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One of the big surprises in this year’s Cascadia Scorecard was the uptick in childbearing from 2005 through 2007.  From all indications, the Northwest is in the midst of a baby boomlet. The most disappointing news here:  teen birthrates inched upwards in every single jurisdiction in Cascadia.  It’s a surprising reversal following more than a decade of declines. To some, the uptick may seem like small potatoes.  (I’m talking here...

On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve released its Survey of Consumer Finances.  And for me, the interesting (but disappointing) news was that median incomes in the US—a proxy for how the middle class was faring—actually slipped between 2004 and 2007.  Even though the economy was allegedly “recovering” from the slump earlier in the decade—and even though the stock market was soaring—middle-income folks gained absolutely no ground.  In fact, they did worse...

How does your corner of Cascadia measure up against world leaders in economic security, energy efficiency, and walkable communities? Find out in Sightline’s just-released update of the Cascadia Scorecard, a regional report card that tracks seven trends vital to the Pacific Northwest’s future. This year, we find we’re making steady progress in human health and smart growth, but lagging in energy efficiency, economic security, and wildlife preservation. Also new: We’ve...

One of the best things about working at a think tank is that you come across all kinds of interesting ideas. Here’s one that caught my attention recently, courtesy of Scott Marlow. Let’s call it the “Corporate Carbon Challenge.”    Here’s how you might bill it: Save Power, Save $$—During the month of April, compete against other businesses to see who can conserve the most energy. Your local utility will...

Apparently, the US Postal Service is considering cutting back on one day of mail delivery per week.  Personally, I suppose I’m fine with this, since I get very little time-sensitive mail.  But I imagine that there are some folks who’d see this as a real hardship—yet another little blow, at a time when there are plenty of big ones to absorb. Regardless, someone just emailed me to ask if I...

Hot off the presses: these popular charts are now updated to include final energy price data for 2008. Take a look: Americans are falling behind—most of us anyway. We’re working longer than ever before to maintain a standard of living that once we took for granted. With respect to gas prices, average Americans are much worse off than they were in 1970. The working poor, in particular, are getting absolutely crushed. Their...

Folks in British Columbia enjoy relatively long, healthy lives.  The most recent data release from BCStats, the province’s statistical agency, shows that life expectancy in 2007 reached 81.6 years, an increase of about 3 months over the previous year. So at this point, if BC were an independent nation, its average lifespan would rank second in the world, just behind Japan and tied with Iceland.  (This, according to the most...

This week marked the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (January 22, to be exact), an event that has special significance in the wake of inaugurating a pro-choice president. Obama re-emphasized his commitment to choice by releasing a statement that underlined the values that are common to both sides of this contentious issue together. Roe v. Wade, he said, “stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on...

From the Six Degrees of Separation Department: Former Sightline Director Jane Lubchenco, a marine biologist from Oregon State University, will be the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Stephen Chu is the new secretary of energy. It’s a stretch, but his cousin was once on Sightline’s payroll (editorial director Ellen Chu). Oh, and Sightline’s executive director, Alan Durning, went jogging about a year ago with Lisa Brown of...

Over at Washington Policy Center, Todd Myers had a post a couple of weeks ago that gets something importantly right. Free allocation of carbon permits in a cap and trade system is a bad idea. Take it away, Todd: This system was used in Europe and led to some companies being given large excesses of carbon credits which they then sold on the market. In short, government gave something of value (carbon...