Whether the subject is drilling in ANWR, killing wolves from airplanes, or applauding the recent 6-3 vote by the Supreme Court that will allow 4.5 million tons of mine waste to be dumped into Alaska’s Lower Slate Lake; Alaska’s Republican Governor, Sarah Palin is worse than George W. Bush on wildlife and the environment.
SUPREME COURT RULING
On June 22, 2009, the Supreme Court ruled that a federal appeals court was incorrect to deny a waste disposal permit to the Army Corps of Engineers to reopen a gold mine that had been closed since 1928. This ruling now opens the way for the project to proceed and the operation is projected to produce 4.5 million tons of waste material from mine tailings, which is gravel left over from ore extraction. The waste will end up in a lake three miles north in the Tongass National Forest. Every species of fish in the lake is expected to be killed by the pollution.
“This is great news for Alaska”, said Governor Sarah Palin, who believes the ruling is a green light for “responsible resource development.” The Kensington mine will provide 370 jobs once it begins operation.
Environmentalists were stunned by the decision:
“If a mining company can turn Lower Slate Lake in Alaska into a lifeless waste dump, other polluters with solids in their wastewater can potentially do the same to any water body in America,” said Earthjustice president Trip Van Noppen. “The good news is that the problem is reversible. It was caused by a Bush administration rule reversing thirty years of successful regulation under the Clean Water Act. We call on Presidnet Obama to act immediately to repeal this rule and restore the original intent of the Clean Water Act.”
SHOOTING WOLVES FROM AIRPLANES
According to the Defenders of Wildlife Eye on Palin web site, today’s tally is 251 wolves killed this season.
Furthermore, the "Eye on Palin" campaign was launched in February this year to track and expose Governor Palin's increasingly extreme record on wildlife and conservation in Alaska. In the months since www.eyeonpalin.org launched, Palin's administration and the Board of Game she appoints have approved, among many things, the use of helicopters by private hunters to shoot wolves and the use of poison gas to kill wolves and their pups in their dens.
The idea of using an aircraft to chase an animal to the point of exhaustion, so that it becomes an easy target for “sport” hunters, is nothing less than a small and cowardly act. The objective of Palin’s predator hunting policy is to reduce the wolf 
population, in order to increase the “harvestable” numbers of moose and caribou, for the state’s lucrative trophy hunting season. The pretext of predator control to save wildlife is disingenuous, because the biological concept of nature-in-balance does not include airplanes or helicopters.
The aerial wolf killing policy was voted down twice before by Alaskans, in 1996 and 2000, but it was over turned by the legislation. In 2008, the Palin administration spent $400,000 of state money to promote the passing of Measure 2, to allow aerial wolf population control.
Last fall, in a highly publicized exchange between activist and actor Ashley Judd, (spokes person for Defenders of Wildlife), and Sarah Palin, Judd was quoted as saying:
“Palin even proposed a $150 bounty for the severed foreleg of each killed wolf. And now she is encouraging even more aerial killing. It is time to stop Sarah Palin and stop this senseless savagery."
Palin fired back in a media press release to chastize Defenders for using such poor fundraising tactics, but did not deny the proposal of paying a bounty to any person willing to mutilate a dead animal for $150 bucks.
The governor also filed a law suit last year to fight the polar bear endangered species listing, and recently threatened to do the same on the effort to list the Cooks Inlet beluga whales.
DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Governor Palin, like many Alaskans, has shown her willingness to trade the state’s precious wilderness for the money that oil brings to the official coiffures. Each and every resident of Alaska receives an annual check from oil revenues. Sarah Palin may rail at “outsiders” who criticize and don’t understand Alaska, but the fact is, Alaskans have a self-serving motivation to support more oil drilling, because it impacts their pocket books.
However, not all residents of Alaska are willing to pay homage to Big Oil, and turn their backs on their land, their traditions, and the state’s abundant natural treasures. In addition to wildlife organizations, there are some Alaskan residents, who have .jpg)
formed their own Palin watch dog web sites. The objective is to have some control and influence over a government, that is isolated by geography, that believes it knows what’s best for Alaska, and the rest of the country should mind their own business.
After John McCain’s shocking choice of Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate last year, she convinced him to support drilling in ANWR. But, the idea that oil wells can be installed in sensitive caribou breeding areas, with a small “footprint”, is fantasy-speak for saying that roads, buildings, noise, aircraft, and over-ground pipeline installations would have little affect on the wildlife and wilderness.
BUSH vs. PALIN ON ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
Alaska is home to an amazingly diverse population of birds, wildlife, incredible snow-capped mountains, emerald-tipped glaciers, sparkling lakes and rivers, and acres of vast pristine wilderness unlike anywhere else on the planet. Yet, the state is run by a dictatorial governor, who often ignores the recommendation of her own scientists or the voice of her own people, in the constant quest for economic gain at the sacrifice of Alaska’s vast natural resources.
Sarah Palin is, indeed, worse than George W. Bush on the environment and wildlife. Her motto on the environment is “Drill, baby, drill” and her motto on wildlife is “kill, baby, kill”.
President Bush’s environmental/wildlife record was the worst of any president in history, but he never once proposed cutting the foot off a dead wolf in order to collect a bounty. It was a gruesome idea, which speaks volumes for the kind of cold-hearted mentality that could conjure up such a morbid proposal.
On that single suggestion alone, Sarah Palin earns the disgraceful number one spot for environmental and wildlife exploitation.
Palin's Alaskan wolf control policies not supported by science
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For photo credit run cursor over photograph * Copyright Jean Williams 2009 * This author also writes under the pen name of DelilahStarling *** facebook.com/DelilahStarling Contact creatinggreenpiece@juno.com
Comments
I bet you have never even been to Alaska.
At least she taxes the oil and gas industry, 25%, and, as a result, Alaska's not teetering on the verge of bankruptcy like California.
But, with that proviso, thanks for the detail. But, Alaskans elected her, so what's to do?
And, notice that a big donation button for Sarah PAC support is paying for this web publication?
Alaska is run by big oil loving Republicans, that is why Palin got elected. Let's not forget that her husband belongs to an organization that supports the cessation of Alaska from the United States.
Ted Stevens was such a big shot for decades until he got arrested for fraud, then later aquitted, due to the bumbling prosecution.
To compare Alaska to California is a strange analogy. California is in serious trouble, but at least they are not raping the land and the state's wildlife and natural resources to bail themselves out and line their pockets.
I really will never understand how McCain would choose her as his running mate. He lost my vote at that point.
What a biased and ridiculous article! ANWR oil would by far benefit the US more than Alaska. In jobs, in economics, in national security. Aerial wolf hunting was proposed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game first NOT by Sarah. Sarah only approved the USFWS and ADFG recommendation as have lots of D and R politicians before her. It certainly was not her idea, but rather the Federal and State biologists who know the science of this issue better than you, I or Sarah. About the mining, so you mean to say a federal court of law representing justice for all is wrong?! I don't think so. When you fill out all permits, do all the studies and get full approval from the agencies in charge, I'd say they were fully within the law we all set and guess what....the court agrees! What a load of environmentalist nonsense this hypocrite Williams is . What a joke! I'll bet she drives an SUV and buys plastic too! HYPOCRITE!
Go live in Alaska please. Next to the ore mine if possible.
Well, you would lose that bet. Once upon a time there was a Seattle based airline carrier called Western Airlines,and I worked as a sales rep for them up until the year before they merged with Delta Airlines.
Every spring, it was my job to work with the canneries to get their fishing crews in and out King Salmon and Dillingham for the salmon season. I worked with representatives of all the regional carriers, most of which don't exist any more: Wein Air Alaska, Mark Air, Peninsula Air, to name a few.
I traveled all over Alaska. Most for work, but a lot for personal enjoyment. The wildlife and natural beauty was and is breath taking and should not be exploited or taken for granted.
Obviously, Sarah's buddy "Caribousteaks" is the biased one. Palin is the governor and CEO of the state of Alaska. Yet, you think she is not accountable for USFWS wildlife policies in her state? This is the person who spearheaded a law suit against the Bush administration's Interior Department, when polar bears were listed for protection under the ESA, because their habitat is melting out from under them. Your friend Sarah doesn't believe that global warming is a problem.
The American people have made their voices heard through their elected officials about ANWR and they want alternative fuels and energy, not more oil drilling.
As for the Supreme Court decision, the Clean Water Act was weakened under Bush, and that gave the justices wiggle room to over turn this rule. The fight isn't over yet.
An informative and refreshing article that doesn't pull the punches. Palin's record is appalling!
Regarding the comment that Sarah Palin advertisments are all over this page--I used to sell advertising and they will hook ads to the page that has a connection to the subject, pro or con.
It looks to me like Examiner.com is a very right leaning organization, with Newt, Ann Coulter, Sara Palin, and other extremists ads all over the place. Since there is a great deal of control over where ads are placed, it looks like the conservative side of Examiner.com could be purposefully targeting pages that are in opposition of their message.
Or not...just thoughts from a former ad man.
At least Sarah isn't eating the endangered Beluga Whale for breakfast like Barack Obama. While Putin openly praised President Bush during Obama's visit to Russia, Obama ate Beluga Whale for breakfast. The Beluga Whale is facing extinction, and the federal government last October placed Beluga Whales under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Obama is eating this precious endangered species for breakfast.
sarah is seriously evil. I hope carma gets her someday. Then I'll be really happy. happier than the fact that she isn't alaska's governer. seriously save the wolves! Defenders.org
Sarah has an very old manner of thinking regarding wildlife--namely that it is here for our pleasure. That might be one view, but we also depend on complex ecosystems for the air we breathe, the soil we grow our crops in, and the products we produce. Degrade this ecosystem sufficiently, and you get a desert-like environment (not necessarily hot-or one barren of much--like parts of Australia now).
She shows little concern for the animals, which is troubling. Indians hunted, but respected animals without exploiting them.
You know, I don't think we will ever appeal to these bozos' humanity, since they obviously have none. However, I DO believe you should take a different tactic: remind them what happens when you upset the balance of nature. One recent example with a DIRECT parallel is the recent giant squid invasion of certain California beaches. Apparently, wildlife biologists have determined that the probable cause is the senseless killing of the squids' natural predators: sharks. Once the predator was virtually eliminated, the squids have full reign. And what do you think the odds are of being injured by a school of giant squids (beak and teeth, remember!, as well as those suction cups!) as opposed to being injured by a shark? It's a no brainer. For example, in Alaska, I believe the well known starving moose attacks could be eliminated if the wolf population were to be allowed to return to nature's intended level, so that the weak could be weeded out, leaving more food for the strong.
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