Opportunities and challenges In Alaska

Question 1

What are 5 opportunities in Alaska?

Answer 1

Oil
Tourism
Fishing
Mineral extraction
Hydroelectric power

Question 2

3 facts about oil

Answer 2

• Took 5 years to build pipeline that cost $8 Billion
• 800km pipeline
• Potential 6-16 billion barrels lie under Alaska but cannot be used

Question 3

3 facts about tourism

Answer 3

• 2 million people per year, offers employment however it is seasonal and poorly paid
• 60% come from cruise ship passengers
• Hiking, skiing, rock climbing, helicopter sight seeing, whale watching, kayaking are amongst the attractions

Question 4

What are the 2 types of fishing

Answer 4

Commercial

Subsistence

Question 5

Subsistence fishing is

Answer 5

To provide for for native people

Question 6

Commercial fishing is for

Answer 6

Selling to make money

Question 7

How many rivers are in Alaska

Answer 7

300

Question 8

How many lakes are in Alaska

Answer 8

3 million

Question 9

How many miles of coastline in Alaska

Answer 9

33,000

Question 10

What is an advantage of fishing

Answer 10

It is an example of sustainable management

Question 11

Facts about commercial fishing

Answer 11

• one in ten Alaskans work in the sector
• provides 78,500 jobs
• ## adds $6 Billion to state economy each year

Question 12

What is subsistence fishing used for

Answer 12

• food
• oil (for fuel)
• bones (for clothing and tools)

Question 13

Facts about mineral extraction in alaska

Answer 13

• 1/5 of mining wealth is from gold
• sliver, zinc, and lead are also important
• possible half billion dollars investment was walked away from due to opposition, when ANGB America closed the pebble mine gold project on 2013

Question 14

Facts about hydroelectric power in Alaska

Answer 14

• supplies 21% of the states electrical energy
• over 50 hydroelectric power plants
• has 365,000 miles of rivers and 33,000 miles of coastline so suitable for this

Question 15

What is a disadvantage of hydroelectric power

Answer 15

• HEP can cause loss of habitat

- high cost

Question 16

Challenges of Alaska

Answer 16

• houses need to be raised otherwise heat melts permafrost
• elevated oil pipes for same reason that are also zig zag for earthquakes
• snow and ice makes roads unusable
• solifluction melts top layer which floods places such as highways
• permafrost appears when active layer melts making roads unusable
• constant melting and freezing makes ground uneven which is called thermokarst
• cannot collect oil due to national reserves such as Alaskan wildlife conservation

Question 17

Why are houses and oil pipes raised

Answer 17

So it doesn’t melt permafrost

Question 18

Why are oil pipes zig zag

Answer 18

Earthquakes

Question 19

What is solifluction

Answer 19

It melts the top active layer of permafrost which can flood roads

Question 20

What is it called when constant freezing and melting makes the ground uneven

Answer 20

Thermokarst

Question 21

Why can oil not always be collected

Answer 21

It is below nation reserves such as Alaskan wildlife conservation centre