Yes, You Should Read This
Need weekend reading? Then check out the spring edition of Yes! magazine. It's an excellent read: all about climate and yet somehow not horribly depressing or crushingly boring. That's quite a coup. I like to believe it's due in part to ex-Sightline fundraiser, Madeline Ostrander, who's now the associate editor.
This is the first article you should read. It's by one Anna Fahey, who happens to be Sightline's communications strategist. In a shorter version of this popular blog post, Anna explains why the US may have some catching up to do. Catching up to China, that is.
Hey, I'm On TV
I'll be on the Seattle Channel this evening at 7:00 (and then a few times next week). The show is City Inside / Out with C.R. Douglas, and the topic is housing affordability, regulation, and growth management -- all topics that are near and dear to my heart.
It's a roundtable discussion with yours truly; Sam Anderson, the executive of the Master Builders Association; and Richard Morrill, a professor emeritus of the University of Washington's Department of Geography.
It's on the web here.
(Sheesh, I need to look at the camera more.)
All Cars, All The Time
Maybe I haven't had enough coffee this morning, but the headlines on today's Seattle Times website seemed oddly revealing. Here's a sample:
Should toll roads help fight global warming?
Rabbi who hit, killed pedestrian gets two years deferred
SUV becomes airborne; 2 people injured
Delays ahead with I-90, I-5 roadwork
Crash in Seattle kills father, injures 2 daughters
$4-a-gallon gas? Predictions surprise Bush
Notice a pattern? The thing is, it's no special indictment of the Seattle Times; this morning's headlines are probably a fairly accurate reflection of our collective obsession with cars.
I hope I don't sound smug. I'm no different. I love writing about cars, roads, or fuel, in part because it's these posts that are the most widely read and emailed -- almost without exception.
And when you think about it, there's a good reason for our obsession. Cars are woven into everyday life for most of us. Unfortunately, as the headlines reveal, they are responsible for a large share of our tragedies too.
