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Senate to put off climate bill until spring
Wall Street Journal
11/17/2009
Senate Democratic leaders said Tuesday they would put off debate on a big climate-change bill until spring, in a sign of weakening political will to tackle a long-term environmental issue at a time of high unemployment and economic uncertainty.
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A Q&A with Al Gore
Seattle Times
11/17/2009
On a book tour in Seattle, former Vice President Al Gore weighs in on the Copenhagen climate summit, Obama's efforts so far, the prospects for US legislation, pseudo-science and garden-variety denial.
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OR governor orders review of energy tax credits
Oregonian
11/17/2009
Gov. Ted Kulongoski ordered a hurry-up review Tuesday of Oregon's incentives for renewable energy companies in the face of ongoing criticism of the tax breaks, asking whether the increasingly expensive Business Energy Tax Credit is necessary for continued expansion of renewable and wind energy.
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Pigs in the city? Hillsboro's creative compromise
Oregonian
11/17/2009
The City Council expects to approve a plan Tuesday night to annex island properties into the city in order to streamline services and save money.
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Judge won't consider White House salmon plan
Oregonian
11/16/2009
The federal judge overseeing the balancing act between salmon and Columbia Basin dams says he doesn't think he can consider new steps the Obama administration wants to take.
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New permits for Idaho's animal feeding operations
Boise Idaho Statesman
11/16/2009
Cattle feeding lot owners will have to submit a nutrient management plan for review under new rules proposed for Idaho by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
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Seniors skeptical of health care overhaul
Seattle Times
11/17/2009
The health-overhaul bill passed by the House this month includes many benefits for seniors, including elimination of the Medicare prescription-drug "doughnut hole" and copays on preventive services. But still, many seniors remain unconvinced that health reform would be good for them.
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Idaho governor objects to listing peppergrass as threatened
Boise Idaho Statesman
11/17/2009
Gov. Butch Otter said the federal government has let down the ranchers and others in Idaho who stepped forward to help a rare flowering bush that grows in the Foothills and in wet areas of Southwest Idaho's desert - even though it was not protected under the Endangered Species Act.
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Parks Service Jon Jarvis taps Idahoan for parks scientist
Boise Idaho Statesman
11/17/2009
National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis didn't wait long to reach into his Idaho roots.
Jarvis, who served as superintendent of Craters of the Moon National Monument, picked the University of Idaho's Gary Machlis to serve as the first National Park Service science adviser.
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Preparing Oregon for earthquakes
Oregonian
11/17/2009
Using information gained from an April simulation of quakes ranging up to 9.0 magnitude, engineers can now prioritize which of the 2,671 bridges in the state highway system should get seismic upgrades. That's a $3 billion job, Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Dave Thompson said.
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Two senators seek new US approach on climate change
Recharge
11/17/2009
Two senators have introduced a bipartisan bill that proposes to double US nuclear power in 20 years, provide $100bn in loan guarantees for carbon-free electricity projects and ramp up alternative energy and carbon capture research and development.
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Poll finds deep divisions on health-care reform
Washington Post
11/17/2009
As the Senate prepares to take up legislation aimed at overhauling the nation's health-care system, President Obama and the Democrats are still struggling to win the battle for public opinion. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Americans deeply divided over the proposals under consideration and majorities predicting higher costs ahead.
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Views: OR governor defends green tax breaks
Oregonian
11/15/2009
The growth in Oregon's renewable energy sector was not by accident - it was by design and the result of public policies that encourage new companies to move here and thrive here, writes OR governor Ted Kulongoski.
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Fight over Portland trail has larger repercussions
Oregonian
11/15/2009
Southwest Portland's "walking trails" mostly follow paved streets and sidewalks. But the off-road sections include utility easements that dip between homes. There's an ongoing controversy over who's responsible for maintenance and liability of these trails: homeowners or the city.
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Panel backs no-fishing zones off CA coast
Los Angeles Times
11/11/2009
A state panel approved landmark fishing restrictions for Southern California, creating a patchwork of havens for marine life while leaving some waters open for anglers. Catches of rockfish, cod, lobster, sea urchin, squid sea bass, yellowtail and swordfish have been in steep decline, and fisheries scientists have argued some species could disappear entirely without no-fishing zones where breeding stocks can recover.
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Idaho 'smart grid' technology boosts efficiency
Boise Idaho Statesman
11/10/2009
Since 2005 Idaho Power has offered customers in Emmett different rates for different times of the day help people reduce their own bills and the utilities' demand for power. Thanks to a $47 million stimulus grant from the Obama administration's Department of Energy, all of Idaho Power's customers will have similar tools for reducing their power bills by 2012.
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Views: Inaction on climate change comes at a price
BC Local News
11/10/2009
Canada's gross domestic product would continue to grow even if we adopted the stronger measures that environmental organizations are calling for rather than the weak measures the federal government has proposed. Still, many people aren't willing to make tough decisions for the sake of our collective future.
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Prince Charles recognizes Vancouver's sustainability
Vancouver Sun
11/09/2009
Vancouver's green qualities were showcased under grey skies as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall made a stop in the city Saturday on their cross-Canada tour.
The visit showcased initiatives in sustainability, ecological urban planning and alternative health care approaches -- all personal interests of the prince.
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Fishermen's association supports Klamath dam agreement
Eureka Times-Standard
11/10/2009
The West Coast's largest commercial fishermen's organization announced on Monday its support for an agreement to tear out four Klamath River dams. The dams were put in beginning in 1916, and have blocked salmon from reaching hundreds of miles of spawning grounds since then. They also contribute to severe water quality problems on the river.
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Health reform, but without reproductive rights
The Nation
11/08/2009
The US House of Representatives voted 220-215 in favor of the most sweeping expansion of health-care coverage since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid Act of 1965. It dramatically expands options for Americans who are not currently covered by private insurers but required a bitter compromise on the issue of abortion in order to secure the votes.
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How an underdog took Seattle City Hall
Seattle Times
11/08/2009
How did Mike McGinn apparently take Seattle City Hall? The mayoral candidate had a fleet of volunteers so devoted they deferred graduate school, borrowed money from their parents and spent hours contacting voters, and a grass-roots campaign that seemed to tap into Seattle's idealism.
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Wetlands could be high & dry without dam
Medford Mail-Tribune
11/08/2009
What happens to marshy properties and miles of adjoining wetlands should Gold Ray Dam disappear is at the crux of a $5.5 million question over whether the Southern Oregon dam will be removed next year, creating 157 miles of free-flowing Rogue River to the sea.
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No clear map to new energy plan
New York Times
11/08/2009
Congress is unlikely, this year or next, to establish the "cap and trade" system for curbing carbon emissions that President Obama and Democratic party leaders seek. Nor are world leaders next month likely to strike a concrete deal to limit emissions. The Democrats' challenge is to make enough progress to avoid defeat in the near term and achieve their priorities in the long run.
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Energy projects: crazy or revolutionary?
The Christian Science Monitor
11/08/2009
Last week, the US Department of Energy announced a series of new energy-efficiency projects that could “fundamentally change the way we use and produce energy.” The projects - such as trying to produce gasoline from sunlight and CO2 - are, in the words of one observer, so crazy they may actually work.
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Views: Climate change bill is in trouble
Los Angeles Times
11/08/2009
If you think the partisan divide over healthcare reform is ugly, take a look at the animus in the Senate as debate continues on a key climate change bill. So wide is the gulf that long-held Senate traditions on decorum are breaking down. And as Washington fiddles, the Earth burns.
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