Editor's Take: May 28, 2008
The Pacific's Silent Assassin
An intense acidification of the Pacific Ocean resulting from climate change may damage Northwest ecosystems as well as local economies dependent on fisheries. "From an acidification standpoint, the ocean is on fire," said Rep. Jay Inslee, "We need to respond as if it is on fire." The good news: increasing bipartisan support for climate solutions in the region.
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Seattle Forum Focuses On Acidic Oceans
Seattle Times
05/28/2008
Days after scientists announced finding unusually acidic ocean water in shallow areas off the West Coast, Sen. Maria Cantwell and a fellow Washington Democrat, Rep. Jay Inslee, on Tuesday sought to put the issue on the political center stage.
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Views: A step in the right direction on national climate policy
Seattle Times
05/28/2008
KC Golden of Climate Solutions writes: The U.S. stands alone among the world's advanced economies with no national climate policy. But with congressional debate under way and all three major presidential candidates committed to climate action, our shameful abdication of responsibility for solutions appears to be coming to an end. Cantwell deserves thanks for her strong leadership on energy and climate, and for inviting this dialogue.
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Get Used to High Food Costs, Water Shortages
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
05/28/2008
Shocked by rising food prices? Get used to it -- and be ready for water shortages, too, says a sweeping new scientific report rounding up likely effects of climate change on the United States' land, water and farms over the next half-century.
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Going the Extra Mile, Sans Car
Vancouver Columbian
05/28/2008
Tom and Deborah Pfeifer aren’t competing in a commute-reduction contest because they want to win a laptop computer, although that’s a nice side benefit.
Instead, with the price of gas surging beyond $4 a gallon, cutting back on driving amounts to its own reward.
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Forestland Near Puget Sound FSC Certified
Vancouver Columbian
05/28/2008
A 145,000-acre chunk of state-owned forestland near Puget Sound earned certification from the Forest Stewardship Council, the state Department of Natural Resources announced last week.
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Views: Both Parties Seeking Global Warming Solutions
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
05/28/2008
Awareness of global warming has reached a critical mass: Even politicians are talking seriously about what to do.
Instead of rearguing "the science," political leaders from both parties are now proposing what should be done next.
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Alaska Ranks 41st in Child Health Care and Coverage
Anchorage Daily News
05/28/2008
The Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit that specializes in health care policy, ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., overall and in five subcategories: health care access, quality, costs, equity and health outcomes.
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Talking to Tribes: Clinton Courts Montana's Natives
Missoulian
05/28/2008
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton pointed to a sign bobbing among a mob of supporters at Salish Kootenai College on Tuesday and nodded in agreement.
Clinton read the sign aloud, "Native Vote. It Counts," and with a wide grin added her own touch: "It counts more than ever."
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Record Lows in Idaho's Primary Voter Turnout
Boise Idaho Statesman
05/28/2008
Early polling results show only about 15 percent of Idaho's registered voters showed up for the primary election in what could be the lowest recorded turnout in a state primary contest since the 1970s.
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Prime Minister Harper Pushes Wildlife Protection
Toronto Globe and Mail
05/28/2008
Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned an international conference on species' survival yesterday that the world's flora and fauna are disappearing at a disturbing rate, even as activists blamed Canada for not doing enough to prevent the loss.
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