Environment
Sightline's research on pollution, and toxics such as PBDEs and PCBs.
Here's a catalog of Sightline's research on pollution, toxics, forests, and wildlife. Also see our blog series on toxic stormwater runoff.
most recent | publication type
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09/16/2011
Page
Coal Export FAQ
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? -
09/06/2011
Report
Coal Export: A History of Failure for Western Ports
Communities in Oregon and Washington are weighing the prospect of coal export facilities. Proponents of shipping American coal to Asia argue that coal will bring significant economic benefits to the region. In this research memo, we examine the risks of coal markets, review the history of coal exports on the West Coast, and evaluate the employment dimensions of coal terminals. -
04/04/2011
Page
Curbing Stormwater Pollution
Stormwater doesn't match the traditional image of pollution. There are no factory smokestacks belching waste. Yet polluted stormwater packs a punch. Sightline's report, Curbing Stormwater Pollution, looks at the challenges we face and the opportunities we have to clean up our waterways. -
03/09/2011
Report
Curbing Stormwater in Puget Sound
Rain may not seem like a likely culprit for many of Puget Sound's pollution woes. But on it's journey from sky to stream it picks up a host of toxics from our roofs, roadways, and yards. The end result is a toxic cocktail that spills into our waterways. This report catalogs the challenges polluted stormwater poses for the Puget Sound region, and highlights local Low Impact Development projects that are helping solve the problem. -
03/02/2011
Fact sheet
The Dirt on Coal in Washington State
In the Northwest, coal often feels like someone else's problem. But the truth is coal is big in our region. The two coal-fired power plants in Oregon and Washington are some of the largest polluters in our region, but efforts are underway to transition the region away from this dirty energy source. -
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. -
03/08/2010
Page
Industrial-Strength Stormwater Fix (pdf)
A blue-collar business has teamed up with a green community group to build a sustainable stormwater solution in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. -
02/22/2010
Article by Sightline
Taxing toxins - Letter to the Editor
The polluters who manufacture hazardous substances in Washington do real harm to our air and water. In fact, The Times’ darling, the Anacortes refinery — owned by the Texas oil giant Tesoro — is a case in point. It’s facing a new federal lawsuit for failing to test for important air pollutants like sulfur and benzene. -
09/05/2007
Report
Policy Analysis: Bulk Discounts for Polluters
According to a new analysis by Seattle-based Sightline Institute, one of Washington State’s few fees designed to discourage toxic pollution is undermined because it gives bulk discounts to the state's biggest polluters. -
03/08/2006
Fact sheet
PBDEs and PCBs in the Northwest - Regional Data Sheet
Local data for Montana, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon on PBDEs and PCBs in northwesterners. -
03/01/2006
Article by Sightline
Accounting 101 for Endangered Species
Dust off your sense of outrage, fellow taxpaying Americans. Endangered species are freeloading to the tune of $1.4 billion in state and federal spending, according to a new report from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. -
10/07/2005
Fact sheet
Wildlife Indicator - Gray Wolves
Sightline's wildlife index tracks gray wolves, which once ranged across most of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest before they were hunted to extinction. The west was wolfless until the mid-1990s, when small populations were re-introduced. -
10/07/2005
Fact sheet
Wildlife Indicator - Chinook Salmon
No creature, beside humans, penetrates the Pacific Northwest as thoroughly as salmon. The wildlife index tracks Chinook salmon returning as adults to the Bonneville Dam, the lowest dam on the Columbia River. -
10/07/2005
Fact sheet
Wildlife Indicator - Orcas
Orcas have always been a highly visible part of the northwest's cultural and ecological heritage. Once considered problematic pests by fishermen, they began to gain protection in the 1970s. But human actions still threaten these animals and the ecosystem we both share. -
10/07/2005
Fact sheet
Wildlife Indicator - Greater Sage-Grouse
The greater sage-grouse, a popular gamebird in eastern Oregon and Washington, is an excellent indicator of the health of the sagelands country in the inland Northwest, an ecosystem rich in native biological integrity.