Editor's Take: February 03, 2009
Tossing the Computer Back
"Extended producer responsibility" is a wonky term for a common-sense idea—making manufacturers responsible for product waste. The Tyee takes a look at the idea in e-waste-program action. Meanwhile, new Energy Secretary Steven Chu uses his first press interview to outline climate change’s enormous threats to California’s agricultural industry, even as the recession is hitting green energy businesses hard.
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Before You Toss that Computer
The Tyee
02/03/2009
To control the flow of such toxic e-waste to B.C. landfills, an innovative fix began in August 2007 known as "extended producer responsibility." Simply put, this approach shifts the cost of recycling from taxpayers and government to producers and consumer buyers. Here's how the program works, and here's how it could work better.
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Dark Days for Green Energy
New York Times
02/04/2009
Because of the credit crisis and the broader economic downturn installation of wind and solar power is plummeting. The two industries are hopeful that President Obama's economic stimulus package will help, but it will take time, and in the interim they are making plans for a dry spell.
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Vancouver Moves to Get Budget in Line
Toronto Globe and Mail
02/03/2009
Vancouver moved Tuesday to aggressively trim its budget through such measures as pay and hiring freezes after getting more bad news about its 2009 finances. The council supported an emergency motion introduced late Tuesday to give the city manager broad powers to freeze hiring and pay for non-union staff, review all current major projects, limit consultants and do anything else that might be needed.
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Eating Salmon in Seattle to Help Alaska Villages
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
02/03/2009
Three years ago, Seattle seafood consultant Jon Rowley was drawn to the Yukon River delta by salmon -- silver chinook endowed with prodigious amounts of oil that help them swim some 2,000 miles across Alaska to distant Canadian spawning grounds. But this winter it's the fishermen, not the fish, that have Rowley's attention.
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Energy Secretary: California in Peril from Warming
Los Angeles Times
02/04/2009
California's farms and vineyards could vanish by the end of the century, and its major cities could be in jeopardy, if Americans do not act to slow the advance of global warming, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said Tuesday. In his first interview since taking office, the physicist offered some of the starkest comments yet on how seriously President Obama's cabinet views the threat, along with a detailed assessment of the administration's plans to combat it.
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Idaho's Revenue Picture Grows
Boise Idaho Statesman
02/03/2009
Lawmakers were hit Tuesday with more sorry economic news: January state revenues came in about 13 percent lower than expected in the latest forecast, which was itself pessimistic. Gov. Butch Otter has not released the figure, which is still preliminary and unofficial. But word of a drop of about $35 million from January's projected $267 million in revenue spread through the Legislature like pink-eye.
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North Central Washington Eyes Stimulus Plan
Wenatchee World
02/04/2009
They're all "shovel ready," but other than being planned and permitted, the 37 projects from North Central Washington submitted to the state to be considered for federal stimulus funds have little in common. Whether or not their projects get funded, they're just hopeful that some of the stimulus money comes to North Central Washington.
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Agricultural "Dating Service" Helps Future Farmers
Missoulian
02/04/2009
Think of it as an agricultural dating service.
Still productive, older farm acreage seeks young, vigorous farmer for long- or short-term relationship. Must enjoy outdoors, dirty fingernails and fresh food.
That's the hope for Land Link Montana, a new service connecting landowners seeking land workers and vice versa.
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Stormwater Isn't Just a Big-City Problem
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
02/03/2009
After a groundbreaking ruling last year that required Seattle and a handful of other large governments around the Puget Sound area to control polluted stormwater runoff, a state hearings board this week decreed that smaller cities and counties will have to start working on the same thing.
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10 Years Later, Threat of New Spill Remains
Oregonian
02/04/2009
It was the ship that wouldn't go away, or even die. Despite many efforts, the grounded New Carissa broke in two after being firebombed, drifted ashore after being lost at sea, and spilled 70,000 gallons of fuel oil along Oregon's fragile coast. The saga began 10 years ago this morning, and much since was supposed to change. Yet the same maritime calamity could happen today.
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