MicheleV_AK on Nostr: Today was the first day of the Alaska legislative session and I am already fuming! ...
Today was the first day of the Alaska legislative session and I am already fuming! But I digress...
"Road traffic has long posed a challenge to caribou on the North Slope. For decades, there has been a standard for oil field traffic heavy enough to disturb the animals: 15 vehicles per hour. Environmental studies and permits invoke that as the threshold at which caribou stop walking freely near and across roads.
Now a newly published study analyzing caribou movements at two oil fields shows that the traffic volumes that inhibit animals’ movements appear to be much lower: five vehicles an hour.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence that caribou are much more bothered by infrastructure and industrial activity than was assumed in the past, when existing North Slope oil fields were planned and permitted.
“Caribou are really sensitive. They’re really sensitive to human activity..."
#Alaska #OilDrillingSucks #ProtectCaribou
https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/01/16/oil-field-road-traffic-disrupts-north-slope-caribou-more-than-previously-recognized/
"Road traffic has long posed a challenge to caribou on the North Slope. For decades, there has been a standard for oil field traffic heavy enough to disturb the animals: 15 vehicles per hour. Environmental studies and permits invoke that as the threshold at which caribou stop walking freely near and across roads.
Now a newly published study analyzing caribou movements at two oil fields shows that the traffic volumes that inhibit animals’ movements appear to be much lower: five vehicles an hour.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence that caribou are much more bothered by infrastructure and industrial activity than was assumed in the past, when existing North Slope oil fields were planned and permitted.
“Caribou are really sensitive. They’re really sensitive to human activity..."
#Alaska #OilDrillingSucks #ProtectCaribou
https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/01/16/oil-field-road-traffic-disrupts-north-slope-caribou-more-than-previously-recognized/