
William S. Cooper left directions from over 100 years ago. But rediscovering the lost research plots in Glacier Bay required an epic adventure. Listen now
How oyster milkshakes and teamwork are getting Alaska’s shellfish safely to market
There was an uptick in paralytic shellfish poisoning this summer. But scientists think the future of oyster farming in Alaska still looks bright. Listen now