How much oil currently moves through the Northwest? Where does it come from and where is it going? What are the implications for Northwest communities and our waterways? And what are the next steps to ensure human safety, public health, and environmental protection? Sightline’s policy director and oil train expert, Eric de Place, recently sat down … Read more
I spend so much time immersed in the minutiae of coal markets that I forget that most people—the normal ones, I mean—pay almost no attention to trends in the global coal industry. There’s no shame in that, obviously. Still, based on conversations I had with friends and family over the holidays, it’s clear that lots of people have some … Read more
From the Pope’s encyclical to the Paris climate talks to steadily growing traction for a price on carbon pollution, and in communities across the region where people are saying “no” to coal and oil infrastructure, folks in our neck of the woods have been talking about climate change more than ever! And you’ve been savvy about it too, arming yourselves with tested … Read more
Wow, what a big year for Sightline! We helped pass a historic democracy reform initiative in Seattle, dove into urban policy issues to create more affordable housing, and continued our fight towards making polluters pay in Cascadia and beyond. Plus, the Thin Green Line grew stronger than ever this year, thanks to Sightline exposing the … Read more
One-hundred-ninety-five nations reached an agreement in Paris this month. Interestingly, the landmark international accord draws a big fat highlight (and maybe a circle and some stars in the margin) across the work that activists and leaders are doing in the Pacific Northwest: not just the work to keep fossil fuels in the ground and make … Read more
Since when did tiny houses need their own TV show? Average residential space per person in the United States has soared nearly 400 percent since 1950. In his keynote address at the 2015 Build Small, Live Large conference at Portland State University last month, Sightline Institute director Alan Durning discussed how living small has not … Read more
Editor’s Note December 2022: Thinking about buying a Christmas tree? We’re bringing back this popular post weighing in on the great debate: pine vs. plastic, which tree is the better option for the planet? And if you decide to go for the ultimate sustainable option this year, check out our ten DIY trees that reuse and … Read more
Coal export terminals in British Columbia suffered two big blows last week. The first blow came from tar sands giant Suncor, which announced that it would halt shipments of petroleum coke, or “petcoke,” through the Ridley terminal on the northern coast of the province. The petcoke shipped through Ridley is a tar sands byproduct that’s “like coal, … Read more
We don’t need to know the science of climate change inside and out in order to care or want to act to fix the problem. Non-scientists count on the experts to get the details right. But having a handle on the basics can be a game changer. Why? Gaps in our understanding about the mechanisms … Read more
In the wake of a historic agreement at this month’s Paris Climate Change Conference, the United States is expected to take the significantly regressive step of lifting a 40-year ban on crude oil exports, and the Northwest will find itself directly in the path of the oil industry’s plans to dramatically increase crude oil production … Read more