Editor's Take: September 09, 2009
Hambo, flickr
Carbon Wranglers
A Seattle organization has gotten federal money for new a green jobs training program: teaching engineers how to capture and bury carbon. Nationally, the resignation of "green jobs czar" Van Jones comes as the projects he championed are getting off the ground but leaves a huge void. Could faith communities help fill that gap?
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A green stimulus tipping point?
NPR
09/08/2009
The resignation of Van Jones, President Obama's "green jobs czar," comes just as the pace of stimulus bill funding for the green-energy projects he championed is set to pick up.
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New green job: Carbon wrangler
Oregonian
09/08/2009
Federal economic stimulus money will help train scientists and engineers in how to bury and permanently store carbon dioxide in an effort to curb global warming. A Seattle-based alliance will receive nearly $1 million to develop a carbon capture and sequestration curriculum to train a regional workforce.
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Study: Density could cut driving pollution
USA Today
09/08/2009
Would Americans drive less if they stopped living on big lots far from urban centers? If so, would that reduce pollution and dependence on energy? Building homes in dense, walkable neighborhoods could significantly reduce the number of miles Americans drive, a national research panel has concluded. How much it would shrink the nation's carbon footprint is less clear.
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MT Senator proposes fines for the uninsured
San Francisco Chronicle
09/08/2009
A top senator is calling for fines of up to $3,800 on families who fail to get medical insurance after a health care overhaul goes into effect. The plan from Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana would make health insurance mandatory, just like auto coverage, and provide tax credits to help cover the costs.
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South Lake Union streetcar needs a loan
Seattle Times
09/09/2009
Ridership is up on Seattle's South Lake Union streetcar, but that hasn't averted a big funding gap to operate the line. Mayor Greg Nickels will ask the City Council to approve a $1.45 million loan from other city accounts to continue operating it.
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Neighbor, could you spare some food?
Ashland Daily Tidings
09/09/2009
The Ashland Food Project is a neighborhood-based, door-to-door food collection system, sort of like recycling. Every two months people set a small amount of food on their porch, and a neighbor picks it up and takes it to the local food bank.
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OR economic pillars: Wind and wine
Vancouver Columbian
09/09/2009
Windsurfing, wind turbines and wineries may be recession-proof, but the economic downturn has left its mark on many local economies in the Columbia River Gorge. Plummeting tax revenue has forced Cascade Locks, Ore., to close its high school, and another town is now pinning hopes for survival on a tribal casino and a water-bottling plant.
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Saving energy as a matter of faith
Eugene Register Guard
09/09/2009
For a growing number of people, reducing their carbon footprint is a matter of faith. That's the thinking behind a Cool Congregations Workshop that's been tried and tested throughout the country and hits Oregon on Sunday.
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Will Seattle's mayor think boldly on planning?
Crosscut
09/09/2009
There are plenty of land-use controversies to heat up the election for Seattle's new mayor. But some cities are jumping beyond these block-by-block skirmishes and proposing sweeping new forms of zoning and urban design. Is it our turn?
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Views: We needed Van Jones on the inside
The Nation
09/08/2009
There are likely to be real political consequences for the Obama administration as a result of his green jobs czar's resignation. Van Jones' presence might have helped close the "green gap" between black American concerns with pollution, land use, and health issues and the broader green movement concerns with global climate change.
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