Editor's Take: July 28, 2009
bkusler, flickr
Green Jobs, Schools, and Cars
As stimulus spending gets underway, the Northwest is taking advantage. In Central Oregon green jobs are bucking the recession, in Montana weatherization is taking off despite some hitches, and nationally the Cash for Clunkers program is off to a strong start. Meanwhile, Oregonians want green schools, but school districts are hesitant to build them.
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Central Oregon green jobs defy downturn
Bend Bulletin
07/28/2009
There's only so many windy patches of Earth--and even fewer patches close to transmission lines. So for the next five to 10 years, the wind power industry is going to be running full steam ahead. In Central Oregon, green employers predict that the area could need people working in a variety of jobs that require a range of skills--from energy auditors to organic farmers to solar electricians.
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Oregon schools: It's not easy, or cheap, being green
Oregonian
07/28/2009
Green schools can save energy, they're healthier for students and they offer real-life lessons on sustainability, but Oregon school districts remain cautious about building them.
Of the 27 new schools approved by Oregon voters in 2006, about one in four have been or will be built to national green standards.
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Weatherization work proceeds despite stimulus hitch
Missoulian
07/28/2009
Federal wage laws have stalled spending of Montana's $27 million share of economic-stimulus funds to weatherize homes, but the hitch hasn't slowed down the actual work, state and local officials said Monday. The $27 million can't be spent until the "prevailing wage" is determined for such work, perhaps by later this summer, said Jim Nolan, chief of the Intergovernmental Human Services Bureau for the state.
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'Clunker' rebates stir car buyers
Wall Street Journal
07/27/2009
The first weekend of "cash for clunkers" rebates boosted new-vehicle sales, despite minor snags and worries the program might not have a long-lasting effect.
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Obese Americans spend far more on health care
New York Times
07/27/2009
Obese Americans spend about 42 percent more on health care than normal-weight Americans, according to a new study based on 2006 figures. Medical spending on obesity-related conditions is estimated to have reached $147 billion a year in 2008, according to the new study, published online on Monday in the journal Health Affairs. That figure represents almost 10 percent of all medical spending, the study found.
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A quest for batteries to alter the energy equation
New York Times
07/27/2009
This summer the Obama administration plans to announce how it will distribute some $2 billion in stimulus grants to companies that make such advanced batteries for hybrid or all-electric vehicles and related components. The hope is that the grants will spur far higher levels of experimentation and production, pushing down the costs that have prevented these batteries from entering the mass market.
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Researchers project intense fire season in the West
New York Times
07/28/2009
It will be hot, dry and a bad fire year for much of the West, Forest Service researchers are predicting. Researchers have completed an updated national drought and fire forecast for the next six months saying that 3.66 million acres are expected to burn. That is about average nationally, but there is an "unusual" concentration of activity in the West, they said.
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California will require green chemistry in its products
Miller-McCune
07/28/2009
Green chemistry, also known as "sustainable chemistry," refers to processes that cut harmful environmental substances during manufacturing, usually by reducing waste, using nontoxic components and improving efficiency. Although not a new concept, it's not well known outside the chemical industry. No other states are as far along on the concept as California
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Views: Even with surge of jobless claims, Oregon keeps its trust
Oregonian
07/28/2009
Oregon is one of the hardest places in the nation to find a job. But there are many worse places to go for unemployment benefits. Sixteen states already have exhausted their unemployment trust funds and are paying benefits with borrowed money. At least 16 other states might be out of money by year's end.
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Views: What Sarah Palin got wrong about energy
Juneau Empire
07/28/2009
Now-former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin put the global warming debate front and center last week with a plea to avoid the "personality-driven political gossip of the day" and focus more "on the gravity of ... challenges" facing our country. We share her hopes for a substantive dialogue. But we want to put facts ahead of fiction and real debate ahead of rhetorical bomb-throwing.
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