Thoughts on Bristol Bay

While first reading the article, I was startled by the fact that there are untouched areas in the United States and how valuable these areas are in terms of resources. The author described how this area in Alaska contains a vast amount of deposits of both gold and copper and is a home for salmon. The question faced after reading this article was what is the top priority on our agenda…preserving the Earth or improving the economy. Both sides have valid points to support their argument. For example, many Alaskans are shown to be concerned about the fact how if this area is industrialized then many jobs will be created for the Alaskan locals so that they can use this money for their children to get a higher education. However, others feel that even though this industrialization will help the economy, there will never be something like this site again. Therefore, this article questions our environmental worldview.

The general public most likely has no idea that such an issue even exists. Before reading this article, I never knew that a place as beautiful as this existed and nor did I know that it had so much potential to help the economy. This is a very important matter because the results of following through on this project may be beneficial for the economy however it may be disastrous for the animals such as the salmon, for which this area is a home, since this project may lead to contamination of water and acid damage. By spreading awareness of such issues, it allows us to ponder the fact what is more important…Mother Nature or money. And this is the question that each American will have to ask themselves in deciding whether it is fair to go on and continue this project.