Editor's Take: July 01, 2009
dmoola, Flickr.
Leaner Use of Gasoline
As we cruise into the July 4th holiday weekend, drivers in Northwest states are using gas at levels not seen in more than 40 years, and well below the national average. Support remains high for the BC gas tax -- even as it bumps up slightly. US veterans are getting trained for green-collar jobs in solar energy and waste management thanks to federal funding.
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Your editor today is Lisa Stiffler | View All Today's News
Northwest drivers using less gas
KPLU
07/02/2009
If it seems like you're buying less gas these days, you're probably right. A new study from a Seattle-based sustainability think tank finds total gasoline consumption across the Northwest dropped sharply last year. In fact, per-capita gasoline use has dropped in 8 of the last 9 years, and it's now at its lowest level since 1965.
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Veterans to be trained for green jobs
Los Angeles Times
07/01/2009
Seventeen groups nationwide, including the Long Beach office of United States Veterans Initiative -- which will receive $500,000 -- have been awarded grants to train and find green jobs for veterans. The jobs include work associated with residential and commercial solar energy systems and wastewater treatment.
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Protection sought again for giant, spitting worms
Wenatchee World
07/01/2009
Fans of the giant Palouse earthworm are once again seeking federal protection for the rare, sweet-smelling species that spits at predators. They filed a petition Tuesday with the US Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the worm be protected as an endangered species.
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BC gets greener at the gas pump
CBC BC
07/01/2009
British Columbia got a little greener on Wednesday: The province celebrated the first anniversary of its carbon tax with a price bump at the gas pumps. A recent poll by Environics suggests almost half of BC residents support the tax, and it is also gaining favor across the country.
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Portland's neighborhood groups shape communities
Oregonian
07/02/2009
Portland's neighborhood associations are flexing their political muscles on public and private projects proposed for their communities. It's part of a quiet transformation under way among the 95 associations, one that leaders say bodes well for the future of civic involvement.
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Climate change from Europe to the Oregon Coast
Oregon Public Broadcasting
07/01/2009
A majority of climate scientists agree -- the planet is warming. The question now is how climate change will change our lives, our landscapes, our economy, and the ecological web around us. So we decided to focus on the impact of climate change on one small town -- the town of Denmark, Oregon.
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US obesity rates balloon
Vancouver Sun
07/02/2009
Americans have been adding significantly to their waistlines over the past year, with obesity rates rising in almost half of the 50 states, and falling in none, an annual survey released Wednesday shows.
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In S.F., thou shalt compost: It's the law
Sacramento Bee
07/02/2009
A new San Francisco law gives the city authority to fine residents and small businesses $100 -- and impose penalties up to $1,000 on big firms and apartment owners -- if they refuse to segregate leftover fish bones, watermelon rinds, and watercress salad into compost bins.
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Using grazing sheep, goats against invasive weeds
USA Today
07/02/2009
Grazing vineyards is just one application of a growing niche industry that is harnessing the eating power of animals to control invasive weeds, maintain lawns, and clear fire-prone grasses.
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Energy efficiency at home: simple, accessible, and possible
Astoria Daily Astorian
07/02/2009
Most people who live in existing housing are baffled about how to make their lifestyle more sustainable. Here's how.
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