Alan

This folk-rock video opposing a new apartment building in the town center of Lake Oswego, Oregon, is apparently not intended as a parody of NIMBYism, which may be why it is such an effective parody of NIMBYism. (Hat tip to Patrick Barber.)

A year of changing seasons in a 40-second video.

Jeanette

Ever heard of the Share Wars?  Check out this article from the Urban Land Institute magazine on access versus ownership in the sharing economy.

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    • And for a little dystopian food humor, you might enjoy the Great Kale Shortage.

    Clark

    According to researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at the University of Michigan, the fuel efficiency of new vehicles sold in the US just reached a record high; it’s now 25.8 mpg, up from 20.8 in 2008. In some ways hitting a new high comes as no surprise: new vehicle fuel economy has been rising steadily for years. It’s mostly good news… yet with the most efficient new cars easily topping 50 mpg, it also shows how far the country has to go…

    Matt Yglesias argues the biggest thing that blue states are screwing up is housing. The fact that cities make it so hard to build new housing has been bad for affordability, bad for the environment, bad for social equity, and bad for those cities’ economies. But on the plus side, it makes existing homeowners happy, because constraining housing supply drives up prices.

    Jennifer

    This article knocking the home-cooked family dinner off its pedestal resonated with me on so many levels. I quite like to cook when I have time and eaters who will appreciate it, but a picky first grader and the daily 6 pm time crunch in my house generally kills my joy. The author could have helped me out, though, by offering ANY reasonably economical and healthy alternatives to the whipped-from-scratch family meal.

    And, to celebrate the 50th  anniversary week of the Wilderness Act, these pieces from Barry Lopez and Rocky Barker.

    Eric

    The opposition to Bakken oil extraction and rail shipment continues to mount:

    • In Montana, the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes are complaining about the negative impacts of the boom to US Senator John Tester.
    • In Vancouver, Washington, more than two dozen business owners are lining up to oppose the proposed Tesoro oil-by-rail terminal there.
    • Upriver in White Salmon, Washington, fireman Lance Stryker attended several oil train safety trainings by BNSF and then published a blistering op-ed in local papers, saying that the company “does not have our basic welfare in mind.”
    • Meanwhile, across the continent in New Brunswick, nearby residents are raising alarms about a much smaller oil train site there that is releasing odors so powerful that it “burns your eyes.”

    Obviously I only read it for the articles, but Playboy’s guide to catcalling is extremely helpful.

    Serena

    I’m sure you were eagerly awaiting an entertaining report on Grover Norquist’s trip to Burning Man. It’s brief, but it will not disappoint. And for some visual stunners from the festival, see this InFocus collection.