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From Scientific American comes this story (only part of which is free, unfortunately) on mixtures of chemical contaminants. Apparently, some compounds that are considered “safe” at low levels—or at least, not toxic enough for their effects to be obvious—can still be harmful when mixed with other “safe” contaminants. The article discusses one study of the effects of low-level pesticide contamination on tadpoles: Individually, the chemicals had little effect on developing...

Teen pregnancy rates are falling; and adult couples are having fewer children and having them later in life. We mostly attribute these trends to lifestyle choices and public policies. But what if the real explanation—or part of it anyway—is actually chemical? Are toxics, perhaps pesticides, actually impairing human fertility? An intriguing article in Slate takes up this question. It’s a short, but fascinating review of a growing body of scientific...

This post at The Oil Drum blog goes a long way towards explaining why oil prices have risen so sharply over the last couple of years. According to international oil agencies, global oil production has been pretty flat since the middle of 2004, even as economic growth around the globe has boosted demand. The chart below, derived from US Energy Information Administration figures, shows OPEC production only; but world figures...

This is week ten of the car-less in Seattle experiment (go here) and I want to talk about one of the greatest fears car-lessness unleashes for parents. But first, some big news: My wife Amy and I decided—with the support of all three of our children—to remain without a car for at least a full year. That’s right: family of five; busy schedule of work, school, and extracurricular activities; and...

(This post is part of a series.) Apropos of this post, it looks like the Seattle city council has authorized a look at using transit and street grid improvements to replace the waterfront Alaskan Way Viaduct through downtown. Press release excerpts follow: “We’re on the verge of committing billions of public dollars and enduring years of disruption,” says Councilmember Richard Conlin. “This is not by any means an endorsement of...

What would it take to get me out of my car? I mean that as a serious question, not a rhetorical one.  Unique among my colleagues, I’m a car commuter. Well, really, I carpool. My wife and I both work in downtown Seattle, and we’ve chosen to put our two daughters in a daycare that’s close to our offices.  So, even though bus commuting is definitely an option in my...

Sorry to be so Seattle-centric…but this post about Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct got me thinking. If the Viaduct is closed—whether for construction of a tunnel or a new aerial highway, or to make way for green space and a surface street—what happens to rush hour?  Does traffic in downtown Seattle get hopelessly snarled, and stay that way for at least 3 years?  Or do city transportation pllaners have some reasonable...

Is it a miracle? Can it really be so? Did I just read about a transportation plan that’s actually useful and affordable? That can happen soon but also has long-term benefits? I’m stunned by King County Exec Ron Sims’ proposal to increase the sales tax to fund better bus service. For an additional 1/10th of a penny per dollar, Sims believes the county can drastically improve bus service—increasing the frequency...

(This post is part of a series.) It’s interesting to see what Jaime Lerner—the legendary mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, who created a world-class bus rapid transit system on a shoestring budget—had to say about Seattle transportation, in a question-and-answer session with the Seattle P-I: Is there a way to create dedicated bus lanes in a cramped city like Seattle? “There are many ways, many corridors where you can have a...

I wouldn’t call it momentum, exactly, but there seems to have been a bit of movement on the idea of replacing Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct with a surface boulevard—a modestly-priced alternative to an aerial rebuild or tunnel. Now, just to be clear, I’m still not convinced that this is an ideal solution. Transportation is complicated, and while other US cities that have removed downtown highways (San Francisco, Milwaukee, and Portland)...