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British Columbians Choose the Bike Pedal over the Gas Pedal

As gas prices go up, Canadians are trading in their cars for bikes and comfortable shoes, according to a new poll. British Columbians, however, are less apt to walk, perhaps because of the wet weather.

Green-Collar Job Rush: Real or Hype?

Welding wind turbines, retrofitting buildings, installing solar panels -- many believe that skilled green employment is the key to a strong domestic workforce. In the most-often-cited estimate, there are 8.5 million jobs in renewable energy or energy efficient industries in the U.S. today. Optimists see expansion and enormous opportunity for the economy and the environment. Skeptics don't see a silver bullet.

Oregon Senator's Plan to Fix U.S. Health Care

One Oregonian dies every day because health care is out of reach, according to a new report by the consumer group Families USA. Sen. Ron Wyden has a plan to fix health care nationwide. He sat down with the Salem Statesman-Journal to explain the legislation he's sponsoring in Congress.

Obama Visits Oregon

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama hit Portland, Salem, Medford, Corvallis, and Eugene during his tour of Oregon this weekend. The Medford Mail-Tribune offers great coverage of his visit there, including an interview with the senator on issues important to the rural Northwest, streaming video of his speech there, and reactions from Southern Oregonians.

Vancouver Builds on Transit Plan with Real Estate Dreams

After an unprecedented investment in public transit, Metro Vancouver's Translink is taking a bold next step: starting a real estate arm that will fast-track high-density development along the new transit routes and raise revenue. Also see a sobering article on the need for climate solutions that consider the world's poor.

Your NW News Breakfast: How Do You Like it Cooked?

Over-easy or sunny side up? Sightline Daily now offers a slew of RSS feeds on topics important to NW sustainability. By the way, we're still clocking in at 5 a.m., drinking lots of coffee and hand-picking the news for you. Feeds are just another way to slice and dice the news you need to do your work.

Exile on Suburban Main St.

Vancouver is the "worst city in Canada for housing affordability," according to a new report by the Royal Bank. The only realistic option for the average family is to buy in the 'burbs. The Toronto Globe and Mail quotes one frustrated renter: "You'd have to be an idiot to buy right now."

$250 Million for the "Worst Environmental Disaster in U.S. History"

It's the largest chunk of cash the Superfund program has received, but it's still not close to covering the cost of cleaning up what the EPA labeled "the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history." Baltimore's W.R. Grace & Co. will pay $250 million for contaminating Libby, Mont. Hundreds have either fallen sick or died from breathing in asbestos.

Seattle's Got a Ticket to Ride

Folks in the Seattle area are riding the bus and light rail in record numbers, according to a new study by the American Public Transportation Association, a pro-transit group. Seattle saw the highest increase in bus usage of any U.S. city this year. ... So what's new about your daily NW news service? Take a look ...

Welcome to Sightline Daily!

Today, Tidepool and the Daily Score moved in together! Our new daily news website is a snapshot of the most important sustainability headlines affecting Cascadia, combined with expert insight that helps connect the dots and points to solutions. Our goal is to help innovative thinkers--like you--understand and solve the environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the Northwest.

B.C. Climate Smackdown: Premier Gordo vs. King Coal

What a difference a carbon tax shift makes. The B.C. Liberals are longtime buddies of the province's corporate interests. Now, big business is thwarting the government's climate policy with a really big polluter -- coal power. Just how dirty is coal? See Wednesday's Oregonian. The paper reported that one coal plant emits most of the pollution blanketing the Columbia Gorge.

Getting Un-stuck in Traffic

Today's papers offer a heady mix of commentary on some ugly T-words: traffic and tolling. One solution gaining ground in major U.S. cities is congestion pricing. In Seattle, where transportation policy is especially, well, stuck, the talk is still about tolling.

Oregon and Climate Change

The impacts of climate change are likely to be more pronounced than many northwesterners expect, according to a new report for Oregon's governor. But that doesn't mean the future is all doom and gloom. Find out why in a story in today's Oregonian.