Economy & Jobs

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 »

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 »

Sightline’s report reviews 16 of the most popular economics textbooks for the treatment of climate change. Grades came in across the board, but 5 textbooks fell into the “not recommended” category. Only one book received a flat-out F. read more »

The term “big business” works as a sledgehammer, when what’s often needed is a more refined tool—if not a scalpel, then perhaps a carving knife. The task for progressive communicators, then,
is to identify powerful language that evokes the negatives behind the “big business” frame, without reinforcing the (false) idea that all business is bad business. read more »

State-by-state map shows that Washington’s low-income families face the nation’s highest tax rates. view graphic »

A map of state-by-state tax rates for high-earning families, showing that Washington State ranks as one of the cheapest places in the country to be super-rich. view graphic »

Performance contracting is a time-tested tool used by local governments to increase energy efficiency, while guaranteeing energy savings are enough to cover the costs of the project. By tying contractor payments to real energy savings, there’s a strong incentive to do projects that yield real results. read more »

On average, Cascadians burn 9 gallons of gasoline and diesel each week, and use enough electricity in homes and businesses to keep ten 100-watt light bulbs burning continuously (with an extra 25-watt compact fluorescent thrown in for good measure). All told, the typical Northwest resident consumes the energy-equivalent of just over two gallons of gasoline every single day. That’s nearly double the energy consumption of more energy-efficient industrialized nations such as Germany, Great Britain, and Japan–nations that enjoy high standards of living despite consuming far less energy per person than northwesterners do. read more »

Green-collar jobs present a 3-for-1 opportunity for the Northwest: economic stability, reductions in climate-warming pollution, and an escape from dependence on fossil fuels. Here’s a list of reports and other resources on green-collar jobs. read more »

The gist: “Green-collar jobs”—manual-labor jobs in rapidly growing green industries—have the potential to speed progress on two deeply rooted problems at once: to reduce our society’s impact on the planet, while lifting people out of poverty. Many individuals and organizations have been leading the way. One leading proponent of green-collar jobs is Van Jones, who co-founded Rebuild the Dream, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and Green for All. (This page provides links to organizations and publications that focus on green-collar jobs. For links to other Sightline pages on green-collar jobs, see Green-Collar Jobs: Path out of Poverty.) What … read more »