News items for August 28, 2024
![Chum salmon leaping by US Fish and Wildlife Service used under CC BY 2.0 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/6088542755) A fish leaps from the ocean water](https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Chum-salmon-leaping-275x183.jpg)
Chum salmon leaping by US Fish and Wildlife Service used under CC BY 2.0
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1. NW tribes receive millions in federal funding to build new housing
“This is a great first step to be able to help alleviate some of the historical lack of housing and the huge need for housing in the Pacific Northwest in Indian Country.”
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2. 2014 Yakima case sparked push in WA voting rights reform
Yakima has been at the center of several voting-rights court fights that reformed how lawmakers are elected in Central Washington. While these fights have paved the way for future reforms, advocates say plenty of barriers remain for Latino voters and candidates in the Yakima area.
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3. Hydropower use expected to increase, but could be affected by climate change
The Pacific Northwest could see a slight increase in hydropower generation within the next 15 years, but these projected increases could be thwarted by the uncertainty of climate change and other extreme weather events.
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4. Portland elections officials explain ranked-choice voting
In November, Portlanders will cast their votes for local government using ranked-choice voting. As the city amps up voter education efforts, city and county elections officials have been making the rounds to answer questions about voting ranked-choice and how they’re educating voters in the lead-up to November.
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5. A new pipeline battle looms for BC
Opponents to the Prince Rupert line include the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation who maintain the project will impact their territory.
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6. BC’s Site C reservoir filling begins, but problems still possible
BC Hydro has begun filling the Site C reservoir as a prelude to powering up the first of six generating units on the giant hydroelectric dam before year’s end.
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7. Report shows disparities in WA’s Native American health care
Health system performance scorecard shows shorter life spans and higher rates of death before 75 from preventable and treatable causes for Native Americans living in Washington state.
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8. OR proposes improvements to farmworker housing
But some farmworker advocacy groups say the proposed changes fall short of what they were asking for.
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9. As the world burns
Wildfires impact our lives and our communities: What does science say about how they happen, and how to respond?
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10. Klamath River dam removal should allow salmon to thrive
Four giant dams on the Klamath are being razed as part of the largest dam removal project in US history, a victory for the tribes who have led a decades-long campaign to restore the river. This week, as the final pieces are demolished, a 240-mile stretch of the Klamath will flow freely for the first time in more than a century.
More News from August 28, 2024
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Intergenerational housing could help combat loneliness
Care communities that blend senior living with college campuses and daycare centers offer an alternative for a more social generation of retirees.
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Pedestrian-friendly cities: The impact of walkability grants
One example: The Levy to Move Seattle program is using federal and state walkability grants to construct 25 blocks of sidewalks annually in high-foot-traffic areas with frequent transportation services.
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Environmental justice as birthright
Indigenous youth are using litigation to force change in political and economic systems that have long resisted calls to climate action.
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What would Kamala Harris’s environmental priorities be?
As a senator, Kamala Harris waded into the weeds on environmental policy issues including invasive species, nuclear waste, and Superfund sites.
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Climate workers wanted
The climate jobs of the future may mean adjusting how we think of the jobs of the past: Electricians may need to learn to install solar panels, construction workers may need to deal with new engineering requirements, and bankers may need to manage climate risk.
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Two years into Inflation Reduction Act and emissions higher than ever
Two years and close to $300 billion later, what we’re seeing is that increased renewable energy investment goes hand in hand with increased fossil fuel production.
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Research reveals best ways to reduce food waste at home
Reduction of food waste can have multiple benefits, including conserving limited natural resources such as water, improving food security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
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Alaskans will vote on whether to repeal ranked choice voting
Alaskans narrowly adopted a 2020 ballot measure that put in place open primaries and ranked choice general elections. The voting method was first used in 2022 and is again being used this year. Supporters of the method say it yields more centrist candidates willing to work across the political aisle.
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Have you seen this bird?
Some 144 bird species had not been seen in at least a decade, but a project by conservation organizations proposes they all may still be hidden somewhere in the wild.
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25 joys of ditching the car for a bike commute
In the age of endless traffic jams, escalating gas prices, and environmental concerns, many are finding freedom in a simple, two-wheeled solution: the bike commute.
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Seattle opened 1,750 subsidized, affordable apartments in 2023
The Office of Housing made some progress on development last year, but faces new challenges from high construction costs and interest rates.
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WA farmers want their promised carbon-pricing exemptions
Small family farms struggling to navigate cap-and-invest regulations say the Department of Ecology hasn’t done enough outreach or education.
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Critics fear for wildlife as Site C reservoir fills in NE BC
Activists and residents in BC’s Peace region say they fear for wildlife and farms as the large Site C reservoir began filling up with water on Sunday.
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Here a bee, there a bee, everywhere a wild bee
Biologists are finding new bee species all over the Pacific Northwest—highlighting how little we know about native pollinators.
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OR affordable housing providers barely staying afloat
The tenuous position of affordable housing providers calls into question whether, and when, Oregon will be in a position to generate the more than 176,000 affordable housing units that officials say the state needs over 20 years
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How high home insurance costs threaten affordable housing
Developers and landlords of subsidized housing, who cannot raise rents or charge more for starter homes, say property insurance increases could put them out of business.