Editor's Take: June 30, 2008
Technology Review
The Future of Fuel
In today's news, "dirty" fuel extracted from Canada's oil sands takes hit as US mayors announce their distaste for the stuff. Across the U.S., airports will be affected by flight cuts stemming from high fuel costs. A new outpost on California’s "hydrogen highway." And, BC's carbon tax shift kicks in tomorrow.
Also: Strong sockeye runs, weak king salmon runs puzzle biologists.
Editor's Top Picks
Your editor today is Anna Fahey | View All Today's News
"Dirty" Alberta Oil No Longer an Easy Sell in US
Vancouver Sun
06/30/2008
Canadian and Alberta officials were blindsided this week when big-city U.S. mayors and Barack Obama's campaign announced their distaste for "dirty" Alberta oil. With record-high gas prices dominating US election-year politics and fueling public anger at Big Oil, Canadian officials are now girding for an intense and protracted fight to change the image of the oilsands, and to protect one of Canada's most lucrative exports to the States.
Go to article.
Fuel Prices Spur Airlines to Slash Flights
Seattle Times
06/30/2008
Across the U.S., airports will be affected by flight cuts, bringing the industry down to a size last seen in 2002 -- after 9/11.
Overall, the cuts will reduce flights this year by American carriers by almost 10 percent, with even deeper cuts in store for 2009.
Airlines may have to keep paring their schedules, as they struggle to find ways to make money in light of rapidly rising jet-fuel prices, which have climbed more than 80 percent in the past year.
Go to article.
Mythbusters: Coalition Hightlights Misconceptions about BC's Carbon Tax Shift
Vancouver Sun
06/30/2008
A coalition of Canadian citizen groups has addressed "the top five misconceptions" about the tax shift. For instance, "Myth 2 -- big industry is let off the hook," an argument that has been cited many times by critics of the tax. Not true. The biggest obstacle is highlighting the "shift" part of the policy which benefits consumers.
Go to article.
Oregon Man's Invention: Commute Generates Electricity
Bend Bulletin
06/30/2008
Six months ago, in the garage of his west Redmond home, Carl Ylvisaker started tinkering with a tire, a trailer hitch, an alternator, car batteries and a power inverter.
The result: a device with the potential to complement alternative power sources like solar panels and windmills.
Go to article.
A Look at the Bush Administration's Legacy in the Northwest
Portland Oregonian
06/30/2008
This morning's Columbian takes stock of the Bush administration's unfinished work when it comes to the Pacific Northwest. The report looks at a range of issues from children's health to education and the economy.
Go to article.
McCain and Obama Share Energy Goals, Not Methods
Christian Science Monitor
06/29/2008
In a departure from GOP predecessors, McCain has refused to cede the green label to his Democratic rival. His campaign has taken to calling Obama "Dr. No," portraying him as an obstructionist with too narrow a view of the country's energy woes. Obama last week called McCain's proposals a series of "cheap gimmicks" that "will only increase our oil addiction for another four years."
Go to article.
Complex Reasons behind Obesity Epidemic
Everett Herald
06/30/2008
A new study finds that in about 1,000 US counties, women's life expectancies are shorter than they were in the early 1980s. During this time, no deadly virus rampaged through the female population. And the bristling arsenal of new medical treatments continued to grow.
The chief cause was something for which there is no vaccine: obesity.
Go to article.
Union, West Coast Shippers Seek Deal
Seattle Times
06/30/2008
A six-year contract covering thousands of West Coast dockworkers is set to expire Tuesday, but both sides insist they want to keep the ports running smoothly, even if they have to keep talking after the deadline.
Go to article.
Views: The Tory Dilemma, Being Blue in a Green Era
Toronto Globe and Mail
06/30/2008
In politics, it's about the zeitgeist. Catch it and you rock. Miss it and beware.
Conservatives, with the exception of the foresight shown by Brian Mulroney, never much worried about the green issue. It was a liberal/left thing.
But now green has mushroomed to become the all-encompassing issue of our age. Green tides spill over into everything and, in so doing, change our political dynamic, perhaps profoundly.
Go to article.
Views: Telling Our Grandkids the Story of Our Historic Eco-decline
Victoria Times Colonist
06/30/2008
It's time to rewrite Canada's history books. Not because our children shouldn't learn about Louis Riel, the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway or the two world wars, but because the most significant events -- the ones that eclipse all others -- happened just recently and continue to unfold.
Go to article.
