British Columbia - Research & Publications

11/07/2011
Backgrounder

Ocean Acidification in Two Pages (PDF)

As humans emit excessive carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, our oceans become more acidic--causing harm to the basic organisms that make up the ocean's complex marine ecosystem. This backgrounder outlines the problem of ocean acidification in the context of the Pacific Northwest. It includes the impacts happening in the region now as well as steps we can take to fix the problem.

11/03/2011
Report

Northwest Ocean Acidification

Every day, oceans do us a huge favor by absorbing about a third of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by human activities. But as we burn more fossil fuels and clear forests, our oceans absorb more and become more acidic. The result is water that's potentially lethal to a large swath of creatures that play a huge role in aquatic ecosystems, the Northwest economy, and our dinner plates.

08/03/2011
Report

Coal Exports From Canada

Virtually all coal exported by Canada is exported 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 for Washington’s ports.

06/30/2010
Report

Shifting Gears: Despite struggling economy, NW gasoline use ticks up

Despite a sputtering economy, Northwest drivers used more gasoline in 2009, reversing a decade-long trend of declining personal gas consumption. British Columbia saw a startling 10 percent increase in per-capita gasoline consumption.

06/24/2010
Report

Northwest Wildlife Icons Still at Risk

According to Sightline's Cascadia Scorecard several of the region's wildlife icons are still at risk. Overall, gains for salmon, orcas, and wolves outweighed declines in caribou and sage-grouse, pushing the index to an all-time high. Still, more progress is needed.

03/31/2010
Article by Sightline

Wish We Had BC's Political System in US!

The undemocratic design of the U.S. Senate is a huge obstacle to progress in America's Northwest where I live. How did the Senate get set up in the first place?

01/07/2010
Page

Climate Policy: Fair and Effective Solutions

What makes smart climate policy? How can we be sure it is fair, effective, and efficient? Read primers, fact sheets, and reports on how to do climate policy right.

01/07/2010
Article by Sightline

Vancouver Is Cascadia's Greenest City, Who Is Second?

Monday, Seattle inaugurated a new, ultra-green mayor, which got me thinking comparatively. Which of the three largest Cascadian cities is the greenest? Not in plans and intentions and declarations but in facts?

07/07/2009
Report

Cap and Trade 101: A Climate Policy Primer

In Cap and Trade 101: A Climate Policy Primer, Sightline sorts out the details on what's emerging as the most popular and comprehensive policy solution to the enormous challenge of climate change. Sightline's primer also looks at current bills, such as the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

03/18/2009
Report

Green-Collar Jobs: Realizing the Promise

Green-collar jobs—jobs dedicated to saving energy, producing renewable energy, or reducing pollution—can speed progress on two deeply rooted problems at once: easing our dependence on climate-warming fossil fuels and fostering lasting, broadly shared economic prosperity.

05/21/2008
Report

Slowing Down: Vancouver, BC, and Smart Growth

Vancouver Report: Sightline analysis of new Census data finds decline in Vancouver's smart-growth record. From 2001 through 2006, the share of new urban and suburban growth that went into compact, walkable communities declined and the amount of land developed to accommodate new residents increased, compared with the 1990s.

04/17/2008
Report

Braking News: Gas Consumption Goes Into Reverse

From 1999 to 2007, the Northwest states have cut back on per-person gasoline consumption by 11 percent, good news for the climate and our pocketbooks. Moreover, the Northwest is outpacing the nation in cutting back on gasoline.

10/07/2007
Backgrounder

Analysis: Increases in greenhouse-gas emissions from highway-widening projects (pdf)

Sightline researchers do the math on whether adding lanes adds greenhouse gas emissions--it does.

06/12/2007
Fact sheet

BC Scorecard 2007

How BC stacks up in the seven key trends tracked by the Cascadia Scorecard.

05/21/2007
Daily Score series

Bicycle Neglect - blog series

Alan Durning looks at which Cascadian cities are doing best at developing bike networks, and how they can do better.