People are concerned about promoting the sensible growth of their economies. This progress is made possible by the exploitation of already-available resources, a significant portion of which come from the natural world. Individuals and lobbying organizations have been advocating for increased resource development in Alaska. Limitations on the extraction and use of these resources have been a barrier for these people. Deregulation has therefore been advocated for in order to assist the state in reaching its full potential. The issue of resources in Alaska has ceased being a social and economic one and has been politicized for about four decades. Troll (n.p) notes that Senator Sullivan, one of the key political figures in the state, has been one of the most notable critic of laws enacted under President Obama to protect the environment. Sullivan notes that the former president should have put the economic interests of Americans before those of environmental groups.
The current generation owes the future ones both a sustainable economy and god environment. The achievement of either of these two seems to undermine the other. For instance, commercial fishing and processing of seafood is one of the biggest industries in the state. However, overexploitation of the marine fisheries is likely to compromise the ability of future generations to access food from these sources. There are alternatives to extraction of non-renewable resources that strike a balance between environmental conservation and economic development. For instance, the growing solar industry to substitute oil and gas for energy has led to creation of more jobs. Deregulation undermines the responsibility of the current generation to hand a clean environment to the future generations. There are alternatives where the environment can be protected while at the same time spurring meaningful economic growth.
Works Cited
Troll, Kate. Sound economy and sustainable environment is not a contradiction. Alaska Digital News, January 11, 2017. Web: https://www.adn.com/opinions/2017/01/11/sound-economy-and-sustainable-environment-is-not-a-contradiction/. April 27, 2017.
