Could 2018 be the year that Oregon and Washington join BC and California and make climate polluters pay? Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington, is pushing a carbon tax (more on that soon), and Oregon legislators are again considering legislation to limit carbon pollution and invest in clean energy and other good things. In 2017, … Read more
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on Medium. These Portland, Oregon, examples illustrate a trend prevalent throughout North America in high-cost cities with too much zoning that allows only detached houses. Single-family zoning yields the worst possible outcome for affordability by effectively mandating that modest homes will be replaced by huge expensive ones, further raising the walls … Read more
[content_box type=”solid” button='{“url”:”https://www.sightline.org/2018/02/27/video-autonomous-electric-vehicles-and-their-future-in-cascadia/”,”title”:”Watch video”}’]Watch Daniel Malarkey’s February appearance on Q13’s newscast in which he discusses the future of autonomous electric vehicles in Washington.[/content_box] In part 1, I laid out the immense potential for good that Transportation as a Service (TaaS) offers. A future where most private cars give way to taxi rides provided by fleets … Read more
Editor’s note: This piece marks the Sightline debut of Daniel Malarkey, our newest Sightline fellow. A Seattle native, Daniel will be writing about issues of infrastructure, technology and energy with a view towards sustainability. You can read his full bio here. Additionally, you can view his February appearance on Q13’s newscast here in which he … Read more
As if Washingtonians needed more reasons to be concerned about coal exports, a new government study suggests that coal exports may be hazardous to local residents’ health. The study is Cowlitz County’s draft Health Impact Assessment for the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminals project in Longview, Washington. It was produced at the urging of medical professionals and public … Read more
Cascadia is known for mountains and salmon, technology, and modern urban gateways to Asia. But wellbeing is marred by economic hardship for a third of families, who struggle to pay for basic household necessities. For many, unsought pregnancy compounds this hardship, with poverty and mistimed or unwanted pregnancy fueling each other in a cycle that … Read more
1. Don’t call it a comeback Despite President Trump’s promise to revive the coal industry, the US coal market is still shrinking. And the industry can’t look to exports to save it. November 2017 saw 20 nations and regions pledge to cease using coal for power generation by 2030, launching the Powering Past Coal Alliance … Read more
Reading about a climate-change lawsuit is potentially a double threat; it’s an often gloomy topic weighed down by an eye-glazing overlay of legal jargon. But stay with me. This particular story features idealistic youth, the limits of democracy, and an ending with a twist. All of it captured in a courtroom showdown that originated in … Read more
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Portlanders care about clean air, preventing climate change, preventing deaths, and relieving congestion. Unfortunately, expanding the I-5 Rose Quarter freeway will make pollution worse, won’t help safety, and won’t help with congestion. Here’s the answers to your questions. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”1. Why won’t freeway expansion relieve congestion?” tab_id=”will-freeway-expansion-relieve-congestion” el_class=” “][vc_column_text]On “Free Cone Day,” Ben & … Read more
What if you had back pain and your doctor told you: “Physical therapy could relieve your pain, and it offers other health benefits. Or you could do a very expensive surgery which comes with additional health risks and, I’m sorry to say, probably won’t help.” Would you: Shell out the money to do the surgery … Read more