Editor's Take: April 20, 2009
ecstaticist, flickr
Global Meets Local
Climate is the talk of the region on day two of Earth Week. In Alaska, indigenous people from around the globe met to discuss the impacts of climate change in the Arctic—the effects of which are becoming evident: while major rivers around the world, including the Columbia, are seeing dramatic declines in water flow, Arctic discharge is on the rise due to melting ice. That's news that gives me the chills.
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Indigenous peoples gather for climate summit
Anchorage Daily News
04/20/2009
On Monday morning, hundreds of delegates -- some wearing traditional clothing with long underwear underneath -- listened to Native leaders from Greenland, Russia, Scandinavia and Alaska talk about how global warming is changing their lives in the Arctic. The session was translated into several languages, including French, Russian and Spanish.
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How drier I am: Flow of many rivers in decline
Seattle Times
04/21/2009
The flow of water in the world's largest rivers has declined over the past half-century, with significant changes found in about a third of the big rivers. An analysis of 925 major rivers from 1948 to 2004 showed an overall decline in total discharge. The reduction in inflow to the Pacific Ocean alone was about equal to shutting off the Mississippi River.
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Offshore wind energy blows in to NW coast
Oregon Public Broadcasting
04/20/2009
When you stand on the beach on a nice day like this and gaze out into the ocean, you can see maybe ten miles. Right about there on the horizon is where a Seattle company is hoping to float a wind farm. It would be off the Oregon Coast near Tillamook Bay. The turbines would be even bigger than the giant windmills sprouting along the mid-Columbia River.
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Couple cycling to fight "plastic soup" in Pacific
Oregonian
04/21/2009
Two environmentalists on a 2,000-mile bicycling campaign to halt plastic waste in our oceans will spread their message in Oregon during Earth Week, reinforcing their campaign with grim images of wildlife maimed by plastics and samples of plastic-laden water from a swirling plastic "soup" called the North Pacific Gyre in the Pacific Ocean
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Kulongoski talks up bill to expand health care
Eugene Register Guard
04/21/2009
With his health care bill about to start moving through the Legislature, Gov. Ted Kulongoski used visits to community health care centers on Monday to talk about the economic benefits of expanding state coverage for children and low-income adults.
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Seattle's new light rail line to open July 18
Seattle Times
04/20/2009
After decades of wrangling over mass transit and worsening traffic congestion, a light rail line between downtown and a spot near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is set to open July 18, Mayor Greg Nickels said Monday.
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BC's surge of female candidates
The Tyee
04/20/2009
At the annual convention in November, members passed a motion requiring the party to nominate women in 30 per cent of seats not currently held by the NDP. The decision generated some controversy at the time, but since then, the NDP have surpassed that goal; 42 of its 85 candidates are women. As a result, this election will see more women running for office than any other election in B.C.'s history.
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Makers of plastic bags to use 40% recycled content
USA Today
04/20/2009
The plastic bag industry has an Earth Day surprise: less plastic.
Under pressure from consumers, environmental advocates and retailers, the companies that make more than 80% of plastic bags used by the nation's big retailers today will announce plans to make the plastic bags from 40% recycled content by 2015.
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Canada's greenhouse emissions soaring
Vancouver Sun
04/20/2009
Canada's greenhouse emissions are back on a "significant" growth trajectory despite bold promises from federal and provincial leaders to get serious about cutting discharges.
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Views: The new Normal
Oregonian
04/21/2009
Portland has a tendency to be dismissed as atypical, an outlier. So when Chicago architect, and guru of sustainability, Douglas Farr is asked what the average city can do to combat global warming, save energy and spark a green transformation, Farr doesn't spend much time talking about Portland. He talks about Normal.
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