Editor's Take: August 20, 2009
Andvaranaut, Flickr.
Wildlife Take the High Road
Today we're looking at what happens when wild things and urbanization cross paths. In Montana, wildlife will soon be taking the road less traveled by cars and trucks thanks to new highway over- and underpasses. In Oregon, Eugene and Hillsboro are struggling to find a balance between sprawl and land conservation. And in BC, urban farming is blossoming all over cities.
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Your editor today is Lisa Stiffler | View All Today's News
Unique MT crossings will allow cars, animals to harmonize
Missoulian
08/20/2009
Animals of all sizes -- from elk and black bears to squirrels and snowshoe hare -- will soon be able to use vegetated overpasses and underpasses to safely cross a Montana freeway.
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Rising demand for college programs in green industries
New York Times
08/20/2009
Continuing education programs at universities and colleges are seeing a striking influx of students interested in the relatively new field of sustainability.
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Eugene headed towards sprawl
Eugene Weekly
08/20/2009
Expansion of Eugene's urban areas can cost taxpayers hundreds of millions in new infrastructure and services, reduce quality of life, damage natural areas, and increase global warming. But developers and land speculators can cash in on a sometimes 10-fold increase in land values.
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At NW health care town halls, real concerns aired
Oregonian
08/20/2009
The screams and jeers grabbed a lot of media attention, but now come the more sober questions about health care and how changes will impact families -- and politics -- in Oregon and Washington state.
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BC's city farming movement blooms
The Tyee
08/20/2009
The notion of urban farming has spread so widely in BC, there's no longer any way to describe the typical aspiring grower. People of all ages, classes, and backgrounds want to get involved.
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Cost for massive WA solar plant triples
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
08/20/2009
The cost estimate for a proposed solar power plant in Washington's city of Cle Elum has increased from an apparent $100 million to at least $300 million.
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US life expectancy up
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
08/20/2009
US life expectancy has risen to a new high, now standing at nearly 78 years, the government reported Wednesday.
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'Cash for clunkers' won't be running much longer
Los Angeles Times
08/20/2009
The government will announce a plan as soon as Thursday for winding down its popular but problem-plagued "cash for clunkers" program.
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Study shows mercury in fish widespread
Seattle Times
08/20/2009
No fish can escape mercury pollution. That's the take-home message from a study of mercury contamination that tested fish from nearly 300 US streams. But only about a quarter of the fish had mercury levels exceeding what is safe for people eating average amounts of fish.
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Bag fee: bad idea or bad timing?
Seattle Times
08/20/2009
Why did Referendum 1, which would have imposed a 20-cent fee on disposable shopping bags in Seattle, fail? Supporters blame the economic climate, political circumstances, and the deep pockets of their foes, while opponents say it was the wrong approach to urge environmental protection.
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