Editor's Take: August 27, 2008
Seattle-Area Population, Sightline Institute
It's All About the Census
Census data is rolling in, with mixed results. The good news: Oregon's uninsured rates are leveling off, Seattle's household size is lowest in the region, and U.S. poverty levels are decreasing. The bad news: Rural Oregonians have a greater income gap than their urban counterparts, California's median income is slipping, and statistics may not reflect the economy's latest dive.
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Census Data: Good News or Bad News?
Seattle Times
08/27/2008
Wages for working Americans increased, the number of people without health insurance decreased and the poverty rate was essentially unchanged in 2007, according to census figures released Tuesday.
Experts cautioned, however, that the new data don't capture the effects of the economic slump that began late last year.
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Oregon's Rural-Urban Wage Gap Increases
AP
08/27/2008
The wage gap between northeastern Oregon and the state's I-5 corridor has widened since the 1970s.
In Baker County, for example, the average wage increased from $11,874 in 1980 to $28,043 in 2007. That compares to the statewide average wage increase from $14,301 in 1980 to $39,566 in 2007, according to information provided by the state. In other words, county wages were 83 percent of the state average in 1980 and 71 percent of the average last year.
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Views: A Demographically Extreme Seattle
Crosscut
08/27/2008
New demographic figures make clear what a statistical outlier Seattle is, with few families, few kids, high education, and rapid gentrification. Only San Francisco can compare.
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Median Income Slips in California
San Francisco Chronicle
08/27/2008
American incomes rose modestly between 2006 and 2007, but in California, the typical household lost ground slightly, according to census data released Tuesday, one of several economic indicators that may be a cause for worry as the economy takes another dip, some analysts say.
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Scientists: Save the Planet - Have Fewer Kids
Chicago Tribune
08/27/2008
There are plenty of ways to cut your carbon footprint, whether it's driving less or buying an energy-efficient refrigerator. But the British Medical Journal, in an editorial last month, urged a more controversial one: having fewer children.
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Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid's Limits
New York Times
08/27/2008
Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore's hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.
The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.
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Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Rail Bill
San Francisco Chronicle
08/27/2008
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who promised not to sign any bills until lawmakers reach a budget deal, reversed his position Tuesday and signed a measure for a statewide bullet train system that he strongly supports.
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Democrats Defend Endangered Species Act
Alaska Public Radio Network
08/26/2008
A group of Democratic U.S. Senators are speaking out against proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act. Earlier this month the Bush Administration announced plans to revise the law that protects America's wildlife. It would be the biggest overhaul to the Act since 1986.
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Krill Rebound: Key Link in Ocean Food Chain
San Francisco Chronicle
08/27/2008
After three lean years, the ocean off California's coast this summer is suddenly rich in nutrients, and creatures - from microscopic krill to humpback whales - are thriving anew.
But whether this abundance will continue in coming seasons or is merely a bright blip in an otherwise discouraging picture year-after-year can't be predicted, say scientists monitoring the sea's productivity.
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Bay Checkerspot Butterfly Gets Protection
San Francisco Chronicle
08/27/2008
The federal government has designated thousands of acres in California as essential to the resurgence of a rare butterfly.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday selected 18,293 acres for protection in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The Peninsula is the remaining home to the bay checkerspot, a 2-inch red-and-black butterfly that scientists say is threatened by global warming and suffers from loss of habitat.
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