Climate & Energy

Gasoline prices are high and volatile. Northwesterners are beginning to change their driving habits to adapt. Sightline’s report, Shifting into Reverse, shows that per capita vehicle travel has dropped significantly. view graphic »

Gasoline prices are high and volatile. Northwesterners are beginning to change their driving habits to adapt. Sightline’s report, Shifting into Reverse, shows that per capita gasoline consumption is at it’s lowest level in about 50 years. view graphic »

Gasoline prices are high and volatile. Northwesterners are beginning to change their driving habits to adapt. Sightline’s report, Shifting into Reverse, shows that per capita vehicle travel has dropped significantly. view graphic »

High prices are taking a bite out of northwesterners’ appetite for gasoline. Total gas consumption in 2011 in Oregon and Washington has fallen modestly since the 2002 peak—driven by declines in per capita driving and gains in vehicle efficiency. Measured per person, though, residents of the two states have reduced their use of motor fuel to its lowest levels since the early 1960s—back when three dimes would buy you a gallon of gas. And early trends suggest that per capita consumption in the two states may be headed for a drop of as much as 2 percent in 2012. read more »

Virtually all coal exported by Canada is sent from just three ports in British Columbia. Most of it went to Asia, but in recent years very little US coal has been actually been exported through BC ports. Several of the ports are planning to expand their coal capacity, yet even with this additional capacity BC’s existing coal ports could not come close to serving the volumes of Powder River Basin coal planned proposed ports in Oregon and Washington. read more »

Some of the most innovative solutions for building thriving and sustainable communities in the Northwest are, at present, simply illegal. Current rules make it difficult to share bikes, find a cab, take toddlers on the bus, and hang a clothesline. read more »

For years, local governments have used Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) programs to help channel urban growth away from farmland, forests, and open space. But new evidence suggests that, when used carefully, TDR programs can also help local governments achieve meaningful reductions in local greenhouse gas emissions. read more »

In January, 2012, Kinder Morgan—a giant energy conglomerate—announced plans to use an Oregon port on the Columbia River to export 30 million tons of coal annually to China and other Asian markets. Many people in the Northwest are concerned about the health risks, pollution, and economic risk that are entailed by the plans. A look at Kinder Morgan’s track record in communities where the company already exports coal reveals that these worries may be well-founded. read more »

Answers to some common questions about economics, health, and pollution with regard to coal exports in the Northwest, including: why care about coal exports and are coal terminals good neighbors? read more »

This spring marks the release of new editions of introductory economics textbooks, so it’s a good time to update our 2010 review of the treatment of climate change in economics textbooks. As in 2010, some hit the mark while others are wildly misleading, but we’re happy to say that there’s plenty of good news: about half of the books improved their treatment of climate change. read more »