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Weekend Reading 6/28/13
Eric If there’s a better illustration of the short-sightedness of unsustainable economic development, I don’t know what it is. Crosscut’s Floyd McKay has an insightful look at the troubled Oregonian newspaper, which recently announced that is laying off many of the region’s best reporters. Harper’s magazine revives a 1933 piece by Robert Littell, What the Young Man Should Know. It’s a gem. Serena Clearly, the entire Ballard community knows that...Read more » -
Obama’s Climate Failure
When it comes to climate policy, I’m with country music star Toby Keith: we need a little less talk and a lot more action. So I didn’t listen to Obama’s big climate address yesterday because I already know that the President is a brilliant orator. I’m sure it was a great speech. Unfortunately, the speech didn’t say what many think it said. And it most definitely does not deserve the praise heaped upon it (here, here, here, here, and here among others) by what seems like practically every environmental group. Sweeping rhetoric isn’t going to convince me the Obama administration is serious about tackling climate change. We need to see a coherent plan, and what we got instead was... sweeping rhetoric.
When it comes to climate policy, I’m with country music star Toby Keith: we need a little less talk and a lot more action. So I didn’t listen to Obama’s big climate address yesterday because I already know that the President is a brilliant orator. I’m sure it was a great speech. Unfortunately, the speech didn’t say what many think it said. And it most definitely does not deserve the...Read more » -
How Coal Affects Water Quality: State of the Science
After a recent spill at a British Columbia marine coal export terminal, the general manager was quoted in a local newspaper saying: There’s a lot of misinformation around coal. Coal is a naturally-occurring mineral. It is not toxic. Leaving aside his non sequitur—plenty of naturally-occurring minerals are toxic—he’s right that coal is subject to a lot of misinformation. There is a lot we should know, but don’t, about coal. For...Read more » -
Weekend Reading 2/22/13
Eric My top recommendation this week is “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food,” a feature piece by Michael Moss at the New York Times Magazine. I have a pronounced weakness for certain kinds of junk food—chips most of all—so I found it especially alarming to read in some detail about the well-funded research that develops foods specifically targeted to make us eat far more than we should. That the...Read more » -
Cargo bikes
Editor’s Note 5/19/16: In celebration of National Bike Month in the United States, Sightline is bringing back this cargo-bike classic. Since this article was published in 2012, cargo bikes have gained popularity and are seen all over Cascadia and beyond. Do you own a cargo bike? We want to know what you tow! Email us a photo at editor@sightline.org. It’s been a hard few months for us fossil-fuel-addicted societies: calamity in...Read more » -
Northwest Election Results, November 2012
It was a long and brutal campaign season for the Northwest, as for the rest of the United States. In the end, it brought a historic vote on marriage equality, a new approach to marijuana regulation, a small leftward shift in the Oregon House and the Northwest’s Congressional delegation, election of a strong champion for clean energy to the governor’s mansion in Olympia, and an awful lot of the same people—or...Read more » -
Have a Say in Coal Exports
If you’re concerned about coal export proposals in the Northwest, now is the time to speak up. Government agencies are now accepting public comments about two of the five coal export plans: Port of Morrow, Oregon. A coal terminal on the Columbia River proposed by Ambre Energy, an Australian coal company, appears to be on a fast track for approval. Read more about the very serious problems with this scheme...Read more » -
Weekend Reading 4/13/12
Eric H: Check out this infographic/comic, exploring the astonishing depths of our oceans. Slate has a fantastic series up on walking: why Americans don’t do it, the science of sidewalks, and more. Here’s part one of four. Nicole: I just came across Elaine McMillon’s engaging short documentaries of communities in the southeastern US. This short film about the Muscogee tribe’s fight for federal recognition in Washington’s catercorner national neighbor, Florida, caught...Read more » -
Will Federal Tax Policy Favor Car Commuting?
If you have commuting costs for parking, transit, or biking, you could be eligible for a federal tax subsidy. The IRS allows companies or employees to contribute up to $230 per commuter for monthly parking or transit commuting costs, a benefit that some 3 million people nationwide take advantage of. For the last two years, the pre-tax limits have been the same for parking and transit. But it wasn’t always...Read more » -
Who’ll Catch the Rain?
You hooked up a 55-gallon rain barrel to one of your roof downspouts. You were glad — maybe even a little smug — about tapping that free water to keep some of your plants happy this summer. Are you ready to kick it up a notch? There’s increasing interest around the Northwest in rainwater harvest on a bigger, bolder scale. Stretch that little rain barrel into a 550-gallon cistern installed...Read more »
