Could Palin Pick Spotlight “Alaska Dividend” Solution to Climate Crisis?

John McCain’s pick for vice-president isn’t shaping up as a win for Teddy Roosevelt-style conservation. A list of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s positions on key environmental issues posted by the folks at Grist includes these anti-green stances: Opposed a statewide ballot initiative to prohibit or restrict new mining operations that could affect salmon in the state’s streams and rivers.Has pushed to build a natural-gas pipeline from Alaska’s North SlopeSued the Interior Department over its decision to list the polar bear as a threatened speciesHas proposed eliminating Alaska’s gas tax Has pushed to open Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling But the Grist list also includes this: Got the state legislature to pass a bill to provide each Alaskan $1,200 to help with energy costs Which naturally brings to mind the Alaska Permanent Fund , the 49th State’s long-established program that annually sends every Alaska resident an identical c...