How Would Wood Biomass Heat Work in Haines

Part III in a Series about Biomass Heat for Haines

Boiler Building for the Craig Schools

At our farm in the Ozarks my father was always good-naturedly rebuking my mother for keeping the house too hot and always throwing another chunk of wood in the stove. He would quip to me, “Your mother burns wood like it grows on trees!”

I would snicker at that remark but the reality of it was we, on the farm, were fairly energy independent. Because our property was large enough to have timberland and my father was conscious of good forestry, our heating supply was sustainable right there on the farm. My mother could keep the house as warm as she wanted and we did not even pay attention to oil prices. Our trees were a renewable energy source.

Assembly Chooses Ernest for Borough Manager

In what has to be one of the shortest Borough Assembly meetings in recent times, the six-member Assembly unanimously voted Tuesday night to call Mr. Mark Ernest as the new Borough Manager.  Ernest was one of the two finalists narrowed from the short list developed by the Assembly and staff.

What About the Smoke?

Part II in a series about wood heat in Haines

Smoke from burning brush piles and a cruise ship visible over Haines on a late August rainy day. Connelly Lake hydropower could eliminate the need for cruise ships to power up and biomass heat could eliminate the brush pile burning.

The long term outlook for renewable energy in the Haines Borough is bright indeed!  There are projects for the future that could make Haines the envy of the country when the goal is to reduce dependence on fossil fuel.  But many of these projects are in the distant future and it is the immediate interim period where woody biomass can play an active role.

Download the Thanksgiving Edition of the Haines News

Click here to download your copy of the Haines Alaska News

In this issue:

• What can we learn from the Pilgrims?
• Who is Mark Begich representing?

Read it, print it, share it.

Aliens Caused Global Warming

Scientist and science fiction author Michael Crichton passed away just over a year ago.  In addition to his fiction works, Crichton lectured about science and was disturbed by the corruption of science that has led to such mainstream media scares as global warming and second-hand smoke.

As the twentieth century drew to a close, the connection between hard scientific fact and public policy became increasingly elastic. In part this was possible because of the complacency of the scientific profession; in part because of the lack of good science education among the public; in part, because of the rise of specialized advocacy groups which have been enormously effective in getting publicity and shaping policy; and in great part because of the decline of the media as an independent assessor of fact.

Michael Crichton’s 2003 lecture at CalTech, “Aliens Caused Global Warming,“ is a bit lengthy, but a must-read.  It’s Crichton at his level-headed best.

Is There Enough Wood?

Part I in a series about wood heat in Haines

Elimination of 38,000 gallons of fuel oil to heat Borough buildings!  That idea should get our attention!

On December 8th, the Borough Assembly will review a conceptual design from CE2 Engineering for biomass (wood) heating of selected Borough buildings.  CE2 is working under an energy grant awarded by the Haines Borough earlier in the year. Although the report is forthcoming, preliminary discussions with CE2 indicate a displacement of almost 40,000 gallons of diesel fuel is possible by going with a wood chip or other woody biomass heating system.

Guest Opinion: Is the Court’s Decision Binding?

Guest Opinions are presented as a public service, and do not necessarily represent the editorial opinions of the Haines News.

I urge the Borough Assembly to formally reject (Judge Collins’) finding as beyond her authority to make the choice of which ballots to count. — Kyle Ponsford

Tracking Your Taxes: Americans Spend Millions for Environmental Groups to Sue the Government

“In the lucrative world of environmental law, the biggest defendant is the federal government, and taxpayers foot the bill. The nation’s ten largest environmental groups have sued the government more than 3,000 times in a nine-year period, according to legal fund the Western Legacy Alliance, an Idaho-based legal fund that defends ranchers and farmers.” — Fox News.

And here’s a quote that could have come from some of our friends right here in Haines:

“Every day that we can delay development…is a day where we feel like the public interest is victorious.” –John Horning, executive director of WildEarth Guardians.

Is there a public reaction brewing against overzealous enviros? Click here to read the whole article online at foxnews.com.

Download Your Copy of the Haines News

Click here to download your copy of the Haines News.

In this issue:

• Court overrules canvassing board
• Opinion: What’s in it for Gershon?
• Putting it in Perspective

Read it, print it, share it.

Haines Economy

Guest Opinions are presented as a public service, and do not necessarily represent the editorial opinions of the Haines News.

Guest Opinion by Bill Kurz

Haines is a wonderful place with much to offer. The problem is that many have forgotten much of what we have to work with. We have come to a point where we do not have enough business / industry to support our community. There is no way we can continue having more and more government with little more than fishing and tourism to support the community.