People living in Alaska, outside of Anchorage or Fairbanks, understand the dangers of living in the wilderness. They experience it all year round. Alaskan winters are notoriously long and are often brutally cold. Even the short summers can be difficult for anyone who is not self-sufficient. Unlike most places in the lower 48 states, help is not always close by. There may not be phone service or a nearby neighbor when help is needed. The Alaskan lifesyle is definitely not for everyone.
But for those who have the necessary skills and want to live in the natural world, there is no better place than Alaska. Its beauty and richness of life are almost unparalleled anywhere else in the world. It has an incredible number of large land and sea mammals, as well as amazing bird diversity. The sheer amount of spectacular mountain, glacial, and wild river scenery is mind bending. Those who value personal freedom and solitude will also be drawn to life on the edge in Alaska.
But just like the rest of the world, Alaska is facing critical environmental issues. Alaska is on the front lines in the struggle against global warming. It is here where the lust for oil and mineral wealth has had some of its most devastating environmental consequences. And it is in Alaska where the signs of global warming are the most evident. You can see it in the melting glaciers and the new vegetation where until recently there was permafrost. And you can feel it in the warming temperatures and early springs. By no choice of its own, Alaska has become a battleground between those who accept the overwhelming scientific evidence that global warming is a threat to the continuation of life on earth and those who reject science.
