I have posted this piece from the Bristol Bay Times. It is informative on several fronts depending upon one’s position re Pebble Mine, Bristol Bay fisheries, off shore drilling, eco agitprop or enviromental issues, AND hearings re Bristol Bay (most importantly).
“Verner Wilson III was born and raised in Dillingham. He salmon fishes in Bristol Bay every year and recently graduated from Brown University with a degree in environmental studies. He now works for the World Wildlife Fund, Kamchatka/Bering Sea region, in Anchorage.”
“On April 14, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will be holding a public hearing in Anchorage to hear public comments on offshore drilling in Alaska. If you are in Anchorage, please join us in providing your testimony. If not, you can sign the petition “Fishermen for Protecting Bristol Bay from Offshore Drilling,” which I am proud to say that more than 650 Bristol Bay fishermen have signed so far. We are trying to get even more for Salazar’s visit, and will put all names of people who sign in an advertisement. You can visit Nunamta Aulukestai’s office on Main Street in Dillingham, or e-mail me at Verner.Wilson@wwfus.org to sign.”
Wilcher Award: 2004 Award Recipient
Verner Wilson III
Verner Wilson is the son of Verner Wilson of Dillingham and Jackie Wilson from Savoonga/Nome. He first became involved in environmental issues through an Alaska Youth for Environmental Action-sponsored trip to Juneau. Since then, his infectious spirit has inspired others to become involved and aware of environmental health in his Dillingham community. Verner launched the Dillingham AYEA chapter. He has received statewide recognition of his efforts, including a 2003 Spirit of Youth Award for his efforts to maintain a healthy environment where Alaska Natives can continue their cultural traditions. He spoke on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) as a youth panelist at the Alaska Native Health Board in 2003. At the conference, he stated: “To continue our traditional ways and to pass them on to our children . . . we must protect our environment, our animals and their habitat. By protecting these things, we are protecting our tradition, culture, and way of life.”
So, if Salazar is scheduled for hearings re Bristol Bay, then the Pebble Mine issue is hopefully looming and the outreach should begin. Somehow, I am leery of the motives of so many enviro’s ….I am sorry to say, I see it as a vehicle toward greater restrictions and crushing conformity. I refuse to kneel at the Religious Altar of Green. I know, sacrilegious to utter this anymore. I believe it is a trap of could’s, maybe’s, might’s, probably’s calculated to steer you where those that spout that relentless mantra are hellbent on controlling so many aspects of our life. Mr. Wilson smoothly touches upon all the right buttons of class envy, demonization, anti corporate, anti oil, alternative energy, global warming, the sky in falling. I am all for controlling drilling, mining, logging, the works..BUT not destroying the industries. The intent is not balance. The die is cast…something is fishy besides Bristol Bay. But, I suspect it is too late. The young ‘bots like Mr. Wilson chant the repetitive mantra.
The Altar: “One way this free-range spiritual thinking has played out is how love of nature and to some extent the environmental movement itself have become the accepted secular faith here.”
FELINE INFIDEL: Kill Your Cat, They Are Anti-Green (what would PETA say?)
“The rank and file are usually much more primitive than we imagine. Propaganda must therefore always be essentially simple and repetitious. The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly… it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.”— Joseph Goebbels Nazi Propaganda Minister
Then, all the ‘bots pickup the message and group speak it as well. It all must be true, right?
SwittersB & Exploring 
Search and read Verner Wilson’s thesis on Pebble Mine: “Indigenous Empowerment: Pebble Mine and Environmental Justice”. It has valuable information and an important analysis and critical insight about the Bristol Bay proposal. Your statements are descriptive and I acknowledge your personalized criticisms of the environmental movement, but you have not addressed the issue of the significant changes and risks that pebble poses to the environment, economy, and society of Bristol Bay. The mining industry is adept and strategic using the language of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility, and often times the resource development project is as strong and large a “machine” as the greenies. Wilson has provided a resource to educate people across the state, and I would hope more follow his example to analyze the current plans and communicate their thoughts and opinions in an open, constructive dialogue.
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