Nearly two years ago, an explosion and massive gas leak at a liquid natural gas (LNG) facility in Plymouth, Washington, thirty miles south of the Tri-Cities, injured five workers and forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. To this day, state and federal oversight agencies have not published the findings of their investigations into the … Read more
Next week, Sightline senior researcher Kristin Eberhard will join climate leaders in Corvallis to discuss progress at the city and state levels in addressing climate change. The League of Women Voters of Corvallis and the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library will host this panel discussion, followed by an audience Q&A. What: Progress on Climate Change: What’s … Read more
Images can be powerful tools for connecting climate change to people, to strike an emotional chord, and to broaden the range of audiences who might start paying more attention. Cue the polar bears? Think again! Polar bears have become a handy visual signal for a climate change story, but this shorthand doesn’t cut it when it … Read more
Next Tuesday, February 9th, Eric de Place will join leaders in the Vancouver, Washington, area for the Columbia River Gorge Commission‘s monthly public meeting. Eric de Place will speak from 12:30-1:00 PM, focusing on the threat of oil and coal trains to the Columbia River and local communities. The Northwest is on the front lines of oil and coal … Read more
In case you missed the news, Arch Coal, North America’s second largest coal company, filed for bankruptcy a few weeks back. Arch’s management hopes to use bankruptcy protection to shed $4.5 billion in debt—money that Arch borrowed from investors near the peak of the coal market but that the company can’t pay back now that coal prices have tumbled. To anyone paying … Read more
It’s the same old song and dance. Whenever and wherever a climate policy solution is proposed, the fossil fuel industry and its allies and front groups target people of color and low-income families with scary messages about energy costs. They have been singing the same tune to rural communities and working class families in Washington and … Read more
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
More available spots, more neighborhoods perks, fewer headaches.
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
Oregon’s Constitution holds a rude surprise for climate crusaders: Article IX prevents the state from investing revenue from transportation sector polluters—nearly half the potential climate pollution revenue in Oregon—in solar panels, bikes, and buses. The constitution funnels pollution revenue exclusively into the Highway Fund. Using pollution revenue to build new highways that induce more driving, … Read more