Editor's Take: August 28, 2008
amen-ra, flickr
Oregon's Energy Future
Renewable energy is the wave the future, but Oregon Governor Kulongoski is rethinking what can be done in the meantime to meet Oregon's energy demands. Meanwhile, the news is full of stories about smart solutions in California from less driving and sprawl to pay-as-you-drive insurance, let's take some cues from the sunny, southern side of Cascadia.
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Oregon Governor Looks to Energy Future
Oregonian
08/27/2008
During six years in office, Gov. Ted Kulongoski has convened countless summits and appointed scores of advisory groups. But the meeting he convened Wednesday and the advisory group he intends to create by the end of September will focus on what he calls "the most important public policy question facing the state."
"How do we give power to the people?" Kulongoski said.
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Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance Gains Momentum in Cali
Los Angeles Times
08/28/2008
California drivers could be offered a new -- and often cheaper -- kind of car insurance next year under a voluntary pay-as-you-drive plan proposed Wednesday by Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. His plan would base annual rates partly on the exact number of miles driven and would allow people to pay less if they drive less.
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Views: California Bill Curbs Sprawl for Climate
Los Angeles Times
08/28/2008
The number of miles Californians drive is growing almost twice as fast as the state's population, as housing developments sprout farther and farther from commercial centers. Not only does this urban sprawl put upward pressure on gasoline prices, it creates freeway gridlock, worsens air pollution and makes fighting global warming next to impossible. California lawmakers have tried and failed for decades to bring sprawl under control, but they may finally be on the verge of success.
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Low Arctic Sea Ice Indicates a Tipping Point
Seattle Times
08/28/2008
More ominous signs Wednesday have scientists saying a global-warming "tipping point" in the Arctic seems to be happening before their eyes: Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is at its second- lowest level in about 30 years.
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Poll: Most Oppose California Gay Marriage Ban
Los Angeles Times
08/28/2008
California voters remain closely divided on the concept of gay marriage, but a significant majority of likely voters oppose a measure to ban it, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. Proposition 8, which would amend the state Constitution to allow marriage only between a man and a woman, is trailing 40% to 54% among likely voters, according to the poll.
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Cheaper Gas Doesn't Spur California Travelers
Press Democrat
08/28/2008
Gas prices are dropping even as millions of Americans prepare to hit the nation's highways and skyways for the last three-day weekend of summer. Dropping below the $4 mark for the first time in three months in Santa Rosa, the average cost of a gallon of gas would seem to favor a Labor Day weekend getaway. Or does it?
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Inflation Is Tough On Income
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
08/28/2008
Data released this week from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey show that median household income in 2007 rose from the previous year in Washington and the greater Seattle region, and that the poverty level dipped slightly. But inflation erased most of the income gain, and the poverty figures are misleading, some analysts say.
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Flextime Has Green Appeal
Washington Post
08/28/2008
They have replaced incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, cut the number of cars in their fleets and embraced hybrids. They have planted native grasses to cut down on lawn maintenance and, with it, fuel consumption. Now a growing number of businesses and state and local governments from Fairfax to Detroit to Salt Lake City are pondering a strategy for saving on utility costs and being kind to the environment: telling their workers, stay home.
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Cutting Carbon, Cutting Home Costs
New York Times
08/28/2008
You know your shoe size. But you probably don't know your carbon footprint, particularly the footprint of your home. Breaking old habits is not easy, but experts say the rewards are worth it, not only for the environment but also for the pocketbook. Those who reduce their carbon footprint by decreasing their energy use, they say, usually reduce their energy costs as well.
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Views: Headway with the Homeless
Christian Science Monitor
08/28/2008
After 30 years, one of America's most intractable social problems is finally turning around: Overall homelessness has fallen 12 percent since 2005. Thanks goes to a eureka insight, followed by a coordinated nationwide push. The progress proves that Americans at all levels can tackle difficult challenges if they commit to them.
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