The role of Alaskan missile defense in environmental security

• Main Author: Fritz, Stacey Anne
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: Arctic; Fairbanks; Kodiak; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6340

Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2002 In 2002, the United States abandoned the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and began constructing a missile defense system in Alaska. Questions about how missile defense will contribute to U.S. security remain. Moreover, beliefs about what constitutes security are expanding to include considerations of global environmental stability. According to environmental security theories on arms control, non-proliferation, and environmental degradation, deploying missile defense may make the U.S. and the world less secure. This analysis addresses the issue by exploring the military's role in Alaska and resulting environmental damage, followed by a history of missile defense systems and a description ofthe Alaskan project's components. Arguments for and against missile defense are explained, and the history of Kodiak Island's rocket launch facility illustrates how these issues are evolving in Alaska. The conclusion discusses why pursuing the system is seen by many as a risky policy choice in both traditional and environmental security contexts. Ch. 1. Introduction -- ch. 2. Changing concepts of security -- ch. 3. Alaska's contribution to national security -- ch. 4. The legacy of military activity in the arctic environment -- ch. 5. The history of missile defense systems and Alaska's new role in national security -- ch. 6. The missile defense debate -- ch. 7. The case of Kodiak Island: Star Wars and space pork -- ch. 8. Conclusion -- Bibliography.