en-us Copyright Sightline Daily - all rights reserved newsfeeds@sightline.org newsfeeds@sightline.org Today's edition of Sightline Daily, the Northwest news that matters http://daily.sightline.org Plone http://daily.sightline.org/logo.gif 427 69 The University of Washington has released plans to create a new College of the Environment, which would start with 97 faculty members, 1,135 students and a budget of more than $60 million, according to a UW report released this week. The new college would merge six existing academic disciplines that focus on oceans, the atmosphere and forests. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004415558_uwenvironment15m.html Environment Washington 05/15/2008 Seattle Times The average price for regular unleaded gasoline in Alaska rose above $4 a gallon Wednesday, making it the first state in the nation to pass that mark. http://www.adn.com/front/story/406870.html Economy Energy Sprawl & Transportation Alaska 05/15/2008 Anchorage Daily News Northwest lawmakers were split Wednesday as the House passed a $290 billion farm bill that offers more subsidies for farmers and food stamps for the poor and $170 million for the disaster-plagued Pacific Coast salmon fishing industry. Eleven of 16 House members from Oregon, Washington and Idaho voted in favor of the five-year bill, while five Northwest lawmakers voted against it. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FARM_BILL_NORTHWEST_OROL-?SITE=ORKLA&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Environment Food & Farms Policy US Northwest 05/14/2008 AP Our mania for wild, fresh boutique fish comes at a high environmental cost. While the famed Copper River salmon are wild, fresh and organic, the miles they travel to get to Washington buyers may not be worth it. http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-05-14/news/salmon-caught-in-the-carbon-net.php Environment Food & Farms Salmon Alaska Washington 05/14/2008 Seattle Weekly The reality of peak oil will see properties classified into two types in the near future, according to Simon Fraser University professor Anthony Perl. One will be properties from which owners can get to work, leisure activities, and services predominantly by car. The other offers alternatives to the automobile such as public transit, biking, and walking. http://www.straight.com/article-145582/oil-spike-reshapes-burbs Sprawl & Transportation British Columbia Canada 05/15/2008 Georgia Straight A Portland nonprofit agency that builds and sells new homes is showing how cheap, green homes can be done. HOST Development Inc. is finishing work on the first homes in its Helensview Homes development -- the first traditional single-family neighborhood project in town to receive LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) certification. http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=121078405352033000 Environment Green Business Sustainable Living Oregon 05/15/2008 Portland Tribune Courtenay city council, which frequently trumpets the city's green credentials, will send a letter to the province opposing the upcoming carbon tax. http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/capital_van_isl/story.html?id=5e22871e-371b-4a9f-a3ac-74ef1e5dbd0c Environment Green Taxes British Columbia Canada 05/15/2008 Victoria Times Colonist By drawing a legal line in the sand between cars and bikes, allowing them different rules in the same environment, Idaho's bike laws ultimately foster a mutual respect between drivers and cyclists. In Boise it's common to see road signs instructing drivers and cyclists to "share the road." It may be common sense advice for cyclists, but to motorists, it's a subtle reminder that bigger shouldn't mean better. http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6346&catid=&volume_id=317&issue_id=378&volume_num=42&issue_num=33 Environment Sprawl & Transportation Sustainable Living Idaho 05/15/2008 San Francisco Bay Guardian This state is known for many things -- good wine, the imperial branding of the Nike swoosh, a political culture that produces contrarians of both parties -- but ethnic diversity is not one of them. This state has an African-American population of less than 2 percent. And yet on May 20, when voters here could finally end the Democratic presidential marathon by giving Senator Barack Obama an outright majority of pledged delegates, don't expect to hear much about how a black man has broadened the playing field for his party by winning a heavily white state. http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/ Policy Population Oregon United States 05/15/2008 New York Times Climate-change litigation is heating up. Will the legal strategy that brought down Big Tobacco work against Big Oil? http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200806/conspiracy Climate Energy Environment Green Business United States 05/14/2008 Atlantic Monthly Rising global grain prices helped spark the largest increase in monthly food costs in nearly 20 years, as consumers paid more in April for cereals, baked goods, and the dairy, meat and other animal products that rely on feedstocks, the government reported today. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/14/AR2008051400927.html Economy Food & Farms United States 05/15/2008 Washington Post Why smoggy skies over Beijing represent the world’s greatest environmental opportunity. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200806/pollution-in-china Climate Environment Pollution & Toxics 05/14/2008 Atlantic Monthly An article on March 27 in the New York Times reported on a virus, infectious salmon anemia, or I.S.A., that is killing millions of salmon cultivated for export by Chile’s salmon farming industry. The newspaper has run an editor's note on why one of the top sources for the story may not have been the best. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/pageoneplus/13editors-note.html?_r=2&s&oref=slogin Environment United States 05/14/2008 New York Times Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are rejecting Republican rival John McCain's characterization of them as newcomers to the issue of global warming. McCain (Ariz.) said Tuesday that voters would trust him more than the Democrats on climate change because he has focused on the issue since voters questioned him on it during the 2000 presidential campaign. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/14/dems_dispute_mccains_environme.html Climate Environment Policy United States Washington 05/14/2008 Washington Post Ashland property owners who would be affected by proposed riparian ordinances turned out at Tuesday evening's Planning Commission meeting to voice concerns regarding property rights, restrictions on plantings and possible loss of property. http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0514/stories/0514_planning.php Environment Policy Oregon 05/14/2008 Ashland Daily Tidings State money, federal money. Charter boats and commercial salmon boats. Crew funds? Funding tied to permits or boats? It’s all up in the air for now, but businesses, vessel owners and crewmen staring into a future devoid of salmon are banking on getting federal disaster money. http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/doc482b2196d1242185556292.txt Economy Salmon Oregon 05/14/2008 Coos Bay World Heat stroke probably killed six sea lions enclosed within a pair of floating cages near Bonneville Dam a week and a half ago, according to federal authorities. http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/05/05152008_Heat-stroke-likely-killed-sea-lions.cfm Environment Wildlife Oregon Washington 05/14/2008 Vancouver Columbian The Clark County community has reached the point in bridge visioning where moderation should affect both hopes and plans. Longer light rail routes, circular systems in Clark County and more elaborate transportation forms (proven-loser monorail is even mentioned in some ultra-long-range dream-fests) should be set aside for discussions among our descendants. The focus now belongs on replacing the bridge and accommodating light rail. http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2008/05/05142008_In-our-view-Vancouver-transportation-officials-support-replacement-bridge-light-rail.cfm Environment Sprawl & Transportation Washington 05/14/2008 Vancouver Columbian NW trawlers are lobbying federal fisheries managers. They want a new quota system in place that would be sustainable to their pocketbooks, and to the seas. http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=100733&sid=4&fid=2 Economy Environment Food & Farms Wildlife US Northwest 05/14/2008 Eugene Register Guard The presumptive Republican nominee John McCain pioneered the issue of climate change in the Senate where he, along with Sen. Joe Lieberman, introduced the first Senate bill aimed at broad, mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in 2003. Yet there was an undeniable sense that McCain made history in Oregon Monday, when he promised a radical shift from the Bush administration policy on global warming. http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=100697&sid=5&fid=2 Climate Environment Policy Oregon United States 05/14/2008 Eugene Register Guard Ralph Nader isn't running to please anybody. That much is clear. He says he is running because there is not much difference between the two major party candidates. Nader rejects the term spoiler. He calls it "political bigotry." http://news.opb.org/article/2076-another-campaign-season-and-nader-still-has-lot-say/ Policy Oregon 05/14/2008 Oregon Public Broadcasting The effort to "improve" poor parts of town is always a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't proposition. When government leaves a neighborhood to languish, it's accused of neglect. When it tries to spruce things up, it gets ripped for promoting gentrification. http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-05-14/news/the-intersection-of-gentrification-and-neglect.php Economy Population Washington 05/14/2008 Seattle Weekly The state recently announced that it has increased its list of viaduct replacement options from three to 10. But with the removal of the old, unstable structure still four years off, some might wonder: What if an earthquake were to hit in the meantime? http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-05-14/news/what-happens-if-the-viaduct-collapses.php Sprawl & Transportation Washington 05/14/2008 Seattle Weekly Though the numbers were rough, Seattle Department of Transportation officials reported that the proposed routes—which would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build—could count on operational savings if bus service in those same areas is cut. But the problem with that, as noted by some of the more skeptical council members, is that you're simply replacing one kind of transit that can get snarled in traffic with another. http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-05-14/news/city-council-s-slutty-daydreams.php Environment Sprawl & Transportation Washington 05/14/2008 Seattle Weekly On May 9, the city council unanimously passed legislation that would give low-income homeowners—those making 80 percent or less of the Seattle median income—access to one-time, interest-free loans of up to $5,000 toward past-due mortgage payments. But in the face of a national lending crisis, the council's measure seems like a token gesture. The total allocation for the program is only $210,000. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=578154&nw Economy Washington 05/14/2008 The Stranger Under the latest King County development proposal, Maple Valley city manager Anthony Hemstad says, the county could allow up to 2,000 new housing units in the Donut Hole, or as many as 6,000 new residents. For all practical purposes, those newcomers would live in Maple Valley—a bedroom community of 21,000 people. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=578155&nw Sprawl & Transportation Washington 05/15/2008 The Stranger Election officials said turnout appears to be strong in Portland, its populous suburbs, and Eugene, home to the University of Oregon. That bodes well for Barack Obama, who has drawn large crowds in stops in those places and who has outperformed Clinton among urban and young voters throughout the primary. http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008May15/0,4670,OregonPrimary,00.html Policy Oregon 05/15/2008 Fox News Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne listed polar bears as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act yesterday, saying the loss of Arctic sea ice in a warming climate could drive them to the brink of extinction in less than four decades. This would be the first animal in the world to be labeled because of climate change. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/14/ST2008051403984.html Climate Environment Wildlife Canada United States 05/15/2008 Washington Post The House yesterday passed a final version of a new five-year farm bill by a vote of 318 to 106, a margin large enough to override President Bush's promised veto of the nearly $300 billion measure. The bipartisan show of support came after intense lobbying by a coalition that included farm groups, anti-hunger advocates, environmental organizations and the biofuels industry. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/14/AR2008051400371.html Food & Farms Policy United States 05/15/2008 Washington Post Vancouver-Fairview NDP MLA Gregor Robertson won’t reveal if he’ll vote with NDP Leader Carole James in opposition to the B.C. Liberal carbon tax. In a phone interview with the Georgia Straight from Victoria, Robertson, the one-term MLA and Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate, said he has not yet decided whether to support or reject B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor’s Carbon Tax Act, Bill 37, which currently sits at first reading in the legislature. http://www.straight.com/article-145645/gregor-mum-carbon-tax?# Climate Environment Green Taxes British Columbia Canada 05/15/2008 Georgia Straight San Francisco may have a higher per-capita rate of bicycle use than any major city in the United States, and that number may be steadily rising. Yet there are still political barriers to overcome in a city where cars are the dominant transportation option. Mayor Newsom has yet to show a willingness to back his green rhetoric with policies that actually take space from cars. http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6333&volume_id=317&issue_id=378&volume_num=42&issue_num=33&l=1 Environment Sprawl & Transportation Sustainable Living California 05/15/2008 San Francisco Bay Guardian 10 things Bay Area cyclists should know. http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6347&catid=&volume_id=317&issue_id=378&volume_num=42&issue_num=33 Environment Sprawl & Transportation Sustainable Living California 05/15/2008 San Francisco Bay Guardian According to City Attorney Dennis Herrera, if San Francisco wants to see the Potrero Hill power plant, which spews pollution over the southeast part of the city, close down next year, the city's going to have to operate its own fossil fuel plants in the neighborhood. Some environmentalists say that's not true — that the city could develop enough renewable energy and use existing backup systems to obviate the need for the so-called peaker plants. http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6350&catid=4&volume_id=317&issue_id=378&volume_num=42&issue_num=33 Energy Environment Pollution & Toxics California 05/15/2008 San Francisco Bay Guardian The crowd that gathered in a University of Washington classroom Wednesday night was hundreds of people smaller than the turnout for some freshman classes. That didn't matter to Ralph Nader, the independent presidential candidate who was there to speak before about 400 people, including some who gave him a standing ovation. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/363196_nadar15.html Policy Washington 05/15/2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer It's refreshing to hear that Sen. John McCain is willing to lead on global warming, based on the scientific consensus. We hope the next president will respect, use and incorporate the best science into the nation's policy decisions. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/363120_mccained.html Climate Environment Policy United States Washington 05/15/2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer Friday is Bike to Work Day, and locally, 20,000 people are expected to ride. In Seattle, which sees itself as an ecological leader, an estimated 4,000 to 8,000 people already ride to work every day, depending on the weather. Mayor Greg Nickels has launched a 10-year plan to triple bicycle use by adding trails, signals, signs and 143 miles of bike lanes. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004415523_bikeday15m.html Environment Sprawl & Transportation Sustainable Living Washington 05/15/2008 Seattle Times They promised tough prosecution, but in the end the Makah Nation couldn't put together a jury to try five whalers who were charged with illegally killing a gray whale off Neah Bay last fall. Tribal Judge Stanley Myers on Wednesday instead granted the men one-year deferred prosecution and promised to dismiss the charges if they committed no offenses during that time. The whalers also were each ordered to pay a $20 fine. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004415609_makah16m.html Environment Native Peoples Washington 05/15/2008 Seattle Times Public awareness of Puget Sound's ailing health is a primary concern of people charged with restoring and protecting the waterway. A Seattle Times series, "Failing our Sound," has revealed an unexpected twist: a failure to enforce laws already on the books. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004415131_pugeted15.html Environment Washington 05/15/2008 Seattle Times The depth of the world's food crisis is hard to fathom sitting in Washington state at the onset of what likely will be another bountiful and diverse harvest of more than 200 different crops. Yet people have lost their lives in Somalian rioting, unrest has erupted in Egypt and Haiti and the people in cyclone-ravaged Myanmar will have to wait even longer for assistance. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004415129_fooded15.html Food & Farms United States 05/15/2008 Seattle Times Tomorrow will be the Bay Area's first Spare the Air Day of the 2008 smog season, air quality officials said this afternoon. And while they're encouraging people to ride public transit, they're not offering free rides. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/14/BA7H10MF8F.DTL Environment Pollution & Toxics Sprawl & Transportation California 05/15/2008 San Francisco Chronicle About 64,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater spilled into the bay off Tiburon because of an overflow at a treatment plant, the latest in a spate of sewage spills in Marin County, authorities said today. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/14/BA4G10M7TO.DTL Environment Pollution & Toxics California 05/15/2008 San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom testified before Congress on Wednesday about the city's tough new green building standards and urged lawmakers to pass similar rules nationwide. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/15/BAH310MDP5.DTL&type=newsbayarea Environment Green Business Sustainable Living California 05/15/2008 San Francisco Chronicle The bill doesn't offer as much to Oregon as other states where corn, wheat and other commodities fill silos and get big subsidies, but still there are many who stand to win: West Coast salmon fishermen would get $170 million after record low salmon runs nearly closed the season. http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121082192674480.xml&coll=7 Salmon Oregon 05/15/2008 Portland Oregonian Last week the U.S. House voted 266-154 for legislation to help American homeowners stay out of foreclosure. Alaska Rep. Don Young voted no. It was the wrong call. http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/406635.html Economy Policy Alaska 05/15/2008 Anchorage Daily News Quick question: What is the most polluted state in the union? Answer: Alaska -- or at least that is the answer you will get if you consult the EPA Toxic Release Inventory figures. http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/406637.html Environment Pollution & Toxics Alaska 05/15/2008 Anchorage Daily News Almost two decades ago a proposal to develop a swath of land in Tsawwassen known as the Spetifore Lands became synonymous -- rightly or wrongly -- with the evils of urban sprawl. But today a different owner is promoting a new and greener future for the 307-hectare property, now called Southlands, one that would have small farms, compact neighborhoods and shops. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=28ed08e6-e37e-44e3-9945-8f98e94a0ff2 Environment Sprawl & Transportation British Columbia Canada 05/15/2008 Vancouver Sun Alaska commercial fishermen are petitioning Congress to help them with their high diesel bills. Organizers say fuel costs are keeping fishermen closer to home — in some cases tied up at the docks. http://aprn.org/2008/05/14/fishermen-petition-congress-for-fuel-cost-assistance/ Energy Policy Alaska 05/15/2008 Alaska Public Radio Network There are four reasons why Canada' Prime Minister should encourage, rather than stifle, debate on the climate-change measure. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080514.wcomment0515/BNStory/National/home Climate Environment Green Taxes Policy Canada 05/15/2008 Toronto Globe and Mail A new report released by the Pembina Institute raises fears about the possible impact of coal-bed methane extraction on three major salmon rivers in northwestern British Columbia. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080515.BCMETHANE15/TPStory/TPNational/BritishColumbia/ Environment Pollution & Toxics British Columbia Canada 05/15/2008 Toronto Globe and Mail the housing crisis is wrenching the emotional lives of legions of homeowners. The escalating pace of foreclosures and rising fears among some homeowners about keeping up with their mortgages are creating a range of emotional problems, mental-health specialists say. Those include anxiety disorders, depression and addictive behaviors such as alcoholism and gambling. And, in a few cases, suicide. http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2008-05-14-mortgage-foreclosures-mental-health_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip Economy United States 05/15/2008 USA Today Call it a whale of a job. The arduous task of unearthing a 26-metre female blue whale, buried here since 1987, began yesterday. A team from the University of British Columbia arrived in the northwestern end of P.E.I. on Tuesday to take possession of the whale's skeleton. http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=00b195b0-241b-48d3-9264-abf38fb9cbb5 Environment Wildlife British Columbia Canada 05/15/2008 Victoria Times Colonist The Capital Regional District has approved a $270,000 grant to Pacifica Housing to provide 18 supportive-housing units for the homeless in an office building at 3293 Douglas St., near the Ukrainian Cultural Centre. http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/capital_van_isl/story.html?id=0c561b3b-9917-42ec-beb5-965d790f448a Economy British Columbia Canada 05/15/2008 Victoria Times Colonist The Island Corridor Foundation -- the best idea on Vancouver Island since the Nanaimo bypass -- won big at the casino yesterday. Great Canadian Casino is donating $300,000 to help the non-profit foundation further its dream of a functioning rail and transportation corridor the length of the Island. But the rail may be nothing more than a dream, with more funding going to buses. http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=fe5948f2-d5f3-4f48-be5f-d80e9fac8eae Sprawl & Transportation British Columbia Canada 05/15/2008 Victoria Times Colonist Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she's disappointed by a federal decision to list polar bears as a threatened species but relieved by the conclusion that the cause was not petroleum development, the mainstay of Alaska's economy. http://juneauempire.com/stories/051508/sta_279369938.shtml Climate Environment Wildlife Alaska 05/15/2008 Juneau Empire In a resounding repudiation of the Bush administration's national forest management, a three-judge federal panel has ordered a halt to three major logging projects in the Plumas National Forest. http://www.sacbee.com/378/story/940229.html Forests Policy California 05/15/2008 Sacramento Bee Seattle's tap water is the "gold standard," says Greg Nickels. Really? No, not really. It could be a lot better. http://www.crosscut.com/energy-utilities/14231/Spin+the+bottle%3A+The+climate-action+mayor+misses+the+point+on+drinking+water/ Environment Human Health Washington 05/15/2008 Crosscut Whether it's fixing a pothole or repaving miles of cul-de-sacs and curvy back roads, sweet, smooth blacktop continues to cost Snohomish County taxpayers more per mile each year. Repaving a road is running $210,000 a mile this construction season, based on the apparent low bid received this week by the county for summer paving work. http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080515/NEWS01/637250600 Energy Environment Sprawl & Transportation Washington 05/15/2008 Everett Herald South Sound bicycle commuters tout the benefits of two-wheeling it, while advocates urge newcomers to try National Bike to Work Week It began with a two-mile ride at lunch. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/360923.html Environment Sprawl & Transportation Sustainable Living Washington 05/15/2008 Tacoma News Tribune Ralph Nader is still running for president. But in Tacoma on Wednesday, his pitch for another option on the ballot was just as impassioned. Nader said a “none of the above” option on ballots would help break up what he called the “two-party dictatorship” because it would bring more voters out and, if their noncandidate won, another election would have to be held 30 days later. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/360927.html Policy Washington 05/15/2008 Tacoma News Tribune However the presidential election turns out, the fight against global warming is going to have an ally in the White House next year. http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/360972.html Climate Environment Policy United States Washington 05/15/2008 Tacoma News Tribune Bicycles are expected to flood the roadways on Friday — Bike to Work Day. Organizations throughout Puget Sound are planning events to recognize and tabulate those exchanging vehicles for bikes during their commute. In Bainbridge and Bremerton, bicyclists can get free gifts, snacks and commuting information. http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/may/14/bicyclists-to-hit-the-road-for-fridays-commute/ Environment Sprawl & Transportation Sustainable Living Washington 05/15/2008 Kitsap Sun The slowing real estate market appears to be making it a little easier to purchase a home locally, according to a recently released report. http://www.bellinghamherald.com/255/story/410363.html Economy Washington 05/15/2008 Bellingham Herald More money for nuclear cleanup is expected to be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee today as Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., continues to chip away at Hanford budget shortfalls. Murray worked to add $300 million for cleanup at Hanford and other Department of Energy nuclear sites to the supplemental appropriations bill for fiscal 2008. http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/184754.html Environment Policy Pollution & Toxics Washington 05/15/2008 Tri-City Herald Commercial and sport fishermen blasted state wildlife officials for not fighting harder to extend this year's Chinook salmon season on the Lower Columbia River during a town hall meeting in Cathlamet Wednesday night. http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/15/area_news/10245736.txt Environment Salmon Washington 05/15/2008 Longview Daily News Farm prices are robust and rising, contributing to a global food crisis. Yet, the $300 billion, five-year farm bill recently hammered out by congressional negotiators is pretty much business as usual. The legislation would continue costly and largely unneeded farm subsidy programs that serve to drive up food prices at home. http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/15/editorial/doc482b6dbe9a879778662566.txt Food & Farms Policy United States Washington 05/15/2008 Longview Daily News Treasured by sportsmen and tribal members alike, the more remote sections of the Yakima River harbor a dirty little secret: they're used as a quick escape from landfill fees by folks who dump their trash and other junk. Out of sight and mind. It's a problem not only on the reservation, but across Yakima County. http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/4050 Environment Pollution & Toxics Washington 05/15/2008 Yakima Herald-Republic Pacific Northwest farmers hope Wednesday's strong majority vote in favor of the 2008 farm bill in the House of Representatives means the measure will survive a veto. http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/4057 Food & Farms Policy US Northwest Washington 05/15/2008 Yakima Herald-Republic When the folks at Mount Hood’s Timberline Lodge decided to “green” their new ski lift, the equation was pretty simple. Figure out how much electricity the lift would use in a year and offset that with an annual investment in wind turbines or solar power. But, the issue is a little more complex than that. http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=121078397400772300 Climate Environment Green Taxes Oregon 05/15/2008 Portland Tribune Welcome to the dark side of recycling. For years, the mantra of sustainable waste management has been, reduce, reuse, recycle. Now, light-fingered opportunists have come up with a new twist on the old slogan: Remove, resell, repeat. http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=121078389499281700 Environment Oregon 05/15/2008 Portland Tribune First, girls who hit puberty sooner are more likely to wind up with a long list of health and social problems. Second, it raises the unpleasant possibility that something sinister in our environment may be sabotaging the complex hormonal system that governs sexual development. http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=121078392475499700 Environment Human Health Pollution & Toxics Oregon United States 05/15/2008 Portland Tribune Why former eco-warrior John Charles hates regulation, loves Styrofoam and distrusts thermometers. http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=121078382855617000 Environment Oregon 05/15/2008 Portland Tribune Professor, students write online DIY guide to sustainability. http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=121078408080410800 Environment Sustainable Living Oregon 05/15/2008 Portland Tribune The U.S. Congress passed a farm bill Wednesday that could wrap lumber imports from Canada in red tape and has the potential to impose limits beyond the restrictions already in the softwood lumber agreement. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=526cce35-5d40-4443-b128-103ebb84d5cf Environment Food & Farms Forests British Columbia Canada United States 05/15/2008 Vancouver Sun Fish and Game held the meeting to seek public input on the 2008 wolf hunting season as part of the first Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan. The state took over managing wolves on March 28 after they were taken off the endangered species list. http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2008/05/15/news/news02.txt Environment Wildlife Idaho 05/15/2008 Coeur d'Alene Press