U of A Professor Loses Federal Grant Money for Being Too Mavericky.
15 02 2009The first time I heard Univeristy of Alaska professor Rick Steiner speak was in 2006. He gave a brilliant and passionate presentation entitled “War and the Environment,” and was preparing to travel to the Niger Delta to participate in a damage assessment of the world’s most severely petroleum-impacted ecosystem. Whatever area of the brain houses the little part that says “I will follow you half way around the world and do whatever you tell me” was lit up like a Christmas tree after I heard him speak. I had to resist the urge to go all saucer-eyed, point my arms forward, lock my knees and zombie walk behind him all the way to Africa to save the world. I managed to snap out of it, and while I did not abandon my life and follow Prof. Steiner to the Niger Delta, I have had the pleasure of meeting him and listening to lectures of his several times since. This I tell you; he is the real deal, and a true environmental advocate in every sense of the word.
That said, I was completely dismayed when this came to my attention a couple days ago.
Despite the fact that Bush has left office, the federal government’s energy exploration apparatus is still living up to its Bush-era pro-industry reputation. Indeed, new documents released by the advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) today show that Professor Rick Steiner, a marine scientist at the University of Alaska, is set to lose his federal funding for opposing the Bush administration’s industry-friendly policies.
The North Aleutian Basin Energy-Fisheries Initiative, an oil exploration public relations program funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sea Grant is supposed to be a ’neutral’ organization. What Steiner recognized as an obvious “pro-business slant” caused him to write an open letter which drew attention to this fact. The letter in part read:
UAF and Sea Grant, however, have failed to take the steps necessary for creating a neutral, objective, and participatory dialogue on the issue of offshore oil and gas leasing in Bristol Bay. The North Aleutian Basin Energy-Fisheries Initiative is highly biased towards the interests most supportive of offshore oil and gas development in the region and has minimized the opportunity for participation by others, especially by those who live in the Bristol Bay region.
NOAA, then struck back by announcing its intention of pulling grant funding reserved for Steiner, and cited as their reason that he was not “neutral.” So, the non-neutral agency cuts off funding for the person who points out that they are not neutral by accusing him of not being neutral. This is the government’s version of the playground retort “I know you are but what am I?” only, in this case, the one with the unconvincing comeback is not only dead wrong, but also has the power of the purse.
From a piece that aired on KTUU:
Back in March of last year the University of Alaska and the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put on a workshop on the effects of oil development in Bristol Bay. Among those who paid for the forum, the oil industry itself. University of Alaska professor Rick Steiner was among those speaking out against it, calling the University and NOAA biased.
“They are simply terminating my federal funding. and again, the amount is not significant; the principle is utterly significant,” said Steiner.
Steiner says the funding cut amounts to a gag order, and through a public records request found documents from the head of the University’s School of Fisheries upset with Steiner, calling him a “maverick.”
(Hey, wait a minute….in Alaska, isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?)
Obviously, criticism of bias, and advocacy for greater ocean protection is off-limits for the University and NOAA if it ruffles the feathers of the oil industry, and challenges their plans for offshore development in Bristol Bay with or without the blessing of the people who actually live there.
“Let’s be honest about it,” said Steiner. “Essentially universities can be as mercenary as any private large corporation.”
And we all know about trusting the good will of corporations, and oil interestes vs. fighting for sustainable fisheries. That usually doesn’t turn out too well.
And kudos to Phil Munger at Progressive Alaska for writing his own open letter to University of Alaska President, Mark Hamilton, who commented recently to the House Finance Committee who said of the University students who spoke out against development, “You can hope, as I do, that these students will mature over time.” He must have gotten his degree in condescension.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:44 AM
sorry pzwindy person
February 15th, 2009 at 8:46 AM
it saddens my heart that the evildoers suppress those that do good.
this sad news will follow me through my Sunday.
February 15th, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Fawskin: ” It saddens my heart that the evildoers suppress those that do good.
this sad news will follow me through my Sunday.”
There is work to be done. Write NOAA. Expose this to a wider audience as AKM has laid the base to do so. Put the problem in front of the larger populace. The UofA after all does depend on the goodwill of the American people. You just have to play their game better than they do. Digg it Buzz it up and let this go viral. Time to get MAD!
February 15th, 2009 at 9:58 AM
reddit.com is a good one.
February 15th, 2009 at 10:05 AM
from UA’s office of the president bio: “Hamilton received a BS degree from the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, a master’s degree in English literature from Florida State University, and graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College in Virginia, and the U. S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. As Commander for the U. S. military group in El Salvador, he was largely responsible for negotiating (all in Spanish) an end to the 12-year civil war in El Salvador. In Somalia, his negotiations with warlords resulted in a window of tranquility that enabled the removal of the U. S. 10th Division. In Brussels, he advised the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe on NATO planning concerning the former republic of Yugoslavia. During his military career he was twice assigned to Alaska.
After 31 years of service to this nation, Mark Hamilton retired as a Major General with the U. S. Army in July of 1998. Just prior to accepting the chief leadership position of the university, Hamilton was in charge of recruiting for the entire United States Army during the time of the “Be all you can be” era.
Since accepting the presidency of the University, President Hamilton has been appointed as: Commissioner, Denali Commission; Chair, Board of Directors of the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation; Member, Board of Directors of Alaska Air Group, Inc.; Member, Board of Directors of Alaska SeaLife Center; and Chair, Alaska Distance Education Technology Consortium. The Alaska Journal of Commerce has recognized Hamilton as one of the 25 Most Powerful Alaskans for the past 5 years.”
well no wonder the man is condescending. He’s a dyed-in-the-wool military careerist. No room for independent thought, critical thinking, no thesis-antithesis-synthesis allowed. only strategy and tactics. Wonder what his MA dissertation was about – the soldier poets of WWI who he’d see as too “mavericky”?
February 15th, 2009 at 10:15 AM
It is so sad for ALaska and the rest of the US that the environment of Alaska will be trashed and we will forever lose a pristine wilderness if Palin and her pals keep up with their agenda.
She was not elected for her fight against corruption.
She was elected to hide it and keep big business happy. That much is becoming so obvious.
The fact that she was chosen to be a VP candidate is really sad.
She is being used again and again and most likely doesn’t even know it.
Her pit bull attitude is a perfect cover for the corporations to hide behind
February 15th, 2009 at 10:23 AM
And this is why why Big Business and Republicans should never be allowed to gain any control over education in this country.
Heir first concern is controlling the message, if it requires censorship and Nazi style tactics to do so they have no qualms with that.
Good for you AKM for bringing this important issue out in the open.
By the way, a little off topic but also very important I would like to share that the struggles of rural Alaskans is the number one news story on the CNN website right now. And that is in no small part due to the attention AKM and the Mudflats visitors helped bring to that story.
February 15th, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Hopefully you realize that “Heir” was supposed to be “Their”. Oops!
February 15th, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Lets encourage some ’student power’. Aren’t students really motivated towards a better envronments these days?.
Some dinosaurs deserve to be extinct.
February 15th, 2009 at 10:47 AM
One can only hope that President Hamilton of Alaska University, will be educated at some point.
“Drill Baby Drill” obviously is still the mantra of the day.
I don’t know how to buzz or twitter, but I’ll learn.
this sux.
February 15th, 2009 at 11:02 AM
How about we all write to President Obama at whitehouse.gov and ask him to reverse this. Considering all he has on his plate right now, I doubt he even knows this is going on.
I just sent this message:
Please do something about this:
Despite the fact that Bush has left office, the federal government’s energy exploration apparatus is still living up to its Bush-era pro-industry reputation. Indeed, new documents released by the advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) today show that Professor Rick Steiner, a marine scientist at the University of Alaska, is set to lose his federal funding for opposing the Bush administration’s industry-friendly policies. If you want to know more go to: http://www.themudflats.net/2009/02/15/u-of-a-professor-loses-federal-grant-money-for-being-too-mavericky/#comments
If you want to send a message to Obama at the whitehouse.gov site, compose the message in a word processor first and keep in mind they have a 5,000 character limit. If you try to compose it on-line and hit the enter key, your message will be immediately sent.
February 15th, 2009 at 11:05 AM
This is probably a “left over of the failed policies of the last 8 yrs” a gift our out going prezident left us with, I would write to PO, and NOAA, this is exactly what bush would do, ace out people not in the corperate interest, of oil companies etc. You might want to contact RFK jr. also. Obviously no-one has told these “people” its not biz as usual anymore. Or “someone” told them no matter who was president it would be?
I doubt PO knows about this. But he needs to know.
February 15th, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Sort of on topic– last week Canadian media had this story from a European study, forcasting hurricane level storms in northern waters after ice clears.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/Beaufort+spot+volatile+weather/1257041/story.html
Excerpts:
“But a study recently published in the journal Climate Dynamics and showcased this week by Norway’s main climate research centre predicts significant increases in the number and intensity of Arctic storms in the Barents, Bering and Beaufort seas — each of which is being targeted by polar countries for future oil and gas drilling.
The study forecasts “large increases in the potential for extreme weather events” and warns that “commercial activities in the North (e.g. fisheries, oil industry and shipping) will become increasingly vulnerable” to severe polar low-pressure systems, described as the “Arctic cousins” of tropical hurricanes…
Arctic sea ice experienced a record melt in 2007, as the winter ice cover of 14 million square kilometres shrank to just over four million square kilometres between March and September that year. In 2008, the meltdown was slightly less severe but was still the second-biggest retreat in recorded history, and scientists have conclude that overall ice volume was lower in 2008 because of the widespread loss of older, thicker ice.
The Beaufort Sea is one of the most coveted and controversial targets in Canada’s northern economic strategy. Last year, Canadian and U.S. scientists collaborated on a seabed mapping mission aimed at extending the two countries’ control over petroleum-rich stretches of undersea territory. Canada has until 2013 to submit its formal claim under a UN treaty for planned Arctic Ocean and Atlantic Ocean extensions to the country’s continental shelf.
At the same time, however, Canada and the U.S. are embroiled in a territorial dispute over an 11,000-square-kilometre section of the Beaufort along the Alaska-Yukon maritime boundary.
Last June, after a federal government auction of oil and gas exploration rights in a 202,000-hectare section of the Beaufort Sea, it was announced that the British oil giant BP had secured the licence with a bid of nearly $1.2 billion — the single largest amount ever committed to search for oil and gas in Canada.”
Somewhere I think I saw a story relating this to Alaskan fisheries, but can’t find it again.
February 15th, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Here are the metric to square mile calculations for the climate change story:
14 MM sq km = 5,405,430 sq mi
4MM sq km = 1,544,408 sq mi
11000 sq km = 4247 sq mi (disputed boundary)
20200 sq km = 780 sq mi (offshore land sold to BP)
February 15th, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Rick Steiner is like the salmon swimming up stream in are political system. Its a very challenging dance, fighting for clean water and habitat protection, while protecting your academia funding.
Our waters are getting polluted, the water table level is getting lower, and the chemistry of the oceans is dramatically changing. THis is common knowledge. UAF ands UAA get lots of funding from the oil industry, and work together on many grants and programs that support the oil industry.
Documented Changes to the Oceans PH are very very very alarming!!! Alaska is at the frontline with this growing awareness in America. Should we advocate more drilling for national defense, or renewables to save the world. Drilling is easy except for those pesky environmentalist. Mark Hamilton is clearly setting the stage with his conservative actions. Rick is hardly a radical environmentalist, he specks with the truth. Its are academia that is behind the ball on this one.
We can hope for a quick change in the political conciseness. The effects of burning fossil fuels that releases gases into are atmosphere, and then absorbed into are oceans can no longer be denied . Logical thinking clearly points out that the Palin administration, is in the polar opposites of basic simple science regarding the planets welfare.
Are political pro oil agenda (war machine spending mindset) in Alaska and the USA for the most part, are become ever more greasy with their fight on science, weather it be biologic or climate in nature. It’s a shame to see our top environment advocates get there funding cut because they speak passionately and publicly about global truths. My fear is that more than funding will be cut, as America becomes more in-gauged in protecting the planet. The powers that be don’t like to change.
America is more of a NASCAR nation, still spinning its wheels. Unless we create more of a public outreach campaign that supports scientific thinking, and solutions for creating a steady state of cohabitation on the planet, we might go the way of the buffalo.
February 15th, 2009 at 11:38 AM
katieBgood-sent your letter to PO, also went to “riverkeepers” RFKjr is chairperson there, but he started the group and emailed them, same letter +plus snippets from AKM blog about NOAA and Bristol Bay. Here is their email: info1@waterkeeper.org
I am sure that most of these corporations are hoping no-one has a clue that there is a “new sheriff in town” and they think they can operate “bizness as usual” as they have been for the last 8 years. I DON’T THINK SO!!!
February 15th, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Drat! I noted the BP sale land wrong- 202000 hectares is is 2020 sq km is 780 square miles.
February 15th, 2009 at 11:42 AM
It’s so discouraging to see things are still “politics as usual” with the rich and greedy running roughshod over the poor and downtrodden. I pray that with time, our President’s policies will take over nation-wide; I pray, even more, that his servant’s heart will spread to every person in the land.
February 15th, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Why not send to change.gov, they will respond?
February 15th, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Sorry instead of Riverkeeper, it should of been “Waterkeeper Alliance”
February 15th, 2009 at 12:16 PM
@Diane(10:15:21) :
It is so sad for ALaska and the rest of the US that the environment of Alaska will be trashed and we will forever lose a pristine wilderness if Palin and her pals keep up with their agenda.
——
You have two choices: either we can responsibly develop our resources to make money or we can keep getting money from the federal govt. to pay for our needs. Pick one.
February 15th, 2009 at 12:26 PM
The last bastion of free speech!!
That sucks!!
February 15th, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Is Bush going to be blamed for everything Obama’s administration does to tick his voters off for the next 4 or 8 year?
I’m seeing this trend of denial happening across the nation, it’s disturbing.
February 15th, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Reposted from last thread re: TROLLS from White noise insanity:
Don’t be afraid. It’s not only here at White Noise Insanity do the trolls look like this. They’re all morbid and vile. They’re completely harmless, though, because in actuality, they have no IQ’s, live under the front porch of the RNC, and only come out for a few seconds to spew their vile crap, in the hopes someone will pay attention to them, because they thrive on the attention, because they get none from their parents (which is so weird because most of them are sleeping with their parents!). Sooo….
February 15th, 2009 at 1:12 PM
I attended the oil/gas/fisheries forums convened by the Univ. and they were very balanced and informative. I thought it was appropriate that Shell folks were there, as they as are the ones interested in oil/gas development in the Aleutian/Bristol Bay area – our nation’s biggest ‘fish basket.’ The fact that Shell contributed to the forum didn’t bother me – why shouldn’t they help pay for an informational gathering, along with all the other participants. I am not pro-oil, but I applaud any attempts to share information, ask questions, etc. I believe Rick Steiner is off the mark with his criticisms of the University, Sea Grant and the informational forums.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:31 PM
So here are places to contact with concerns about this latest attack on the environment:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
That one seems like the best way to get the information in front of President Obama quickly. As someone else pointed out, best to compose your message and then paste it in, but I love it that we have a way to send things directly to the President. And yes, I know that someone on the other end of our sent messages will be reading and filtering them, but the more that are received, the better the chance that they will see that the issue isn’t one that only one person has thought important. I think, too, that it’s important to compose that message carefully, run spell-check and check the facts before hitting send. The quickest way for something to be ignored or dismissed is by sending something that is not well thought out.
The other site someone mentioned:
http://www.change.org/
is a “social action network where you can learn about causes, connect to good people and non-profits, take action”. It’s not a direct link to the President, but probably is a good place to contact as well.
Sending something directly to the White House might get some action more quickly because the President has the ability to move faster than a group of people trying to get the word out and then having to work through the government red-tape.
Pat
February 15th, 2009 at 1:40 PM
Just a human in akNo Gravatar (12:33:13) :
Is Bush going to be blamed for everything Obama’s administration does to tick his voters off for the next 4 or 8 year?
I’m seeing this trend of denial happening across the nation, it’s disturbing.
——-
Is there a point to your question and comment? If so, enlighten me.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Sooooo….I wonder if she got a per deim for being in Fairbanks yesterday?
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/feb/15/palin-speaks-lincoln-day-dinner/
February 15th, 2009 at 1:46 PM
As for me, I m not surprised, this is why I m allowing my daughter to attend college out of state.
It is like this throughout UAA, we dont have a voice there.
Just because people leave the UAA system, it doesnt mean they dont go out to succeed. I am almost done with my Junior year and working through WWU, to complete my degree. Had I remained in Alaska I would have another 2 years , spread out over 4,, of.. “not being able to fully state my mind”. It will take a lot to change. As long as the government is set up the way it is, that is how it will be.
It would take a miracle for it to change.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:06 PM
I applaud Rick for standing up for what is right. He is intelligent and thoughtful. But, like everyone, he has had to make his choices between ideology and practicality. While employed by SeaGrant for many years, and later by U of A, Rick has done a difficult job of balancing keeping his job and leading environmental causes. The U of A owns lands in Icy Bay that has been strip logged for years. Icy Bay was famous for two things: logging and huge Dungeness crab. Haven’t had crabbing there for several years now. The U of A undoubtedly uses this and other monies for it’s payroll of professors. But what’s a person of conscience to do in this day and age?
I should hope our institutions of higher learning can allow within their ranks many different biases. No one, no institution, no corporation that is composed of humans, can be non-biased. Let’s recognize, reveal, and accept biases for what they are, and move on, having gotten as much information as possible to make a reasoned decision. And still be able to keep our jobs, grants, and self respect.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:19 PM
EatWildFish (13:12:42) :
I attended the oil/gas/fisheries forums convened by the Univ. and they were very balanced and informative. I thought it was appropriate that Shell folks were there, as they as are the ones interested in oil/gas development in the Aleutian/Bristol Bay area – our nation’s biggest ‘fish basket.’ The fact that Shell contributed to the forum didn’t bother me – why shouldn’t they help pay for an informational gathering, along with all the other participants. I am not pro-oil, but I applaud any attempts to share information, ask questions, etc. I believe Rick Steiner is off the mark with his criticisms of the University, Sea Grant and the informational forums.
__________________________________________________
Perhaps I missed something in AKM’s posting, but it sounded like that forum was funded only by pro-oil development organizations, and not a mix of view points. I don’t have any problem with a mix of funding either- if the mix guarantees both sides are heard. If the grant was pulled because Professor Steiner was not neutral (did his research lead him to conclusions that are not neutral?)- does that mean that the pro-oil interests are only going to fund individuals who will come up with conclusions that pro-development would approve of?
I would like to know the purpose of the grant, and its parameters, before deciding that Professor Steiner “is off the mark”.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:23 PM
CRFlats (14:06:26)
Thank you for the additional information. That helps a lot; I didn’t realize the funding was so complex- take their money, support their view, I suppose.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:28 PM
This really disturbs me. My son received his BS from UAF, and my daughter-in-law is currently working on her Masters there. I’ll inform them of this, ask their support and advice and get back.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Ignore “Just a human in ak” – mild troll
Never says anything constructive, jumps in occasionally to make a stupid post, belittling someone or something either on topic or off. Ho Hum.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Looking for CalifPat
CalifPat,
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I still have 7 families that need to be adopted. IF anyone is interested please email me.
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Nunam Iqua Food Drive
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Nunam Iqua, AK 99666
nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com
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February 15th, 2009 at 3:23 PM
@ CO almost native (14:23:39) : Keeping one’s income and spending “pristine” is nigh on to impossible in this day and age. I wouldn’t hold anyone to that high standard. But it is important to at least know what is what and acknowledge it. We all support clean environments, local hire, buy-American, and abhor badly managed mining, logging, coal plants, child labor. Yet few are willing to give up our vehicles, cheap Chinese and Indian manufactured child labor derived items, rare, beautiful wood furniture, and inexpensive energy. It is important to be allowed the facts (follow the money) to make an informed decision on how we derive and spend our money. The inconvenient truths get clouded by the reassuring lies.
February 15th, 2009 at 3:35 PM
WE had a major Science Form in Homer about 10-12 years ago at the Lands End Hotel. Lots of numbers and charts, speakers and well respected Dr’s. and professors of this and that were there. Most were in denial about climate change or were clearly conflicted because of there funding stream. Lots of Exxon money flowing back then.
Only one person spoke out with a passionate belief about the manmade causes of climate changes. Lucky for him he was already funded in the private sector working on solutions, with the coming coastal erosion issues cased by climate changes. It was made very clear that 98 % of the large academic body was not going to start crying wolf and support his scientific point of view, about a rapidly changing planet.
Allot can change in 12 years. Now we have definitive evidence proving the parallel curve of peek oil consumption and climate change effects. Only the CO2 that gets generated burning carbon, takes a years to get absorbed into the oceans. So that if we stopped all burning now, that damage will still be greater in coming decade.
I was a commercial fisherman for 20 years in Alaska. Mostly deep sea longlining for halibut and blackcod off shore on the schooners. We like to think that there will always be fish to catch, and are very crafty fishing in more productive ways every year. WE in Alaska for a large part have a belief that because we have relatively good management of are fisheries that are industry will always be productive. I’m still a optimist but I have a much clearer picture of reality now.
One delightful move about the changing chemistry of the oceans just got produced called, ” A SEA CHANGE, Imagine a world without fish”. http://www.aseachange.net/
America is way behind many countries in climate change studies. Are media is driven more by reality tv shows and supper power, I mean supper bowl beer drinking pastimes.
Another cool French climate change project, is that of the TARAEXPEDITION. http://www.taraexpeditions.org/en/home-tara.php?id_page=1
The Research Vessel Tara is getting ready for another North West Passage leaving France this spring. It looks like they will be traveling up Cook Inlet this early summer. Amazing Sailing Polar Vessel, Amazing Science School Ship!
February 15th, 2009 at 3:36 PM
@ CR Flats
“The inconvenient truths get clouded by the reassuring lies”
Well said! Is that the R mantra?
February 15th, 2009 at 3:51 PM
…….three things always come out – the sun , the moon , the truth…….. – buddha.
February 15th, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Austintx, Thank you for today’s moment of Zen. I needed that.
February 15th, 2009 at 4:30 PM
ConocoPhillips pledges $15 million to the University of Alaska Anchorage
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. has pledged $15 million to support science and engineering programs at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). This gift is the largest the company has ever made in Alaska and is also the largest single corporate gift that the University system, including UAA has received.
In honor of this pledge, and in recognition of the $20 million dollars in unrestricted support that ConocoPhillips has contributed to the University of Alaska since 1999, UAA’s new Integrated Science Building will carry ConocoPhillips’ name. Four million dollars of this gift will fund equipment for the state-of-the-art ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building which is due to open its doors in fall of 2009; $11 million will establish the ConocoPhillips Arctic Science and Engineering Endowment.
http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/news/conoco-phillips-pledges-15-million-to-uaa.cfm
So, how much of this research in engineering and “science” will NOT be geared towards furthering the company’s aims.
February 15th, 2009 at 4:37 PM
I grew up with a Grandfather that was parilzed on the left side of his body when he was about fifty five years old. His left arm, left hand, and left leg were useless to him and began to shrivel and waste away, so that he had to drag this dead weight around every where he went. He had full use of his right side, but he still could never again accomplish those many of the things he was able to do easily when both sides of his body worked together. His right side grew stronger for awhile, but his left side never did come back.
To me this is a great example of what happened to our country when we some how allowed the Right to take over and control Government. Without the support of the Left the body doesn’t work nearly as well. Both are needed to be a balanced whole holistic working system. Our Univercities are the same, we need both Left brain thinkers and Right brain thinkers. Together we not only survive, we prosper. Let one side (ether side) get to head strong, spin to far out of control and we end up out of balance on this planet.
I’ll be sending some emails to friends in support of working all these issues out together. No more either or politics, but getting the left and the right to move forward.
February 15th, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Folks in Washington ~
Our Senator Maria Cantwell is the chairperson the Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard subcommittee of the Senate Science, Commerce and Transportation committee. (Alaska Senator Mark Begich is a member of the full committee. )
You can contact Sen. Cantwell and urge her to hold hearing about this issue by going to the subcommittees web page at http://tinyurl.com/8noxx9
February 15th, 2009 at 4:42 PM
AussieBlue: We do make strange bed-fellows here in Alaska. One one hand, we are a bona fide colony of the oil companies, on the other, we talk of our “independent spirit” and “we don’t care how they do it Outside”. Some of us just take the money and use it to subvert the Colonial masters as much and often as we can. One way to make this palatable is to accept money for schools, and other non-profit enterprises. The oil companies found out early on that education was a good and non controversial way to “give back”. So what’s a colonialist to do?
One shining light at UAA is the new Chancellor: Fran Ulmer.
Fran ran for Gov against Frank Murkowski and lost. A sad day for Alaska we continue to pay for. However, she is now in a good job where we can benefit from her considerable talents and good will.
February 15th, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Well, that didn’t work. I mistyped.
http://tinyurl.com/
February 15th, 2009 at 4:51 PM
I’m so embarrassed.
http://tinyurl.com/8noxx9
February 15th, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Professor Steiner deserves our support. What is unusual about this story is not that he has been punished for opposing the interests of big money but that they left evidence of their retaliation. As someone involved in University research for many years this is not uncommon. Normally there is no paper trail left behind to document such revenge. Hopefully, you people can take advantage of this evidence and help the good professor.
It seems really grotesque that UA made a military officer it’s president. Perhaps that is the result of Republican domination of the state for so long. Maybe that is also why they were not careful to avoid leaving a paper trail in the current case.
This is my first post here. My connections to Alaska are minor. Being from Seattle two of my uncles worked your waters as fisherman but I spent only two months in your state. And all but ten days of that were on the slopes of Denali and Mt Huttington. In any case it is very refreshing to find such a vibrant blog here at mudflats.
February 16th, 2009 at 6:23 AM
syvanen (22:56:21) :
Point well taken. Your insight explains a common mode of operation, regarding higher education and corporate policies that I always felt were there. I have learned the hard way about being too environmental and idealistic. Wanting to force change in our intrenched academia is like reversing climate change…..
Great bio on Mark Hamilitary, Greytdog that was very interesting.
Looking forward to more of your posts syvanen, welcome.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:46 AM
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