Clean water to drink and clean air to breathe; healthy oceans, lakes, and rivers that are safe for fishing and swimming; flourishing ecosystems that support the wildlife we love and that fill our freezers; clean sources of energy that don’t pollute and never run out — all this should be the heritage we leave to future generations. Defending our environment requires independent research, tough-minded advocacy and spirited grassroots action. With supporters from all walks of life, Alaska Environment takes the kind of action that wins results. With a divided political landscape, it is more important than ever to find common ground around the environmental values so many Alaskans share. 

Clean Energy

Solar panels on Ursa Major Distilling in FairbanksPhoto by Dyani Chapman | TPIN

Renewable Energy:

For decades, we have had the power to harness clean, abundant energy from the sun and the wind. In 2024, it can be done more efficiently and cheaply than ever before. However, we’re still producing, consuming and wasting energy in ways that do lasting damage to our environment and our health. Both the state and communities within Alaska need to set aggressive requirements and goals to transition our energy systems towards clean and renewable sources of energy. Additionally, the state needs to ensure there is ample financial support and incentives for renewable energy projects. 

Clean Energy Homes:

Not only are electric technologies like heat pumps and induction stoves more efficient, they can also be powered by renewable energy like solar and wind rather than fossil fuels. Federal tax credits and rebates passed under the Inflation Reduction Act makes it easier and more affordable than ever to electrify our buildings. We need as many Alaska families and businesses as possible to take advantage of those credits and rebates to electrify their homes.

Destination Zero Carbon:

We can’t mitigate global warming or reduce air pollution without moving away from a transportation system that relies on congested roads and polluting cars. We need more options like expanded and improved rail, ferry and bus systems, more electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and better walking and biking paths. The Alaska Department of Transportation should set a goal for freight and transportation to be free of greenhouse gas pollution by 2050. Communities and regions should take advantage of federal funds to move our transportation infrastructure toward a sustainable and pollution-free system.  

Zero Waste

Marine debris in Kodiak AlaskaPhoto by Gruscana | CC-BY-2.0

We have to stop trashing our planet. Every day, we extract natural resources to produce goods that are used — often just for a few minutes or days or months — before they’re thrown into landfills, incinerators, or the natural environment. To protect wildlife and their habitat, conserve natural resources, and address climate change, we need to reduce consumption, ensure products are built to last, and shift policies toward a system where all materials are reused, recycled or composted in a continuous cycle.

Right to Repair:

When something breaks, you fix it. That’s just common sense. But manufacturers of everything from phones to appliances to tractors intentionally make things difficult to repair, forcing us to buy new replacements too often. For example, Alaskans dispose of 800 cell phones per day, and only 15 to 20 percent of electronic waste is recycled in the U.S. E-waste is full of toxic materials that contaminate our water, soil, and air. This is a particularly significant issue for communities in rural Alaska who use unlined landfills and practice burning to reduce volume. We are working to tackle planned obsolescence through corporate action, and pass legislation to make sure consumers and small businesses have access to the parts, tools and service information they need to repair products so we can keep things in use longer and reduce waste.

Wildlife Over Waste:

Plastic pollution is a major issue for Alaska’s waterways and coasts. Everyday people are throwing away tons of single-use cups, containers and other plastic “stuff.” Plastic and microplastics persist in the environment for hundreds of years and are associated with harm to wildlife, public health, and marine ecosystems. Nothing we use for a few minutes should be allowed to pollute our oceans and rivers and threaten wildlife for centuries. 

Conservation

A bear catches salmon in KodiakPhoto by Lisa Hupp/USFWS | Public Domain

More Wildlife and Intact Ecosystems:

From the Bering Sea to the caribou roaming north of the Brooks Range to the temperate rainforests of southeast and whales gracing our coasts, our state is home to one of the largest arrays of priceless landscapes, waterways, and wildlife. And yet, pollution and development threaten this abundance. New projects must be thoughtfully and fully considered to ensure they maintain cleanliness of our water, connectivity of habitat for wildlife, and the health of our ecosystems. Along with a variety of other advocacy groups, we’ve established principles for good infrastructure investments and will work to ensure that as we build, we protect and care for the land, water, and wildlife we love and rely on. We must prevent pollution at the source and keep our healthy ecosystems thriving. 

Improve Resiliency of Marine Ecosystems:

Many of Alaska’s offshore ecosystems are struggling with collapsing populations of salmon, crab, and herring. Fishery management needs to be nimble and quickly responsive to changes in ocean temperature, acidity, and other impacts of climate change. Bycatch, especially from trawl fleets in sensitive systems, needs to be curtailed sufficiently for struggling populations to rebound. Additionally, we must protect marine ecosystems from other human activities that can disrupt systems including drilling offshore and mining in headwaters. 

No Toxics on Tap:

Everyone deserves clean water to drink. But many Alaskans are drinking water tainted by toxic chemicals called PFAS, which are linked to cancer and other severe illnesses. We’re supporting legislation and corporate action to stop the use of PFAS in consumer products, clean up contamination in our water and communities, and to hold industry accountable for damage they have caused.