Research by Type
Sightline books are available for purchase and most are available as free downloads. Information on ordering books here.
First published in 1994, this report finds that ecosystems are still in critical condition. Yet our environment remains less degraded than almost anywhere else in the industrial world, pointing to the rare opportunity that we in the Northwest have to build a sustainable way of life. read more »
Green-Collar Jobs takes a close look at timber towns in the Northwest–ground zero in the perceived battle between jobs and the environment. If we do what’s right for the environment, what is everyone going to do for a living? read more »
Seven Wonders, a follow-up to Sightline’s 1997 book Stuff, asks readers to ponder this question: What would the world be like if everyone on Earth consumed resources the way North Americans do? The conclusion: probably uninhabitable. But the seven time-honored tools presented in this book are examples of simple things that can help redirect business as usual to sustainable ends. read more »
Tax Shift is a program for using the tax system to get more of what we want, such as flusher bank accounts, clean air, and healthier communities. read more »
An excerpt from the introduction to Misplace Blame discusses misconceptions of population growth. read more »
Misplaced Blame argues that much of the population growth overrunning parts of North America originates from five rarely noted root causes: poverty, sexual abuse, underfunded family planning services, subsidies to domestic migration, and ill-guided immigration policy. Along the way, Misplaced Blame uncovers one revelation after another. read more »
John Ryan explains climate change–the causes, the impacts, the solutions–from a Northwest perspective. The bad news is that Northwesterners generate more than their body weight in greenhouse gases every day. The good news is that we have the technology and the smarts to make better choices for our climate. read more »
Stuff follows a day in the life of a fictional, typical North American middle-class resident of Seattle. Nothing terribly unusual or dramatic happens. Unless you count average consumption–which Stuff does. Tracing back the layers of distribution, commerce, and production involved in everyday consumer goods Stuff is an engaging and fact-packed look at the people and places that are affected every time you sip your coffee, tie your shoes, click your mouse, step on the gas, or read a book. read more »
Stuff follows a day in the life of ordinary American consumer. These excerpts are taken from the chapters on french fries, newspapers and coffee. read more »
Educators and others share tips on using Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things read more »
