McBeath, Gerald A.

English

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406 / REVIEWS ENJOYING A LIFE IN SCIENCE. By P.F. SCHOLANDER. Fairbanks:  University  of  Alaska  Press,  1990.226  p.,  maps,  photos, refs. Hardbound. U.S.$22.95. Pete Scholander’s autobiography is really an account of his enjoyment of  life.  Science  was  means to this end. That his  science was brilliant,  stimulating,  challenging,  if at times  controversial,  made for him a rich and rewarding  life  of  accomplishment.  Here  is a  chance to share  in  his  exuberance and enthusiasm. It is  impossible to review each and every scientific  endeavor,  nor  is  it  necessary or appropriate, since we are not dealing  with  a  scientific  manuscript. We are  dealing with  a way of  life.  Each account of  his  scientific and non-scientific “adventures” is  simple, brief, and largely  understandable to the layman.  Each  is  also  accompanied by his  unending  enthusiasm and enjoyment of  life, congenial  company and colleagues,  good food, good drink, and good music. He  continuously  relates to people and his  many friends throughout the world. His  first and continuing love  was the Arctic,  first  in  Norway and later  in  Alaska. But better to understand the Arctic one needs  also to know the Tropics. Indeed, the world was his laboratory.  And no topic was immune  from  his  scrutiny.  His  early  years  in Norway and his  early  arctic  ventures  are  of  rather  great  historical  interest. His  youth was no  doubt  influenced by  many  of the  leading  European scientists  of our time,  such  as Ahlmann, Bjerknes,  Krogh, Mosby, and Ruud.  I  only wish he  had devoted more attention and detail to the fascinating start of  his  career. It is quite likely that his early  training  in  medicine  provided the best  possible  broad  scientific  background for his later endeavors in physiology. I  suppose  medicine  in  itself seemed too constrained for  his  temperament, although some  of  his  later  work  returned  sig- nificant contributions to medical science in application of the methods he had developed.  What  seemed  principally to thwart  a normal  career  in  medicine was  his insatiable and unlimited  curiosity about almost  everything.  His  unique  ability was to identify  simple but  meaningful  scientific  problems,  such  as the rise  of sap in  trees or grape  vines, the growth  of  mangroves  in  a  salt  water habitat, cold  acclimation of the natives  of  Terra  del  Fuego and the Aus- tralian  bush,  diving  seals,  Australian  pearl divers,  supercooled  fish, and the composition of gas  bubbles in ice. His involvement in  the  gas  bubble  studies  in  Labrador, Norway, and Greenland shows  much about his way of science. In 1954 a small laboratory was established  in  Hebron  Fjord,  Labrador, t  study the physiology  of bottom fish  living  in  a  permanent  high  arctic environment  of -1.7 to -1.8OC found in  the fjord basin, while the body  fluids of these  fish  remained  almost  l0C warmer! Instead of  complex and perhaps  unreliable power machinery at the remote site, he used the simple  expedient  of  ice and salt to control tem- peratures  for the experimental  work.  Among  the  sources  of  ice were icebergs,  presumably  from  Greenland.  Icebergs  contain  gas  bubbles under  pressure.  Immediately  there was a  mercurial  rise  in Pete’s curiosity.  Could  these  bubbles  be  ancient  atmosphere  trapped  when the snow settled on the Greenland ice cap millennia ago? Immediately  available  from the Hebron Fjord work  was the tech- nology  of the physiologist for micro-analysis of respiratory  gases. And  promptly  aboard  the  R/V Blue Dolphin, analyses  of the bubble composition were  made. This led to further development of techniques  in  Norway and  the 1958  Greenland  iceberg dating  project, described  in  chapters 14 and 19. A  principal  feature  of Pete’s  work that sets him apart from tradi- tional  field  scientists  was  his  undertaking  detailed  experimental  work on  site  in the field,  whether  in the Arctic or  the Tropics, rather than the traditional way of  collecting  specimens and data  to be  contem- plated  perhaps  months  later  on  return to the home institution.  After his  early  ventures to Spitzbergen and Greenland  this was  his normal way  of  science. A  second  feature that soon emerged  was  his “team approach.” His  ability to attract  competent  and  diverse  colleagues  would  produce much  broader  and  more  significant  results.  And  he  needed  the  stimu- lation  of  these  colleagues  working on related, or unrelated,  projects who  could  challenge and debate  him. But at all  times  he  seemed to be the center - which he was! Few of  his  friends  will  dispute that he  was  somewhat  self-centered,  egotistical, and opinionated; but he  was  always honest and generous.  Early on he  set forth his strong views, not universally  popular, on religion,  succinctly but not offensively. This  simple and direct  honesty  is  found throughout his  autobiography, which  is quite refreshing  in  today’s  world  of “weasel-wording” and cautious indecision. His  imagination was unrestrained.  For example, just after World War  I1  he proposed to mount a laboratory in an old  military troop glider to be  landed on remote Prince Patrick  Island  in the high Canadian Arctic.  This  became moot when the U.S. Office of  Naval Research  established the Arctic  Research  Laboratory at Point  Barrow, Alaska,  where  an  era  of  on-site  arctic  field  research  was  set in motion principally by its initial investigators, Larry Irving and Pete Scholander. One of  Pete  Scholander’s important accomplishments was the creating  of the R/V Alpha Helix, which fulfilled his fundamental objective of having a first-rate laboratory ship to conduct experimental  work,  whether  in the Arctic, the Tropics, or even up the Amazon. The idea was there  from the outset; but the nurturing of it and the selling  of  it to the funding  bureaucracies was  largely through Pete’s initiative and persistence.  The Alpha Helix remains as an investigative tool for future researchers  who  follow  in  Pete’s steps. But  sometimes  it  was  pure fun. When at Elgin  Field  in  early  World War  11, in an attempt to outwit the minuscule  brain  of an alligator, Pete and Larry  Irving  managed to capture one and brought  it into the  laboratory  one  evening.  The  next  morning,  after  it  had  frightened the lab attendant, they took it back to its creek and let it go.  Why? “Just for the hell  of  it.” There  is  one  rather  great g p in Pete  Scholander’s  chronicle that I  must  note. This is  failure to acknowledge  adequately the role  in his life and in his science  of  his  marvelous and charming wife, Susan Irving  Scholander.  Susan stood by  him at all  times,  from  providing a  congenial  home  and  entertaining Pete’s almost  continuous  stream of  guests to active participation in the field  projects. Any account of  his  life  is  incomplete  without  recognition  of  Susan.  I  am  certain all Pete’s friends and colleagues will join me in affirming this judgement. In conclusion  there  are  two  special enduring notes that deserve mention.  In 1979  he was awarded the Nansen  Prize  from  his  boyhood Norway and distinguished  recognition  from the old  world. In 1989 the Physiological  Research  Laboratory  at  Scripps  Institute  of  Ocean- ography was named  Scholander  Hall  as  a new  world recognition. I feel honored and privileged to have had an opportunity to share a  small part of  Pete  Scholander’s  exciting and enjoyable  life  in science. David C. Nutt Dogford  Road  (HC-61 - Box 110) Etna, New Hampshire 03750 W3.A. THE INUPIAT  AND  ARCTIC  ALASKA:  AN  ETHNOGRAPHY OF DEVELOPMENT.  By NORMAN A. CHANCE. Ft.  Worth, This: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1990.  241  p., maps,  photos,  figs., bib., glossary, index. Softbound. Price not indicated. Norman Chance is  well  known to students of the Arctic  because of  his fiist book on the Inupiat, The Eskimo of North Alaska (1966). But  his  research  interests  in  cultural  anthropology  took  him to other regions.  He  has  conducted  studies in northern  Canada,  the American Southwest, and China. This range  of  experience in comparative development  problems  gives  Chance’s  second  book on the Alaska Inupiat  a  broader perspective.  Not  only  does  he review changes  since his  first trip to Kaktovik  in 1958 and examine the transformation of  the Inupiat hunting and gathering  culture  under the pressure of  oil and  gas  development,  but  he  also  begins an exploration of the  dynamic  relationship  between  human  societies  and  nature. The  book’s  first  section  outlines  the  European  and  American colonial  and  industrial  penetration  of  areas  inhabited by Inupiat in Alaska’s Arctic  Slope  and evaluates Inuit  responses to this  pattern of  colonialism.  Chance  describes  the  whaling  and  trading  eras  and the  changes  they  brought  about  in  the  material  culture  of  the  Inupiat, particularly by introducing new forms  of  technology  and  weaponry. The  middle section of the  book  captures  the  impact of the  colonial era  on  Inupiat living circumstances  in a snapshot  of  Kaktovik village life in  the  late 1950s. Chance  describes  what  it was  like to grow up  in  such a time  and  shows how the  Inupiat  dealt  with  economic changes  prior  to  the  discovery of oil  at  Prudhoe Bay. The  book’s  final  section  explores  the  situation  and  prospects  for present-day  Inupiat;  it is based  upon  social science research  con- ducted in Alaska during the 1970s and 1980s. The  backdrop to Inupiat  social  and  political  development is composed of events  since statehood formation of state government, discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, the  successful  movement to resolve the  Native land  claims  issue  (the  Alaska  Native  Claims  Settlement Act of 1971), which  permitted  construction  of  the  oil  pipeline  to  proceed,  and legislation  to  distribute  federal  lands  in  Alaska  (Alaska  National Interest  Lands  Conservation  Act of 1980), including  protection  of subsistence hunting  rights of Alaska Natives. These  form  the  context for  establishment on  the  Arctic  Slope of a strong  local  (borough) government, a wealthy  for-profit  regional  corporation  (ASRC),  a locally  controlled  school  district,  and  other  institutions  that have drawn  the  Inupiat  into  a  complex web of  political  and  economic interdependence. Chance  concludes  the  book by linking  the  Inupiat  story  to  two fundamental  human  problems  of  the  late  20th  century - “the  for- midable  unequal  distribution  of  productive  wealth”  and “ecological deterioration.” He  points  to  an  emerging  class  division  between Inupiat  corporate  and  government  elites  and  the  people, a division spawned by the  competitive  cash  and  commodities  economy,  which contradicts  values of sharing  in  Inupiat  culture.  He  is  troubled bythe 1989 Exxon Valdez oil  spill,  which by despoiling  Alaska  waters and  lands  symbolizes  the  threat of resource  development  to  tradi- tional  Inupiat  subsistence  pursuits.  His is  a poignant  account of the  Inupiat’s  painful  struggle to exercise control  over  their  fate, attempts that make them part of the process while producing outcomes  that  often  erode  Inupiat  cultural life. Chance sensitively illustrates the dilemmas facing the Alaska Inupiat  and  makes  their  experience relevant. The  balance  he achieves in  this  slim  volume  recommends  it  to  specialist  and  generalist alike. Gerald A. McBeath Department of Political Science University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 USA. THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ARCTIC  SHIPPING:  SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL  ASSESSMENT  AND  HUMAN VALUES. Edited by DAVID L. VANDERZWAAG and CYNTHIA LAMSON. Montreal  and  Kingston:  McGill-Queen’s  University  Press, 1990. 288 p., 11 maps, bib., index. Hardbound. Cdn$34.95. The  co-editorship of Cynthia  Lamson  and  David  Vanderzwaag is  a familiar  touch  in  this  collection,  having  induced excellent con- tributions - a few from new sources  and several with a strong message  beyond the conveyance  of  information.  The  title  is  rather more  literal  than  lyrical  compared to an earlier  offering by the  same team, Northern  Decision  Making: A Drifting Net in a  Restless Sea. The  latter  title  should, I suggest,  be  used by them  for a second volume,  in  which  they  and  their  contributors  reflect on environ- mental  decision  making  in  the  North  in  the 1990s. The  first  and  last  chapters  convincingly  display  the  particular strengths of each  editor.  The  opening  provides a densely  factual REVIEWS / 407 yet surprisingly  readable  backdrop  for  the  book,  and  the  closing, musically  titled  “On  the  Road  to  Kingdom Come,” steps  bravely into the central philosophic issue of seeking an environmental consensus  among  those  who  would serve nature  and  those  who would  be  served by it,  and  those  in  the  middle  who  are  still  trying to define  “sustainable  development.” I expect it is difficult to be a tough  editor  in  this  financially unrewarding  field, and  the  collection  suffers  on  occasion  from  much more  emphasis on  the  first  half  than  the  second  half  of  the 1980% as  evidenced by the  bibliography  and  shipping  statistics.  That  said, even if, impossibly,  the  collection  had  been  started  and  finished in  the  first  quarter  of  this year, fast-breaking events would  still have begged a “Volume 2.” In  recent  months  further  legal  challenges to  EARP have  supported  the  Rafferty  and  Almeda  decision, new environmental  assessment  legislation  has  been  tabled,  and  the  vast eastern  and  high  arctic  onshore  and  offshore  has  been  captured in  the  proposed  TFN  land  claim.  Perhaps even more  to  the  point, the  first  Beaufort  drilling  proposal  to  be  approved by th  new  Review Board  under  the  Inuvialuit  Final  Agreement  (October 1989) has been  quickly  followed by the first  Beaufort  drilling  proposal  to  be refused,  in  ominous  terms,  under  the  same  agreement  (June 1990).The  ongoing  impacts  of  the Exxon Valdez are  washing  ashore,  just at  the  time  northerners  are  ready  to  make  their own  diff cult  tradeoffs between  royalties  and  environmental  damage. Ray Lemberg  creates  for  the  reader a seamless  backdrop  of  the decade of the  arctic  EARP - the 1980s’ hammering-out  of how to do  a risk assessment. He  admirably overcomes his in-depth knowledge  as a technical  expert  to  the  Beaufort  Sea  Panel  to give the  reader  the  perhaps  dangerous feeling of having grasped  the  whole bolt of fabric,  from  nature  of  risk  to  the  final  necessary  compromise. He sets out  the  slim  prospects of “risk”  as a numerical  probability being  established  with  confidence  for  arctic  projects  in  the  first instance  and, if established,  satisfying  the  demand  for  reassurance in  the  second place. Many of us have seen  environmental  assessment panels  aspire to  deal sensibly with  the  risk  and  clean-up of a medium- sized disaster,  only to return  again  and  again  to  the  feared  “worst case  scenario”  and  the  wish  for  reassurance  that  a)  it will never, never happen,  and  b)  when it does,  it will be  cleaned  up swiftly. Robert  Dryden  provides,  with  barely  sub-surfaced  anger,  a vivid account of the seemingly  endless,  ultimately  frustrated  and  surely wasteful reviews of the  aborted  Arctic  Pilot  Project.  The  cost  of the  book is well worth having this  compressed history, and  the lessons to  be  learned,  on  this  unique  liquid  natural  gas  project.  Surely  the challenge is to do  more  effective  environmental reviews, not  simply more  environmental reviews. Robert  Lake  was  no  doubt  given  the  task  to  describe  the  physical environment of the  Arctic  in 50 pages or less; amazingly,  he  suc- ceeded,  and even contributed  a  spare  page  to  Brian Smiley’s “Marine Mammals  and  Ice-Breakers” - a  co-habitation  risk  summarized as “collisions, interference, and contamination.” Peter Jull’s accusatory  tone  in  describing  lack  of  Inuit  partici- pation  in  environmental  decisions is wisely tempered by his concern there  has  been  a  “too-ready belief that  negotiating  processes  would be  problem-free if only  Inuit were in charge.” He is  a  prophet  who should  return  from  Upper  Coomera  Australia  and  provide  further insights of this order. The  environmental reviews of the  Arctic  Pilot  Project  and  the Beaufort  oil  proposals  are  referenced extensively, cuing  the reader’s interest  in  a  future  comparison of the  EARP processes  old and new, federal  and  territorial.  What  role  the  proposed  Northern  Accord process will set up  for  carrying  out  or  responding  to  environmental reviews remains to be  seen.  In a second  volume,  David  Marshall would  have a new lode  to  mine  on  federal  environmental reviews. John  Donihee  and  Heather  Myers  have  also  staked  a  claim by  way of their  prescient  title  “Coming  of Age: Territorial Review.” The level of influence of the  Territorial  Government  on  environmental reviews under  land  claims  and  under  a  Northern  Accord is very much a question  mark - and  Donihee  and  Myers  have  established their  credentials  to  define  it  for us. 

The Inupiat and Arctic Alaska: An Ethnography of Development, by Norman A. Chance

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The Inupiat and Arctic Alaska: An Ethnography of Development, by Norman A. Chance

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