News items for June 2, 2023

Multi-unit home under construction. Photo by Mark McClure

• 1. OR’s untapped gold mine: The homes that don’t yet exist

  To reduce housing shortages, small doses of cash could get many projects built. A bill introduced in Oregon this year suggests a clever place to find it.

  Sightline Institute Housing, Upzoning

• 2. Lummi Nation moves to block BC port expansion

  The Port of Vancouver in BC is planning an expansion that would increase Canada’s west coast container capacity by about a third. Officials with the Lummi Nation say they’ve been ignored in the planning process and they have filed a legal challenge to stop the port’s expansion.

  KUOW First Nation, Salmon

• 3. The best wildfire solution we’re not using

  Three ways to curb the sprawl that traps us on a wildfire treadmill.

  Sightline Institute Sprawl, Wildfire

• 4. Portland camping ban proposal draws strong opposition in marathon meeting

  The city council heard hours of testimony about the 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. camping ban aimed to deter homeless encampments, with some business owners saying it’s a much needed policy and dozens more opposing it.

  Oregon Public Broadcasting Homelessness, Policy

• 5. OR youth and their climate suit will have their day in court

  A federal judge ruled on Thursday that a lawsuit brought by young Oregon-based climate activists can proceed to trial years after they first filed the lawsuit in an attempt to hold the nation’s leadership accountable for its role in climate change.

  Oregon Public Broadcasting Climate Activism, Climate Change

• 6. BC sets aside $17M for wild salmon restoration

  The bulk of the funding ($15 million) will be shared equally between the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the First Nations Fisheries Council.

  Vancouver Sun First Nations, Salmon

• 7. Can retiring farmland make CA’s Central Valley more equitable?

  Planning for the future of groundwater also offers an opportunity to plan for climate justice.

  High Country News Environmental Justice, Farming, Groundwater

• 8. Climate hazards are the Duwamish Valley’s top concern

  The Duwamish Valley Climate Resilience Survey found environmental impacts outweigh issues like crime and housing for residents. How can people prepare?

  Crosscut Climate Change, Environmental impacts

• 9. Industry knew about risks of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ for decades

  Makers of PFAS, a class of chemicals used in everything from cookware to food containers and makeup, had evidence the substances were toxic as early as the 1970s and obscured the danger.

  CBC Health, PFAS, Policy

• 10. Climate shocks are making parts of America uninsurable

  The largest insurer in California said it would stop offering new coverage. It’s part of a broader trend of companies pulling back from dangerous areas.

  New York Times Extreme weather, Wildfires

More News from June 2, 2023

• Views: Supreme Court undoing 50 years’ worth of environmental progress

  The Supreme Court has taken a brazen anti-regulatory turn. It’s our planet and health that will suffer.

  Environmental Health News Environmental policy, Environmental protection

• Move to change how US tracks pesticide use sparks protest

  Scientists oppose U.S. Geological Survey plan to reduce scope and frequency of chemical database.

  Science Environmental policy, Pesticides

• From the front lines of whale conservation to the front lines of war

  Olga Shpak was one of Russia’s finest whale conservationists, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has upended her life and a generation of science.

  Hakai Magazine Conservation, Fish and wildlife