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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Lawyers Eskimos Try To Hold Up Oil Companies
2008-03-03
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A tiny Alaska village eroding into the Arctic Ocean
Geez, can you blame them? That's never happened in all of history.
sued two dozen oil, power and coal companies Tuesday, claiming that the large amounts of greenhouse gases they emit contribute to global warming that threatens the community's existence.

The city of Kivalina and a federally recognized tribe, the Alaska Native village of Kivalina, sued Exxon Mobil Corporation, eight other oil companies, 14 power companies and one coal company in a lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco.
Just one coal company? The lawyers are slipping....
Kivalina is a traditional Inupiat Eskimo village of about 390 people about 625 miles northwest of Anchorage. It's built on an 8-mile barrier reef between the Chukchi Sea and Kivalina River.
I think I see your problem right there....
Sea ice traditionally protected the community, whose economy is based in part on salmon fishing plus subsistence hunting of whale, seal, walrus, and caribou. But sea ice that forms later and melts sooner because of higher temperatures
which of course is the fault of the Eeeevil Oil Companies and not, say, Nature (who has been known to be a real Mother)
has left the community unprotected from fall and winter storm waves and surges that lash coastal communities. "We are seeing accelerated erosion because of the loss of sea ice," City Administrator Janet Mitchell said in a statement. "We normally have ice starting in October, but now we have open water even into December so our island is not protected from the storms."

Relocation costs have been estimated at $400 million or more.
Cha-ching! So they wanna move, eh? Maybe closer to civilization to a more populated area?
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Kivalina by two nonprofit legal organizations -- The Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment and the Native American Rights Fund -- plus six law firms.
Of course they did. Out of the goodness of their hearts, too, I'm sure. Based on the latest world-wide climate charts showing a discernable drop in temperatures in the past year, and the lack of sunspots, they'll be freezing their asses off (and complaining about it) before this ever gets to court. Discovery should be entertaiing interesting.
Posted by:Barbara Skolaut

#6  Tell Exxon to buy them houseboats...
Posted by: tu3031   2008-03-03 22:36  

#5  Humans couldn't produce enough CO2 to effect climate, even if we wanted to. The main source of CO2 is: the oceans. But again, natural warming-cooling phenomena, as noted in Ice Age Theory, is generally accepted by scientists. Al Gore's alarmist fictions include unproven human causes. A BBC documentary quoted scientists who feared loss of employment, if they told the truth about the "swindle."

Historical note: in the 17th century there was a Mini-Ice-Age. Records reveal repeated freezing of the Thames River in London. However, it ended and warming continued. You can expect a real Ice Age, commencing in 30,000 years or so.
Posted by: McZoid   2008-03-03 16:41  

#4  The Kivalina school was one of about 13 that I took care of as facilities director for a school district years ago. In the 80s they were talking about relocation because of erosion of the gravel spit they were on. But they dithered around and now that Sen. Ted Stevens has lost much of his power, the funds for the relocation of the village are going to be harder to get through Congress.

The village of Shishmaref, located on a barrier island off the NW corner of the Seward Peninsula, is in the same straights, no pun intended.

So now they are looking for an opening with the 9th circus court of appeals? Well, Exxon has battled the plaintiffs of the Prince William oil spill case for 14 years, and now it is with the Supremes. Good luck on the court case.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2008-03-03 16:24  

#3  The Kivalina school was one of about 13 that I took care of as facilities director for a school district years ago. In the 80s they were talking about relocation because of erosion of the gravel spit they were on. But they dithered around and now that Sen. Ted Stevens has lost much of his power, the funds for the relocation of the village are going to be harder to get through Congress.

The village of Shishmaref, located on a barrier island off the NW corner of the Seward Peninsula, is in the same straights, no pun intended.

So now they are looking for an opening with the 9th circus court of appeals? Well, Exxon has battled the plaintiffs of the Prince William oil spill case for 14 years, and now it is with the Supremes. Good luck on the court case.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2008-03-03 16:15  

#2  $400 million is a pittance; see because you need the refrigerated trucks to transport the igloos.
Posted by: USN,Ret.   2008-03-03 16:12  

#1  So they are claiming moving a family of four's stuff will cost $4+million. I guess Uncle Sugar has been very, very kind to this poor, oppressed minority.
Posted by: Grinese Dark Lord of the Antelope8579   2008-03-03 15:06  

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