It seems that hardly a day goes by without another finding related to global climate change reaching the public eye. Just in the last week, we have witnessed the result of Arctic storms on the embattled village of Kivalina and seen that ice coverage on the Arctic Ocean this year is dramatically smaller than last.

While these developments appear to be generated by the same phenomenon, they also point out the irony of global climate change for the residents of Alaska. While the huge costs and tragic impacts that climate change is likely to have on our way of life are undeniable, we are also faced with opportunities that spring from these changes.

For example, while we are cleaning up from one storm, we are simultaneously faced with planning for the reopening of the Northwest Passage as a trade route with Europe. Fortunately, there are many resourceful Alaskans already finding ways to manage through these turbulent times.

A case in point is the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium, a nonprofit organization in Barrow that was established several years ago by the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corp. in cooperation with the scientific community of Barrow.

BASC supplies research support and logistics to U.S. and international scientists who are interested in studying subjects in the polar regions of Alaska and far-east Russia. While the success of BASC is easily illustrated in its user statistics (3,500 days of research in 2001 versus nearly 11,000 days this year), the positive impacts of the organization go much further, both locally and internationally.

One of the most basic effects of BASC's success is the impact that its operation has had on the local economy of Barrow. Since the U.S. Navy first established a research facility near Point Barrow in 1944, the Barrow cash economy has benefited from scientific research as an industry.

This industry has helped to diversify the local economy through the salaries and service businesses made possible by the research dollars being spent in and around Barrow. This trend continues today, with BASC annually bringing more than $3.5 million to the local economy from various governmental and private research organizations. Nearly all of this money finds its way into the local economy one way or another, thereby giving Barrow a significant economic return for its support of scientific research.

At a deeper level, BASC has become a model for the world as an organization that proves it is possible to bridge the gap between the traditional knowledge of Native peoples and the technologies utilized by modern science.

For those interested in learning more, this intersection is well-detailed in the book “The Whale and the Supercomputer” by Anchorage author Charles Wohlforth, but it also exhibits itself daily in the workings of BASC.

With its mission of bringing the community together with scientists, BASC has succeeded in enabling local students and residents to become involved in science in a meaningful way.

In a typical year, at least 40 local students work with scientists in the field and laboratory, while 50 adults gain temporary employment assisting researchers in the field. In addition, the entire community benefits from an ongoing BASC-sponsored lecture series, which delivers a wide variety of research-related programs to the general public.

It is expected that this widespread focus on scientific endeavor will inspire some local students to return in later years to become professionally involved in Arctic research, which will essentially bring the organization's mission to a full-circle conclusion.

BASC has also become successful in its efforts to export research findings from the Barrow area to the rest of the world.

While BASC typically serves a behind-the-scenes role, it frequently succeeds in having Arctic research profiled in national media outlets like ABC News and National Public Radio. It also creates opportunities for BASC-supported researchers to share findings directly with the public through institutions like the Exploratorium in San Francisco and the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium near Seattle.

Ultimately, these efforts are likely to become BASC's most important contribution to the eventual understanding and management of global climate change, which by definition must involve the entire populace of the globe.

The challenge we face as Alaskans is to find positive ways to manage the turmoil caused by a changing climate. Perhaps using the success of an organization like BASC as a touchstone will help each of us to find the inspiration and creativity that will be required to do so. With a little bit of ingenuity, it should be possible to turn this challenge into an opportunity.

Jeff Batton is vice president of corporate development for Alaska Growth Capital, a firm that provides commercial loans and business consulting. He can be reached in Anchorage at (907) 339-6760 or at jbatton@alaskagrowth.com.

© 2007 The Alaska Journal of Commerce Online