Cascadia Scorecard News
Sightline Institute
Cascadia Scorecard News--October 2006
Does efficiency in your home pay?; Oregon's winners and losers on property rights; car-less series.
10/25/2006Efficiency Pays: Five ideas for making easy energy decisions In the market for a new fridge, but unsure if it’s really worth it to pay a bit more for a super-efficient model? Right now, it’s hard, too hard, for homeowners to see that energy efficiency is worth the cost. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are five ideas that will make it easier for consumers to come to better decisions about energy and their home. Read on. Lessons from Oregon: Why property initiatives are a bad deal This fall, voters across the West are facing ballot measures billed as favoring “property rights.” Initiatives in Washington, Idaho, Montana, and California are all based on a law passed in Oregon in 2004—Measure 37. And they all aim to remove the protections we've come to rely on. "Oregon's property-rights law hasn't led to a sweeping improvement in the fairness of the land-use system. Instead, it's picked new winners and losers" -- The Oregonian, 10/24/06 Here are some stories of what real Oregonians are facing under this law, and what the rest of the Northwest could face soon:  A gravel mine next to homes and family farms: More than 40 neighbors are worried about the effects of a claim for a mine that could disrupt their lives with noise, traffic, and pollution. Meet an alpaca rancher worried about her livestock, and a farming family ready for retirement, whose potential buyers are being scared off by the approval of a mine next door. Read the Oregon stories. Development inside a national monument: A Measure 37 claim inside Newberry National Volcanic Monument is likely to win approval for a pumice mine, geothermal plant, and vacation homes, putting the natural area at risk for contamination, noise, and crowds. Learn more.Find out more about the initiatives from the report, Property Wrongs. Find out about the initiatives in your state here.  Donor challenge! A $10,000 matching grant will be ours when just 38 more engaged supporters become monthly donors, or Friends of Sightline. Monthly giving is convenient for you and extra helpful to us, as it distributes your giving throughout the year. Find out more. Thanks! | | Special offer from Sustainable Industries: Sightline readers receive a 50% discount on subscriptions to the magazine. Enter code: sightline. 38 to go: A $10,000 matching grant will be ours with only 38 more new monthly donors. Want to join? From the Daily Score Blog Obesity problem worse?: Newsflash, people lie about their weight. Go west, young wolf: Wolves return home to Oregon. Confessions of a commuter The Year of Living Car-lessly Experiment series Wireless washrooms: What cities really need is a Google for toilets. The car-less blues One car down, one to go Get the weekly wrap up: Sign up to get the top NW headlines from Tidepool and the top posts from the Daily Score selected for you each week. |
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