The Battle for Bristol Bay

Hey Guys!
I decided for my final post that I wanted to contribute a video clip to add some variety to our blog. In search of a clip I ran across a cool section of the NY times that has a collection of all sorts of videos. The video I am going to link, struck me and I felt that it needed to be shared with our class. Currently in Bristol Bay Alaska there is a controversial mine proposed. This mine is supposed to be one of the biggest mines in North America and is predicted to have major environmental and economical impacts. If this mine is approved then it appears that the environmental impacts will outweigh the economic benefits. The biggest environmental concern is linked to the salmon. The Bristol Bay watershed is where the largest salmon run occurs so it is extremely important for their health that it get preserved. The open pit mine is in search of copper and gold. There has been a fair amount of studies done on how copper in streams effects Salmon. Copper desensitizes the salmon's ability to smell making them more vulnerable to prey and also kills off food sources. This has many locals concerned. The salmon contribute to their sense of place and local knowledge. Many in this video express that they do not know what they would do without the salmon. It is their life.
I really wanted to draw attention to this issue because the acceptance of this mine will not only affect the people of Alaska and since it seems to currently to be mostly a local issue I do not think it has drawn much attention. Check it out.
http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/environment/1194821066219/index.html


Also, here is an article that goes into greater depth about the repercussions that we may face by allowing this pebble mine.
http://www.orvis.com/intro.asp?subject=4571&bhcp=1

Ms. Smith