News items for July 20, 2018

Portland traffic by Rudy Salakory used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

• 1. How the car keeps Americans apart

  Car dependence not only reduces our quality of life, it’s a crucial factor in America’s economic and political divisions.

  CityLab Cars, Economic Inequality

• 2. Waiting for housing, Seattle’s low-income tenants subsist on the streets

  Developers are building new apartment buildings in Seattle, but for low-income tenants specifically, the housing stock has dropped.

  The Stranger Affordable housing, Housing Shortage

• 3. Mission accomplished on the “War on Poverty”?

  A report from the White House Council of Economic Advisors that declared the War on Poverty “largely over and a success.” The report diverged sharply from what even other Republicans say about poverty, to say nothing of economists.

  CityLab Economic Inequality, Inequality, Poverty

• 4. Views: Salmon vs. sea lions

  Congress should make it easier for local officials to kill some of the sea lions that prey on threatened salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin. The sea lions are doing fine — the salmon, not so much.

  Seattle Times Salmon

• 5. Puyallup tribes: How safe is Tacoma’s LNG plant?

  The Puyallup Tribe of Indians has asked Tacoma to re-examine whether a Tideflats liquified natural gas plant — now under construction — is really safe.

  The News Tribune First Nations, Liquified natural gas, LNG

• 6. CA sues federal government over halt to truck pollution rule

  California and 14 other states sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday over its decision to suspend an Obama-era rule aimed at limiting pollution from trucks.

  Seattle Times Air pollution

• 7. Arctic drilling to get fast review

  The Interior Department has commissioned an expedited environmental review of the impact of leasing part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling, according to a document released under the Freedom of Information Act.

  Washington Post ANWR, Arctic drilling

• 8. Feds move to roll back key parts of Endangered Species Act

  The revisions have wide-reaching implications, including for how the federal government would protect species from climate change.

  Seattle Times Endangered species

• 9. How land use policy helped turn CA blue

  As recently as a half-generation ago, California passed anti-immigrant laws, routinely elected Republican politicians, and wallowed in land use laws

  Planetizen Immigration, Land Use

• 10. Oil industry’s plan for worker safety: Have robots do their jobs

  The oil and gas industry is finally acknowledging how dangerous employment can be for its workers. Its solution is to fire them and replace them with robots.

  DeSmogBlog Oil, Worker Safety

More News from July 20, 2018

• In global warming fight, new tactics to make cows burp less

  Livestock are responsible for about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. From New Zealand to the United States and Kenya to Colombia, scientists are on a mission to fight global warming by making livestock less gassy.

  Christian Science Monitor Emissions, Greenhouse gas

• Judge throws out climate lawsuit

  A federal judge has dismissed a suit brought by the city that would have forced fossil fuel companies to pay for some costs of climate change.

  New York Times Climate Action, Climate Change

• House Republicans denounce a proposed carbon tax

  After a House Republican announced his plan to introduce a tax on carbon emissions next week, the House passed a nonbonding measure Thursday denouncing the legislation, in a mainly symbolic move.

  Pacific Standard Carbon Tax

• World’s largest dockless bike-sharing company leaves the U.S.

  The company has been operating in about 30 U.S. cities, and while it’s still determining final details, it plans to continue only in select metros like San Diego and Seattle, which have created fewer regulations.

  Next City Bike Share