Importance of Alaska

Alaska is where the book opens and it is where the reader is first introduced to life in a community that is dependent on the fossil fuel economy. Alaska represents the fossil fuel industry and all its unpleasant realities. At the same time, it also represents the expansive and impressive natural landscapes of North America. It is these two things, the oil industry and the North American ecology, that prompt Ken to go on his Keystone hike. Furthermore, Alaska weaves together the inherent conflict between beautiful and wild natural landscapes and the destruction caused by the oil industry. Alaska also represents Ken's adventurous spirit and his desire to go on an extreme type of journey.