elecommuting is becoming more prevalent, driven by technological advances, changing family dynamics, health concerns, and other factors. Also referred to as teleworking and remote working, telecommuting is a flexible arrangement that enables employees to avoid commuting or traveling to a central place of work, such as an office building, warehouse, or store. Instead, they work—completely or partially—from home or another off-site location.

According to the Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey, 4.7 million Americans regularly work from home, up 173 percent since 2005. This group—which does not include the self-employed population—works from home at least half the time and represents roughly 3 percent of the workforce.

ollowing the signing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 into law, more and more Alaska Native corporations are adding Alaska Native Settlement Trusts (ANSTs) to their toolbox to better support the welfare of their shareholders.

Unlike other corporations, those created through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) are legally required not only to serve the economic interests of shareholders but also uphold their social values.

here are a lot of reasons to build with reclaimed materials, from lower costs to decreased environmental impact to the fact that they can be used to truly customize a project. But before jumping on the reuse/recycle bandwagon, it’s important to realize that this method comes with a number of challenges.

This is especially true on the design side of projects, where it is imperative to know exactly what materials will be used and that they will be available when needed. There are also risks that come with planning a project using materials that may not perform as well as new products would and that may not end up being well-suited for their planned purpose.

ew large foundations support “the general good” or social service projects in Alaska, so the Last Frontier has a pretty thin philanthropic layer, according to United Way of Anchorage Vice President Cassandra Stalzer. However, the oil and gas industry has a history of stepping in and filling the gaps in Alaska communities by providing money and volunteers for myriad charitable efforts in the state.

Because Alaska is a relatively young state with a small population, it relies on the philanthropy of industry more heavily than other states, especially the oil and gas industry, Stalzer says.

The oil and gas industry is a pillar of economic power in Alaska, providing jobs, tax revenue, and charity dollars in the state, according to Alaska Oil and Gas Association President and CEO Kara Moriarty.

carbon-neutral oil company would have sounded like an oxymoron a few decades ago.

But in the last several months, two major companies announced ambitions to reduce their emissions and take steps to cancel out the effects of their remaining carbon footprint. They say their pledge applies to both emissions from producing fossil fuels and the emissions produced when consumers burn it.

First came Repsol, a Spanish oil company that owns dozens of North Slope exploration blocks and reported the Horseshoe well discovery near Nuiqsut in 2017. Repsol announced its net-zero carbon plans in December.

ooking behind the scenes of the oil and gas industry, it quickly becomes apparent that it requires a lot of moving parts to keep things running smoothly.

Businesses that offer support services to the oil and gas industry play an integral role in keeping the oil field operators supplied with the fuel, equipment, and parts needed to do the heavy work of exploration and extraction. They are also instrumental in helping to keep oil workers safe, fed, and comfortable while in the field.

The relationship between oil and gas companies and support services companies is a symbiotic one, says Cathleen Lewis, director of business development for Colville, whose family of companies provide essential supplies and services—including fuel, solid waste management, towing, and housing—to oil fields across Alaska.

he Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) has already outlived initial expectations by more than ten years, though today it runs at less than a quarter of its peak volume.

The pipeline is still in fundamentally sound shape and has a few maintenance properties that would be remarkable if it was an old car: the pipeline requires a smaller maintenance staff to keep it running than it used to, and it’s gotten safer and less leaky as it has aged.

Part of the reason it has aged so well is that Alaska’s oil pipeline is a highly-regulated piece of industrial infrastructure owned by some of the largest corporations on the planet.

But as the pipeline’s owners review how much to invest in keeping the pipeline running into a sixth decade and beyond, TAPS’ maintenance quandaries sound familiar to anyone who’s ever had to decide how much to invest in an aging, but much-beloved vehicle.

lose to 10,000 large commercial vessels transit the Aleutian Islands annually for trade between Asian and US markets, and each of these represents a potential marine environmental hazard should something go amiss, says Buddy Custard, president and CEO of the Alaska Maritime Prevention & Response Network. That number doesn’t account for the thousands of fishing vessels, barges, and other boats operating off Alaska’s shores. “Our first emphasis is not having an incident whatsoever. It’s about protecting the crews, the cargo, and the Alaska coastline,” Custard says. “However, our message is: Prevention Focused—Response Ready. In the event of an incident, we maintain and have the capability to mobilize the largest inventory of response resources in the region 24/7.”

The Network was created in 2011 by Alaska maritime industry stakeholders as a nonprofit organization to provide enrolled tank and non-tank vessel protection in Alaska waters with 24/7 vessel tracking and access to partners with oil spill response resources.

“It’s all about making sure that the companies [that are enrolled with the Network] are in compliance with all US federal oil spill, prevention, and response regulations,” Custard says.

ith detailed research from the AEDC 2020 Economic forecast as well as the hum and buzz around Alaska’s economy, it is no surprise that we are amidst change on the horizon. We have changes in workforce demographics, demand of work, residential populations, and state budgeting. Unfortunately, as humans we seem to resist change. Change is just diffi cult to come to terms with. Typically, individuals and organizations alike try to prepare for and address exactly what is changing and how it is changing, and we work to make sure there are systems and processes in place that minimize the disruption.

Why then do more than 70 percent of corporate change initiatives fail (Gallup 2013)? Because we feel a sense of loss of control, fear, and risk. What if we empowered ourselves and our teams to create and maintain appropriate change? This reframing allows for more proactivity, resilience, and an increase in internal locus of control (that innate feeling of: I have some control over the outcome). Behavioral Economic study lends us insight into how our mindset affects our decision-making. Gallup suggests that 70 percent of decision-making is based on emotion and that just around 30 percent is based on rational thought (Gallup 2019). Therefore, we know that under risk and uncertainty individuals rely on emotional and heuristic thoughts (shortcuts that your brain uses to make decisions).

early half of all visitors who come to Alaska arrive on cruise ships, according to research and consulting firm McDowell Group. And when they dock, there are a variety of shore excursions and other services available to enhance the cruise experience. Here’s a rundown on just some of the offerings that make it possible for cruise passengers—as well as independent travelers and others—to enjoy unique attractions at different ports of call in Alaska.

Providence Health & Services Alaska opened a new primary care clinic in Anchorage: Providence Medical Group Primary Care Huffman. The new clinic is located at 1389 Huffman Park Drive, Suite 202.

The opening of this clinic is part of Providence’s effort to bring care to more people, closer to where they work and live, with extended hours and same-day appointments.
alaska.providence.org

Trilogy Metals announced that Ambler Metals, the joint venture operating company equally owned by Trilogy and South32, has approved the 2020 program and budget of $22.8 million for the advancement of the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects located in Northwestern Alaska. The budget is 100 percent funded by Ambler Metals.
trilogymetals.com