July 30, 2013

Resident of Kivalina
Land

Kivalina village faces extinction

The entire Alaskan village of Kivalina is off-grid, or “unserved” as the official jargon puts it, by water or power utilities. It clings to a narrow spit of sand on the edge of the Bering Sea, far too small to feature on maps of Alaska, never mind the United States.

Which is perhaps just as well, because within a decade Kivalina is likely to be under water. Gone, forever. Remembered – if at all – as the birthplace of America’s first climate change refugees.

Four hundred indigenous Inuit people currently live in Kivalina’s collection of single-storey cabins. Their livelihoods depend on hunting and fishing.

In June, the United States Supreme Court denied the Native Village of Kivalina the right to sue Exxon Mobil for the climate damage which has caused them to be endangered by the sea level.

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Alaska gold miners and bigfoot hunters
Land

Buying Alaska – Dreaming of the Untamed North

Trying to Get Away? A new season of “Buying Alaska” starts August 3 on cable TV Station Destination America. Each episode will follow a couple as they examine three different properties and look to buy a piece of the untamed north.
[via press release from Destination America]

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Vermont Utility tries to bill for off-grid power

Letter to Vermon Times-Argus exposes grasping power Utility

“It really never ceases to amaze me what corporate America will try to do.

Idaho Public Utilities Commission recently rejected a proposal to raise monthly fees paid by homeowners who install solar panels.

That was after a June 26 decision by Louisiana Public Service Commission to maintain payment rates that utilities must make to solar-system owners for electricity. The commission voted 3-2 against a proposed fee increase supported by Entergy Corp.

It seems that Entergy and Idaho Power feel that solar-powered homes are not paying their fair share of costs to maintain power lines and respond to outages since they often have lower monthly electric bills. It seems they believe the lost revenue resulting from net metering can cut into utility profits.

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