In one of his first major decisions, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in late March 2017 refused to protect Americans from Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide that is a known neurotoxin and especially harmful to children. In doing so, he ignored the recommendations of EPA scientists that the pesticide should be canceled because of unacceptable risks from … Read more
Eric Cliff Mass makes the case that we should ban personal fireworks. I was a skeptic going into the piece, but he convinced me. Among other things, check out the air quality chart documenting the almost unbelievable spike—most especially in Tacoma—of harmful air contaminants that presumably arise from fireworks. It’s wonderful to see Lindy West … Read more
Changing the way we elect public officials can change who runs for office, how they run their campaigns, who wins, and how voters feel about their democracy. Sightline believes that better electoral methods can create better campaigns, better options for voters, and more representative governments. In the past months, we have examined: Which election methods … Read more
Cascadian reformers are hoping to spread the use of Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) from its regional foothold in Benton County, Oregon, to elect executives and legislatures across the region. State law in both Washington and Oregon dictates electoral methods for non-charter, a.k.a. “code,” counties and cities. But charter counties and cities in Oregon have a large amount of autonomy, and in … Read more
The people of Cascadia have scored many victories in the past decade against coal, oil, and gas corporations that want to turn the region in a superhighway to Asian markets for their fossil fuel products. But the region’s fight is far from over, as detailed in our recent report, “Northwest Targets.” The report identifies the … Read more
My name is Michael Cox. I retired from the US Environmental Protection Agency on March 31, 2017, after more than 25 years of service. Prior to retiring, I sent the agency’s new administrator, Scott Pruitt, a letter outlining my concerns about the direction of EPA under his leadership. It got some attention in the media … Read more
Sightline has tracked Northwest fossil fuel transport developments since 2010 when the region saw its first proposal for large-scale coal exports. Since that time, communities from Coos Bay, Oregon, to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, have weathered wave after wave of schemes from the coal, oil, and gas industries. Yet, much to the surprise of most observers, … Read more
Contact: Eric de Place, eric@sightline.org, 206-447-1880 x105 The Lower Columbia River region is more threatened by fossil fuel development schemes than any other place in the Northwest, according to a new report from Sightline Institute that ranks locations throughout the region on their vulnerability to these developments. The report, “Northwest Targets,” provides risk assessments for … Read more
Sightline is publishing a new report, “Northwest Targets,” that provides a risk assessment for the region. The report analyzes every community in Oregon and Washington targeted by large-scale fossil fuel proposals since 2010. It reviews the history of local struggles with fossil fuel development proposals and gauges the risks of future proposals. “Northwest Targets” identifies … Read more
Changing to a more representative electoral system makes so much sense, and yet it can be such a heavy lift. After even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau backed away from a public promise to end first-past-the-post voting in Canada, Cascadian reformers may despair of ever prying the cold dead hands of 18th century voting off … Read more