Systemic Solutions - Sustainability Toolkit
High-leverage solutions for the Northwest that will help the region make progress toward sustainability.
A key part of Sightline's research program is to identify and promote the most effective reforms for the region.
Often called "systemic solutions," these small but powerful changes to policy and practice whose ripple effects can prompt dramatic advances toward a sustainable economy and way of life.
Below are links to some of the most promising ripple-effect solutions we've researched. See also our "Green Taxes" section on how to use the tax system as a significant tool for change.
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Solutions for Healthier Communities
Individuals and institutions can take simple steps to create compact, complete communities that enable residents to get around without a car and encourage physical activity and connections among neighbors. -
The Northwest's Energy To-Do List
Top solutions--ranging from feebates to decoupling--for improving the region's energy security and efficiency. -
Spread Clean Technology with Feebates
Still awaiting their Northwest debut, feebates are a novel combination of fees and rebates, designed to continuously tug the entire car and truck market toward better fuel efficiency. -
Forest Stewardship Council Certification
A decisive step toward better forest management would be for Northwest landowners to seek Forest Stewardship Council certification of public forestland. -
Measure Gross National Happiness
Society needs to measure happiness as carefully as we do financial indicators such as income or gross domestic product. And we need to use these measurements to shape public policy. -
Index the Minimum Wage to Inflation
To improve economic security for northwesterners, jurisdictions should consider pegging minimum wage to inflation, as Washington and Oregon have done. -
Make Emergency Contraception Widely Available
The Northwest can curb unintended pregnancies by ensuring easy access to emergency contraceptive pills such as Plan B. -
Prove Safety First with New Chemicals
There are some 85,000 synthetic chemicals approved for commercial use today, but few have been tested for their effects on human health. We need to test them before putting them into widespread use. -
Prevent Pollution Before It Happens
A new twist on an old idea can multiply the reuse and recycling of materials and encourage manufacturers to eliminate pollution before it happens. -
Use Fuel Taxes Wisely
Make the price of driving tell the truth through fuel taxes that fund alternative transportation. -
Ease Congestion by Pricing It
The best-kept secret among transportation experts is the near-universal agreement that variable tolls--known as congestion pricing--offer the only real solution to worsening gridlock. -
Use Solar and Windpower
Shifting to renewable energy sources and reducing the amount of energy we waste are the keys to reducing the bloated impacts of industrial nations on the atmosphere. -
Why Bikes Are a Sustainable Wonder
Two-wheeling ranks as the most energy-efficient form of travel, especially for short trips--and makes you healthier. -
Make Best Transportation Buys First
Bus, rail, or monorail? Here's a system for figuring out which transportation solutions are the best match to a community's needs.
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