I've returned to find home a little colder and darker than when I left. The winter in Alaska seems to accelerate to December 21st when the days will once again begin to get longer. This time of year, even two weeks away can make it seem as through you are returning to a different place than the one you left.

Some interesting items in environmental news today. The Natural Resources Defense Council along with an impressive coalition of conservation groups has released Transition to Green: Leading the Way to a Healthy Environment, a Green Economy and a Sustainable Future, a document of almost 400 pages outlining suggestions to the incoming president and federal agencies. The advice is emphatic in linking energy policy, environmental protection, and economic stimulus. The guiding principles are:

1. Economic Vitality, Clean Energy, and Climate Solutions Go Hand-in-Hand
2. Social Justice Requires Environmental Justice
3. Science Should Have a Primary Role in Safeguarding Our Environment
4. Integrity Must Be Returned to Environmental Governance

This is a refreshing change which suggests a possibility of having leaders in Washington who will finally allow themselves to be convinced by evidence even when it conflicts with ideology.

On the other hand, many people are holding their breath to see what kind of last minute executive orders and rule changes the current administration will push through as they pack their bags.