Still More Car Freeness

Sound Transit Train courtesy of Wikipedia

Apparently Cascadians have taken Peter Newman's advice to heart. In a new report released by the Sightline Institute, the combined states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho have decreased per capita gas consumption in seven of the last eight years. This means we are now using less gas per capita than at any time since 1966.

Of course, the news isn't all good. Increases in population almost directly offset the amount of gas that individuals are consuming, meaning that total gas consumption has pretty much remained flat since 1997.

Nonetheless in less than a decade per capita consumption has declined by a whopping 11 percent, making it the fastest reducing region in the nation. In fact, in the mid '90s Cascadia was one of the most gas guzzling areas of the country, but now we are at about 9 percent less than the national average.

As more people step out of their cars its our job to make sure that development and infrastructure promotes non-car use. Without some major investments in land management and public transportation we will see a major gentrification of our cities. The lower class will be pushed out of the urban and into the suburban; places that were built to to escape the poor in the first place! Oh the irony. The days of huge highways and suburban sprawl are over. Let us usher in a new era of public funding that is directed at healthy, livable communities for everyone.

Get Involved:
Seattle Great City Initiative
Bicycle Transportation Alliance (Portland)
Carfree Portland
Smart Growth BC

Car Free Cascadia!

Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square, courtesy of Wikipedia

The Oregonian published this great interview with Australian Professor, Peter Newman. He studies what he has dubbed, "car culture" in America and Australia. Here are a few excerpts:

Q: We have a $4 billion proposal to replace a six-lane highway bridge on Interstate 5 with a new bridge that would have six highway lanes, plus six auxiliary lanes. It would also extend light rail to the northern suburbs and have generous pedestrian facilities. It's been billed as having a little bit for everyone. Is that kind of project worth pursuing?

A: Four billion dollars is what you're going to need for building these transit lines and subcenters.

Keeping the traffic moving is what you have to stop doing. VMT (vehicle miles traveled) reductions are not going to be promoted by that bridge.

There will be a whole series of freeways taken down when they reach the end of thei life in cities around the world. The one in Seoul (South Korea) came down. Now it's a beautiful river, and a park with transit. The mayor who did it is now the president.

Q:What's the difference between a sustainable city and your latest term, a resilient city?

It's moving more directly into this climate change and oil agenda. In many ways, the sustainability word is being made to mean "green." But the agenda of oil and greenhouse gases -- the consumption of resources -- is about resilience in the city.

Resilience means you can have options so that we can achieve a 50 percent reduction in VMT, so that we've got capacity in the transit system, you've got destinations clos by that you can reach biking and walking, and if you need to use a car you don't need to go far.

Suburbs on the fringe built with all the certainty of the future are now very uncertain, because people living there sometimes have to spend 40 percent of their household budget on transport, and 40 percent is not sustainable.

If you're going from $3.50 a gallon gas to $6 a gallon, which is the price of fuel in Europe ... many of these suburbs will be abandoned. They are not resilient.

Q:Every month or so, another magazine names Portland the most sustainable city in America. They tend to cite the renewable energy we use, the commuters who don't drive to work and the number of green buildings. What should the next challenge be for us?

On those sustainability ratings, it comes out on top, and I would agree with that. But on a resilience rating, it's not. New York comes out on top.

There are whole regions of New York that are just as bad as Atlanta. But the core of Manhattan is very resilient. It's got enormous ability to take people other than by car.

Portland now needs to lead the way in the exponential decline in VMT, and there can be no complacency anymore in saying, "Well, we're already there."

Check out the whole interview with some videos here.

Geothermal under the Cascades

Mt. St. Helens courtesy of Wikimedia

By Les Blumenthal
McClatchy Newspapers
Jan. 24, 2008

Deep beneath the Cascades Mountains, where molten magma heats the Earth's crust and occasionally bursts through cracks and fractures in violent volcanic eruptions, lurks an energy source that scientists think could be tamed to help power the Northwest.

Though there's been little exploration, and no deep test holes have been drilled, the geothermal potential of the Cascades — which run from Washington state south through Oregon into Northern California — is starting to attract a buzz. In the next 10 or 15 years, some say, commercial-sized power plants could start generating electricity.

"As this area is predicted to contain vast geothermal resources, development plans for the Cascades are becoming an increasingly frequent topic of conversation," said a report late last year for the Department of Energy.

Behind Iceland, which gets more than 26 percent of its electricity from geothermal plants, the United States is a world leader in geothermal development, with plants pro
ducing more than 3,000 megawatts of electricity.

California is No. 1, and resources in such other Western states as Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Oregon are being developed. Nevada has been dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of geothermal."

A recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology study found that the amount of geothermal power that could be recovered from deep drilling would represent almost 3,000 times the amount of energy currently consumed in the United States.

Last year's Energy Department report said the Cascades contained "potentially significant" geothermal resources, but it cautioned that the effort to tap these resources — including drilling miles into volcanoes to tap "supercritical fluids" — won't be easy.

Even so, the hunt is under way, and some energy companies have zeroed in on certain areas.

Near Baker Lake, north of Seattle, an Oregon company is waiting for leases from the Forest Service and considering a 100-megawatt geothermal plant that could provide enough electricity for 100,000 people. The power it would produce would be cheaper than the electricity from a new natural gas-fired generating plant.

"We are very serious about this," said Steven Munson, the chief executive of Vulcan Power Co.

In the rough triangle from Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams in Washington state to Mount Hood, east of Portland, there's enough geothermal potential to develop 1,000 megawatts of electricity, the equivalent of three or four gas-fired generating plants, said Susan Petty, president of AltaRock Energy in Seattle.

The Cascades are part of the so-called "Ring of Fire" of active volcanoes and earthquake faults that surround the Pacific Ocean.

Southeastern Washington, eastern Oregon, southern Idaho, eastern California, Utah and Nevada are in a zone marked by deep fractures in the Earth's crust that tend to be pathways to the deep circulation of hot water.

Though that water is hot enough to run steam turbines, Petty and others said the temperatures of the geothermal water and hot rocks underlying the Cascades might be even better for producing power. And because magma is closer to the surface in the Cascades, the drilling holes there might not have to be as deep.

Cascadian Eco-Beer

So at work today, enjoying the old Seattle Weekly, I came across Aimee Curl's article on eco-friendliness in the coffee industry. Although there weren't too many surprises (guess what, Starbucks doesn't recycle, aaah!) it's always interesting to see product comparisons with respect to greenness. Originally I thought I would just post a more generally Cascadian version of Curl's article, but then I got to thinking...

Coffee isn't the Cascadian, or even Seattle icon that so many claim it to be. Starbuck's may have started here but its popularity has little to do with coffee and much more to do with service and marketing. This is exactly why they went global and have been just as popular everywhere else. They had an effective business model that they perfected in Seattle and that's about it. Sure we like our caffiene fix everyday but were not a bunch of coffee connoisseurs who can determine the country of origin with just one whiff. In fact, if that were the case, I would expect that Starbucks would have done worse around here because people would realize that Starbucks' Grande Mocha is nothing more than the Big Mac of java.

But Beer. Now that's something that Cascadians truly take seriously. It's common knowledge that microbreweries prosper here like shrooms in a cow patty. In fact, the top five states with the most craft breweries are as follows:

1. California 200+
2. Colorado 101
3. Oregon 91
4. Washington 87
5. Michigan 69
(From Reelbeer.com)

And this is good beer too. As I mentioned in a previous post British Columbia dominated the show at the Canadian Brewing Awards. Likewise, California, Washington, and Oregon are first, third, and fifth respectively in most medals won from the American Brewer's World Beer Cup. Even in international competitions Cascadians show their talent. In the 2005 International Brewing Industry Awards the only winners from the entire North American continent all came out of Cascadia (Bridgeport Brewing, Oregon; Rogue's Brewing, Oregon; Sierra Nevada, Northern Cali; and Pacific Western, BC)

So, with inspiration from Aimee Curl and an added PNW twist, I give you the greenest beers in Cascadia!

If there was an award for greenest brew practices (which there sure as hell should be!) it would most certainly go to Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Based in Boonville, Ca, at the heart of the Emerald Triangle, this brewery is so eco-friendly I don't even know where to begin! Let's see, the company really took off in 1999 when they built their new, three-story, state-of-the-art brewhouse . They situated the building so that only one tree had to be removed, and they planted two more in its stead. The new facility boast a fully solar-powered brewing process as well as a three-pond effluent waste water treatment system. This means that water used to brew the beer is also used for heating and chilling beer, cleaning the facilities, and eventually irrigating all 30 acres of the company's property. The brewery also utilizes and supports its local community. All water used by the brewery is taken from wells on their property. The hops are all certified organic and grown in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, after using the grains for brewing they clean it, then donate it to local livestock owners. They estimate that they give away approximately 2000 tons of nutrient grains a year. These efforts have gotten them numerous awards from California's Waste Reduction Awards Program. In fact, AVBC is so environmentally conscious that they recently acquired four shire horses which they use to haul beer to local stores and pubs in the area (fed with the spent brew grains of course!).




Down in Oregon Country the Full Sail Brewing Company, based in Hood River, has gained recognition for its social responsibility. In 1999 after 12 years of brewing and 47 workers the company became an independent, employee-owned company, dividing the company between all workers. Under this ideology the company has been able to implement a number of innovative practices that have helped them reduce their environmental impact. For example, the company runs 4 10-hour work days which saves 20% on water and power consumption. 85% of hops and 95% of barley used in Full Sail Ales are grown in the Northwest and through various minor fixes they have reduced their water consumption to only 3.45 gallons of water for every gallon of beer (the industry average is between 6 and 8).



While nothing to date can compete with Anderson Valley, Olympia, Washington's Fish Brewing Company has been giving back to the environment since 2002. As their name suggests they try to promote the protection and rehabilitation of salmon habitat's throughout Cascadia. Their three main beers, amber, Pale, and IPA are all certified Organic. Their signature beer the Wild Salmon Pale Ale uses hops from a Yakima, Washington farm which was the first farm to producecomercially organic hops in the United States. A portion of the proceeds from this beer also goes towards salmon restoration and watershed protection. I also must mention the fact that all six-packs of Fish beer contain the proclamation, Brewed in the Republic ofCascadia. You gotta love that!



Of course, lets not leave BC out of this! Crannog's Ales has the dubious title of Canada's only certified organic farm brewery. Crannog's is similar to Anderson Valley, but on a smaller scale. They brew on a 10-acre farm which feeds and sustains the brewers as well as contributes to the brewing process. They also use water from their own wells and reuse grains for livestock feed. They claim to have created a harmonized, zero-waste system. While the brewery pledges to only deliver beer within driving range of the brewery this makes it difficult to secure outside of British Columbia. Nonetheless they deserve credit for standing behind their beliefs.



Juneau's Alaskan Brewing Company is also a committed green brewery. It is their goal to have a zero-net impact on the environment. To this end, in 1998 they were the first craft brewer in the country to install a carbon dioxide recovery system, which captures and reuses the greenhouse gas naturally produced in the fermentation process. Of course, they acknowledge that working in the harsh Alaskan environment they cannot be quite as eco-friendly as other places. Thus, they have pledged a portion of their proceeds to promote the health of the Pacific Ocean via their coastal CODE (Clean Oceans Depend on Everyone) Organization. The company has also recieved numerous awards for its outstanding health and saftey practices among its employees, thereby promoting healthy environments externally as well as internally.

While these five microbreweries have shown tremedous leadership in environmentally friendly beer making, their are many Cascadian craft breweries working to make their companies greener. Check out a full list of Activist Brewing Companies here.

References:

http://www.coffee.net/library/eco-conscious-green-beer.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1594/is_1_13/ai_82352630

Ramblin' by Rail

Trains came to Cascadia in the mid-1800's with the first real rail company, Oregon Steam Navigation, beginning in 1861. Throughout the rest of the century railroad barons held huge sway in the Northwest as their decisions could literally make or break a city. This was evident in the later 1800's as Tacoma and Seattle battled who would become the final leg of a short line from Portland that connected them to the transcontinental railroad. After the advent of automobiles trains fell out of favor since they could not provide the freedom of personal transportation. Many railroad companies went out of business and abandoned their rails leaving them to rust in their place (Many were later turned into walking trails, such as Bellingham's Alabama Creek Trail and Seattle's Burke-Gilman). Well, this morning I took the train from Seattle to Bellingham and I believe its time that we bring rail travel back, bigger and better.

Riding the train Northbound from Seattle is a truly relaxing experience. As historical happenstance would have it (or perhaps the fact that locomotives were invented over a century before automobiles) the existing rail lines have by far and away some of the best right-of-ways in all of Cascadia. Unlike I-5 which runs from strip mall to strip mall, the train runs almost directly along the Puget Coast, allowing unhindered views of the San Juans and Olympic Mountains. As the train chugs past Everett it heads inland, meanerding along the Snohomish River and then dropping into the farmlands of the Skagit Valley. Surprise relics pop up along the route as well, such as an old beached tugboat just north of Edmonds or a colorful Welcome to Mt. Vernon sign, tucked under an old 99 bridge.

Of course, the train isn't perfect. The typical journey by rail can take up to almost twice the time of driving and the price is not yet competitive to a car (unless those gas prices keep up their trend). Talking to some fellow Cascadian Independents we decided that Cascadia really needs to take rail travel seriously. Geographically it makes sense as we are much longer North-South, than East-West. As well, demographically, we are almost entirely concentrated on the already existing I-5 corridor, which railways already run the length. By putting in a high speed train, such as the Eurostar connecting London and Paris, we could have service from Vancouver to Portland in under three hours! And this isn't like 3 hours to an airport where you then have to wait for your baggage, wait for a shuttle or taxi, and then spend 15 to 20 minutes driving into town, this is literally downtown to downtown.

Plus, you get the benefits of being eco-friendly. In a recent press release from Eurostar it was approximated that traveling by train emits roughly 10 times less carbon dioxide per passenger than traveling by airplane. Not to mention that high speed trains run on electricity, and thus have the ability to come from renewable sources, opposed to burning jet fuel.

Well, as it turns out my friends and I weren't the only ones to realize how brilliant train travel would be in Cascadia. The Cascadia Center, a project started through the Discovery Institute, has been trying to increase efficiency in regional transportation since 1993. Although the Discovery Institute is continuously harassed (rightly) for their promotion of Intelligent Design, the Cascadia Center has actually worked hard on a few important transportation projects in the past, such as helping negotiate a second train between Vancouver and Seattle. Sure, they aren't always right and they haven't yet promoted a high speed train, but at least the ideas are out there.

So what can the average Cascadian do to help promote better train travel? Well, check out the Cascadia Center's webpage and send them a letter showing your interest for high speed rail. The classic letter's to your congressmen and women is also always good. But most of all get out their and ride the rails! Trains are expensive and there will never be financial support if there isn't any consumer support. So pick a destination, charge up your ipod, and go enjoy the Cascadian landscape from the big windows of the old steel pony.

Pictures:
Seattle's King Street Station painted by J. Craig Thorpe
Portland's Union Station courtesy of Wikipedia
Vancouver's Pacific Central Station courtesy of Wikipedia

Most Livable City

A Post to make Seattlites jealous.




Courtesy of NYC's StreetFilms. (If you have the time, check out the feature on Ciclovia, in Bogota. Probably one of the most creative intiatives any city has ever taken.)

The Weekly (almost) Alternative

Once again, a roundup from the Cascadian alternative newspapers...

[The Georgia Straight]: The Straight chastised a move by the Non-Partisan Association, with the help of the Vancouver City council, to spend public money on a private business program. The Downtown Ambassador's, who have been privately funded in the past, will now receive $872,000 annually for expanded security for downtown businesses. While the vote was close, Mayor Sam Sullivan has been called-out for casting the sixth and final vote needed for the measure to pass.

In other news, a new survey by Britain's Independent ranks Vancouver as the 27th greatest city in the world (fyi: other surveys have given Vancouver more bragging rights) (fyi2: The survey put London as numero uno, hmmm, perhaps not as independent as they claim.)

[Monday Magazine]: A new report that came out in December 2007 shows that pink salmon in Queen Charlotte Strait's Broughton Archipeligo have declined by 80% over the last four years and without any assistance, could be extinct in another four. The problem is sea lice, which can winter-over in fish farms and then be released onto small wild salmon, who don't have scales for protection. Alexandra Morton, co-author of the report says that the solution is easy: self-contained fish farms. Unfortunately, British Columbian politics could prevent this solution from becoming reality.

[Cascadia Weekly]: A dispute has erupted over the use of the "Black Forest Steak House" name as Herb Niemann running the so-named restraunt in Everson has sued his brother Jack Niemann who recently opened up an establishment in Bellingham. The court is currently deciding the legality and ownership of the title. While British Columbia, the home of "Black Forest" Restaurants, operates dozens of places by this name, apparently Whatcom County is too small for more than one.

[Boise Weekly]: This generally red state has something new this election season, a loud and proud Obama presence. Like Ron Paul supporters throughout the rest of the country, Idaho has seen a huge presence of Obama supporters throughout the state, engaging and encouraging people to pick the young black candidate. While Idaho may not be a swing state, Obamania may be a cultural shift for the potato lovers.

[The Inlander]: The Spokane City Hall reopened with the Mayor's office and the City Councillors moved to the same floor. This symbolic act will hopefully make communication better and work more efficient for the eastside city. Affordable housing is one of the major issues for 2008 and Mayor Mary Verner is trying to recruit Gov. Gregoire for the task.

[Seattle Weekly]: Bremerton and Bainbridge Island, while only seperated by a mile of water, are increasingly divided. As Bainbridge becomes a rich suburb of Seattle, with consistent and fast ferry service, Bremerton remains distinctly blue collar, with a sparse and slow ferry to the metropolitan area. A bridge between the two areas could help solve differences but the idea has been constantly rejected and looks to have no chance in sight.

[The Stranger]: Charles Mudede finds blasphemy in the new Bellevue City Hall. Built by SRG Partnership, based in Portland, the building has recieved much admiration and recognition from the American Institute of Architects. At the same time, Seattle's City Hall was a flop. Bellevue, home of shopping malls and chain stores, should never best Seattle in any cultural competition, claims Mudede. Perhaps Bellevue is starting to form its own identity apart from the Emerald City.

[Portland Mercury]: Oregonian righties are trying to prevent a new gay rights bill from becoming law in the new year. The bill, which takes effect this week, will allow gay couples to recieve the same rights as married couples for a mere $60. But a conglomeration of anti-gay activists have petitioned the state to put the bill on the November 2008 ballot with 62,000 signatures. But the Secretary of State determined that only 55,063 of those signatures were valid, 116 shy of the necessary amount.

[Willamette Weekly]: Longtime Portland City Councilmen Eric Sten will resign midterm this year after 11 years of vigilant service. Sten is best known for his accomplishments in affordable housing and decreasing homelessness in the Rose City. Of course, he also had his losses. After many years of battling PGE he failed to acquire PGE for the city, even after it fleeced ratepayers of nearly $1 billion. He did get PGE to agree to two dam demolitions. The first one took place last fall and was the first dam to be demolished in Oregon in over 40 years. Sten has not announced any future plans.

From the Sightline

As profesized by yours truly, here are a few awesome tidbits from the Sightline Institute.

First this incredibly depressing map on Grizzlies.




And now, some more inspring news. Check out this graph from Eric de Place:



Basically what Eric shows us here is that getting rid of low fuel efficiency cars is far better (not to mention easier) than building new more fuel efficient vehicles. He explains that the crux to understanding this issue is to stop thinking in "miles per gallon" and think about it in terms of "Gallons per mile".

Check out all his math and explanations here.


I would like to add here that not only does this math prove that getting rid of low efficiency is actually better, but also destroying cars is much better than producing more cars. Its much easier, cheaper, and in so many ways better to get rid of cars with low MPG than it is to waste money and energy creating more fuel efficiency.

I will throw in my opinion here and state straight out that minimizing our energy use is actually the only way we are going to stop global climate change. Technology has and will never be our savior (or saviour for BCers). Sorry to burst your bubble.

The Scorecard 2007

Surfing (or, more relatable to Cascadians, snowboarding) the web recently, I came across what might be called the Holy Grail of Cascadian affairs. The Sightline Institue, "is a not-for-profit research and communication center" working to, "bring about sustainability--a healthy, lasting prosperity grounded in place". And that place is Cascadia. The Institute manages two Cascadia-specific news blogs, The Daily Score and Tidepool (neither as good as mine of course), and also does specific research projects on Cascadian related issues, such as the impacts of highway-widening, relevant to Puget Sound's Roads and Transit and B.C.s Gateway Program. But the true goal (and treasure) of the Sightline Institute is their regional research on Cascadia that is comparable to other areas of the world. While I (and many of you I hope) feel Cascadian at heart, the fact remains that Cascadia is (as yet?) only cultural, not political. Therefore acquiring statistics and data specific to the region requires combining state, provincial, national, municipal, and other sets of figures; a monumental and time consuming task to say the least. Well, until I came across the Sightline Institute that is. I mean, just check out maps like this, or this! Perhaps you aren't quite as excited as myself about these random colorful pictures of Cascadia, but having been seriously researching Cascadia for the last couple of months, The Sightline Institute is bringing Cascadia into a whole new realm of genuine reality. I can guarantee that many future posts will use research and information from this premier Cascadian institution.


So, now that I am done raving about this glorious find, I can move on to the actual post, which is a summary of Sightline's recent publication, Cascadia Scorecard 2007: Seven Key Trends Shaping the Northwest.

"The Cascadia Scorecard, a project started in 2004 by the Sightline Institute, measures long-term progress in the Pacific Northwest. An index of seven trends shaping the future of the region, it is a simple but surprisingly far-reaching gauge. The scorecards indicators - health, economy, population, energy, sprawl, wildlife, and pollution - provide status reports for Cascadia and, by highlighting successful communities, offer a practical vision for a better Northwest."

If you want to read the full 68-page report, click here. Or, just trust that I did and read the following handy-dandy recap.


1. Health

Certainly one of Cascadia's strong points. Life expectancy is at 79.5 years, which would rank 12th if Cascadia were an independent nation. The Sightline Institute's model goal is 81.3 years, Japan's 2001 life expectancy, and thus, even at the currently slow pace, this goal is reachable within 11 years. Of course, it is important to note that gains in health have been uneven. British Columbia, "remains far and away the healthiest jurisdiction". The metropolitan areas of BC's South are some of the healthiest places on earth, while the healthiest places of Oregon and Washington aren't even standouts in the US. The healthcare system in BC as well as the compact communities of metro Vancouver both factor into its success. In 2007 Washington state increased access to preventitive health care which could help boost scores in the future.

2. Economy

The economy is a bit difficult to deduce. On the up-side Gross Regional Product grew by 72% from 1990 - 2005, while total personal income grew by 56% in the same period (inflation-adjusted). Yet, it looks as though medium and low-income households have seen almost no actual change in that 15 year period, British Columbia actually showing a slight decline. Other economic measrements, such as economic security and unemployment, have seen many ups and downs in recent years and there seems to be no set direction towards progress. The Sightline Institute concludes that without more regional research by policymakers, "Cascadia is flying blind" as far as its economy, tending to rely on national progress for improvements.

3. Population

The population growth of Cascadia has remained fairly constant over the past two decades with a birth rate of about 1.8. The target here is 1.7 (that of many Scadanavian countries) but unfortunately progress is going slow. The tendency is that more rural areas have higher rates (closer to 2) while metropolitan areas have lower rates (closer to 1). Thus, The east side of the Cascades (aside from Spokane) tends to be the area where the most improvement can be done. The most important issue is minimizing the amount of unwanted pregnancies. We are on the right track since recently both Montana and Oregon joined Washington and California in allowing for more equal treatment of prescription contraceptives. Another way to lower unwanted pregnancies is through economy as data shows that as income decreases, birth rates increase.

4. Energy

By far the worst-performing area on the scorecard. The Sightline found that Cascadia is region, "every bit as profligate with energy as it was three decades ago". Of course, not all the news is bad. Gasoline consumption has been falling consistently for the past seven years. Sadly, to offset this, electricity has seen a sudden jump in recent years. Sightline looks to Germany as a model for Cascadia where energy consumption is half and total standard of living is higher. Some measures that we can take to achieve this is carbon-based taxes, better city planning and public transportation, and probably the biggest, better awareness and concern for energy use.

5. Sprawl

While traditionally sprawl has been a bane of Cascadian communities, Sightline found that the compacted living arragements are making a resurgence in the area. In fact, the model for Cascadia overall is the metro area around Vancouver, BC. Although far from perfect, Vancouver has done a fine job with infill, protecting open space, and building close-knit communities where walking and public transportation are easy and efficient. In recent years Oregon has also been a leader in this area. Hoping to protect their traditional farmlands they have carefully channeled groth into urban areas. This is not to say that everything is on the right track. In 2004 Oregon's Measure 37 was a big set back for sprawl, allowing developers to gain compensation for developed lands. But, as a whole Cascadia seems to be slowly heading in the right direction, with speed picking up consistently.

6. Wildlife

Modest gains in wildlife numbers have been shown in recent years, mainly from Wolf populations in Idaho and Chinook salmon runs. Of course, even on the present course it would take 69 years to meet the Sightline's target goals, which themselves are only a fraction of historic population sizes. One huge target needs to be improving the waters of Puget Sound and the Columbia River, both areas full of toxic chemicals from idustrial endeavors. As well, creating protected wilderness areas for animals, such as wolves, to roam can be crucial. Wolves, who have rebounded from near extinction, play an unprecedented role in the ecological system of Cascadia. Allowing them the space and freedom to roam will help control and balance many other parts of the ecosystem within the region. Smart and managed building (such as dams and urban sprawl) will also play a large factor in the health of our future wildlife.

7. Pollution

Contamination in Cascadian bodies is high, just like much of the rest of the United States and even the world. Since data testing on this subject is still in its infancy, finding any solid trend is difficult. Luckily, governmental and popular awareness is increasing but the effects of our past mistakes are probably going to haunt us for years to come. Dealing with toxic waste sites, such as the Duwamish River, and making sure that future construction pays close attention to the environmental effects will be paramount over the next few decades.

Conclusion

There are four important lessons to take away from this publication. First, energy consumption is "stuck in high gear" and drastic actions need to be taken to decrease this. Second, British Columbia performs on average far better than the rest of Cascadia. BC's health care system is foundational to health, fertility, and even economic stability. As well, a comprehensive transportation plan, which has far fewer roads and highways than the Norhtwest States, stems sprawl, protect environment, lowers pollution, and increase health. Cascadians should be championing their own successes and looking internally to British Columbia instead of to the rest of the United States for future leadership. Third, while human inhabitants of Cascadia are doing fairly well, other most other creatures in the environment are barely holding on. We need to look critically at where we are building and growing and how we can maintain a wildlife that is abundant and healthy. As one of the last colonized places on earth, Cascadia's wildlife should be more intact than most elsewhere. It should be a regional goal to make this happen. Fourth, and finally, there is reason for optimism. While not all areas are showing significant improvement, few are showing rapid decline either. Awareness and understanding of the issues that plague our region at least give us the knowledge to do something about it.

The Weekly Alternative

News from Alternative Newspapers across Cascadia:

[The Georgia Straight]: Gordon McAdams wins the "Whistleblower of the Year Award" for calling out city planners, and subsequently being fired, concerning a road through Groham Narrows Provincial Park.

[Monday Magazine]: Although Victoria's needle exchange program has undeniably good intentions, neighborhood complaints have gotten the program, run by AIDS Vancouver Island, evicted from its buidling, leaving addicts without a safe needle supply.

[Cascadia Weekly]: Bellingham's efforts to court NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, got a large boost this week as U.S. Congressman Rick Larsen gave his endorsement to the city. NOAA, currently based in Seattle, announced plans to move locations earlier this year. Bellingham hopes to give it a new home on the old Geogria Pacific waterfront, handed over to the city and currently in the process of redevelopment.

[Boise Weekly]: The 6th Annual Bad Cartoon Contest has commenced and this year, the winner is, well, pretty bad. Sifting through Larry Craig antics along with a number of talking poop stories, Elijah Jensen was declared the winner. His cartoons generally revolve around teeth. Look for Jensen's cartoons for the next 52 weeks in the Boise Weekly.

[Pacific Northwest Inlander]: Not a whole lot of news going on in Spokane right now but the Inlander did produce an ALL LOCAL Christmas (sorry, holiday) shopping guide for the area. In other news, Mary Verner, the liberal (hybrid driving) mayoral candidate, was finally sworn into office. Way to be progressive Easties!

[Seattle Weekly]: In typical Seattle fashion, the Weekly ran a feature about the meatheaded idiocy of Pullman (which no doubt is true). Kyle Schott, a top football pick back in 2003, recently went to court for sexual assault charges against a Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority girl. Apparently, Schott was originally waiting, "to hear from the U Dub". I think WSU was a better fit.

[The Stranger]: No real news from The Stranger this week (except the typical rantings about development and racial discrimination in the city). Currently the paper's annual charity, Strangercrombie, is the talk of the town (or at least Capitol Hill) Hurry over to The Stranger Online to bid on some incredibly unique packages, including a personally picked cover done by the Presidents of the United States, or your very own spot on The Slog for a week! (if anyone wants to "lend" me $600 I'll happily talk up Cascadia to all the Strangerheads.)

[Vancouver Voice] What is with Cascadians and dirtying up their rivers? (see my previous post on The Duwamish) Sure, we've banned the major toxic troubles from The Columbia, like PCBs and DDT, but now even our personal hygiene products are killing The River's ecosystem. Apparently making those teeth reflectively white isn't exactly environmentally friendly.

[The Portland Mercury]: Another big 'ol auction, this time for Stumptowners. This year's proceeds will go to Sisters of the Roads, an organization dedicated to helping feed the homeless around Portland.

[Willamette Weekly]: 10 years after the signing of the Kyoto Protocol and it looks like not much has been accomplished. While 130 nations take part in more climate talks this week, in Bali, WW wonders why the hell nothing is really happening.

[Eugene Weekly]: Also bitching about global warming, Eugene is criticizing a little more locally. Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy recently cast the deciding vote for a $500 million dollar regional freeway expansion project. While Piercy signed on to Seattle Mayor Nickels' US Mayoral Climate Action Plan, many see this as a huge step backwards. Of course, Seattle itself is having quite a few road disputes of its own these days.

Climate Change Strikes Cascadia

Cascadians have generally been lucky when it comes to disastrous weather. Although the '85 Helen's eruption has remained paramount in collective memory (not to mention the constant doomsday earthquake predictions) recent years have kept us safe from the calamities befalling other parts of the US (ie. forest fires, tornados, hurricanes, and snowstorms). Well, it seems our luck has finally run dry. This week devastating winds (up to 90 mph) and rain (up to 11in) wreaked havoc on Southern Washington and Northern Oregon. The storm has left 5 people dead, at least 150 stranded, many more homeless, and over 100,000 without power. To make matters worse a twenty-mile section of I-5 between Centralia and Chehalis, Washington was completely flooded, halting the main transportation route between Vancouver, BC and Porland, OR. It is estimated that $4 million are being lost to businesses every day due to the obstruction and to raise the highway could cost upwards of $400 million. Even optimists that usually look to storms like these for snow in the mountains were disappointed since the warm weather meant rain and winds destroyed the already limited snow-pack. Sadly, no matter what our future response to global climate change may be, our past irresponsibility means that this is probably not the last of these type of disasters.

See also:
[The Seattle P-I]
[The Oregonian]
[BBC News]

A Look into the Duwamish

This week the Seattle Post Intelligencer published a 'Special Report' on the Duwamish River in South Seattle. The articles look at the history of the Duwamish and how it came to be an industrial wasteland and critically analyzes the clean-up efforts that have been going on since it was designated a a national Superfund site in 2001. It is a very good report and certainly needed. The environmental raping of the Duwamish has continuously been put on the back shelf by policy makers for a host of reasons, including costs and its geographic location in the poorer South end of Seattle. As Seattle's only river, its sad that its natural beauty go completely unenjoyed by humans and wildlife alike. From the report:

The Duwamish is Seattle's river. Seattle's only real river.

And it is among the largest and most complicated toxic messes ever taken on by the federal government.

It's a Superfund site five miles long. How wide? That's yet to be decided, but theoretically it could extend from the crest of West Seattle to the top of Beacon Hill, a vast swath of Seattle, more than 10 square miles.

This is the heart of industrial South Seattle, where the meandering and shallow Duwamish River was straightened and deepened into an angular canal, mostly between 1913 and 1918. After that, industry moved in where Japanese- and Italian-American farmers had grown some of the first produce sold at Pike Place Market.

Along the Duwamish an army of industry took over: shipbuilding, manufacturing, oil tanks, metalworking shops, rendering plants, cement companies, a steel foundry, on and on.

Much of today's pollution had its roots in World War II, when Boeing cranked out nearly 7,000 "Flying Fortress" bombers. At the height of the war, a plane rolled off the assembly line about every two hours.

It helped save our country, but today that plant is arguably the river's most noxious toxic dump. PCBs leaked out of the bottom of the main plant, without anyone noticing, for decades.

Other riverside plants produced parts for the Liberty Ships that delivered vital supplies to Allied troops -- often food and materiel loaded at Seattle piers.

By the war's end, the price paid was becoming clear: More than 20 pollutants were being dumped into or alongside the river, including muriatic acid, sulfuric acid, cyanide, arsenic, copper sulfate salts, copper ammoniate and chromic acid. Plus the raw or minimally treated sewage of 48,000 people.

Wrote investigator Richard F. Foster of the newly created Washington Pollution Control Commission in December 1945: "The expansion of existing factories and the addition of several new industries since the outbreak of war has increased the pollution load. ... The extensive and continued spilling of oil ... does not seem justified."

But substances much worse than oil were being quietly unleashed, and their volumes would grow.

A River Lost?

Part 1
- The Duwamish helped Seattle prosper. But along the way it became one of the nation's largest and most toxic urban sites.

Part 2
- Critics say the clean up plan doesn't do enough to protect local residents, wildlife, and the environment.

Part 3
- A cautionary tale about a whitleblower who paid the a steep price for his actions.

Check out the full report for photos and other mulitmedia.

Tom McCall: The Natural Visionary

Last week Audrey McCall died in her Portland home at the age of 92.

Audrey McCall, the First Lady to the late Governor of Oregon, Tom McCall, was an active and powerful patron of environmental issues in Oregon.

While Mrs. McCall deserves admiration in her own right, one must know her husband to truly understand the impact of the McCalls on Cascadian history. Under Tom McCall's leadership in the 1960's and 70's, Oregon became one of the most progressive places in the world for environmental awareness.

"Surely, we all can subscribe to the uniting thought: That our actions here --- and always --- be guided by a reverence for life and respect for nature."

At first glance McCall doesn't seem to have the credentials of a typical eco-friend. He was a Republican and a vocal supporter of the Vietnam War, which raged during his Governorship. Nonetheless he understood the importance of the natural environment in the Oregonian psyche. "Health, economic strength, recreation --- in fact, the entire outlook and image of the state --- are tied inseparable to environment," he proclaimed in his first Inaugural speech.

McCall first ran for governor in 1966 under the banner of "livability". Although his own party opposed him, he won the election and quickly passed the "Beaches Bill" which granted the public ownership of much of Oregon's beautiful coast, saving it from development. This would be the first in a long line of pioneering environmental measures. His most famous was the "Bottle Bill" passed in 1971. This law, the first of its kind in the nation, required all soft-drink and beer containers to be returnable for a small refund. This bill dramatically cut down on litter and has since been copied by many other states in the country.

McCall also worked hard to clean up the Willamette River, which runs through the center of Portland and had virtually become an industrial wasteland by the end of the 1960's. The Harbor Drive Task Force which McCall organized in 1968 aimed to replace an old section of the Route 99 freeway, which spanned the Willamette River in downtown Portland, with some type of public space. In 1974 the highway was demolished and the area was developed into the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a beautiful, historic park in the heart of downtown Portland. (Hmmmmm, maybe tearing down a decrepit viaduct on the water CAN have good results!)

But more than just environmental issues, McCall saw things from a greater perspective of sustainability and quality-of-life. He is well-known for his blunt message to non-Oregonians: "We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But, for heaven’s sake, don’t move here to live." Even in a post-WWII environment, where growth of the West was seen as an integral goal of the United States, McCall understood the necessary balance needed between humans and other life. Under his leadership Oregon implemented the first statewide land planning system, which introduced an urban growth boundary to many of Oregon's metropolitan areas.

In 1983 Tom McCall mournfully succumbed to cancer. From that day forward, Audrey McCall carried on her husband's ambitions until her unfortunate death this year. The McCall legacy is one that all Cascadians should remember and commend. It is people like this that have made our small region of the world one of the best. In 2002 Oregon Governor Ted Kulungoski summed up McCall's character; it is one that has greatly influenced the Cascadian ethos:

Non-conformist. Fiercely independent. Plain spoken. Tolerant. And above all, in love with—and determined to protect—natural beauty.

Sources:

Oregon Historical Society: [Governor Tom McCall]
Oregon Biographies: [Tom McCall (1913-1983)]
Oregon State Archives: [Tom McCall's Administration]
Wikipedia: [Tom McCall]
Wikipedia: [Oregon Bottle Bill]

Towards Carfree Cities: Rethinking Mobility, Rediscovering Proximity

The dream is still alive! The 8th Annual Carefree Conference, put on by the World Carefree Network, will be held in Portland next summer. Check it out, or get invovled.

Frisco Bay Oil Disaster

On Wednesday, November 8th, during heavy fog, the 902-foot long container ship Cosco (China Ocean Shipping Company) Busan hit a post of the Bay Bridge, causing 58,000 gallons of oil to spill into San Francisco Bay and the surrouning areas. Although not comparable to the Exxon-Valdez spill in volume (nearly 11 million gallons) it will likely be incredibly devastating to the area's unique eco-systems.

Oil has been found as far north as Marin County and as far south as Pacifica, a 40 mile stretch of coastline. At least 22 beaches have been closed including Point Reyes National Seashore, the only marine wilderness area south of Alaska. In addition 1,000 oil-soaked birds have been recovered, 550 of which have already died. The marine damage has not yet been assessed but Governor Schwarzenager has suspended all fishing and shellfish harvesting.

Paul from horsesass.org, a recent witness to the catastrophe said this:

"Think of it this way: If inner Puget Sound was coated with brown gobs of sticky goo, if beaches were closed to the public (even to volunteer cleanup), if boats at local marinas had tarred bathtub rings marring their hulls, and if waterfront property owners had days of cleanup on their hands"

While there are at least 1,500 workers and volunteers, as well as 53 vessels working to contain and clean up the disaster, a recent analysis of the area says that the remaining 40,000 gallons of oil are most likely unrecoverable. Although city officials are quick to reassure tourists that the problem is under control there is no doubt that this disaster will have a lasting negative impact on the region.


Other News Reports on the Spill:

[HorsesAss]: Incompetence is the Strategy

[Wikipedia]: Nov. 7 SF Bay Oil Spill

[Brisbane Times]: Oil Spill pollutes San Fran Bay

[Environment Service News]: Most of San Fran Bay Oil Spill Not Recoverable

[USA Today]: Oil Spill Kills More than 550 Birds

[The Guardian]: Oil Spill Gets Hairy

[BBC]: Inquiry into California Oil Spill

Cascadians talk Climate

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Taking the Lead
By Eva Sylwester
November 1, 2007

"Global warming: A problem that requires the cooperation of the world to solve.

Action at the state level and collaboration between states is still an important part of the solution — even though measures taken at the different levels of government involved can conflict with each other.

Speakers at the "Combating Climate Change on the Regional Level: West Coast Policy and Litigation" symposium at the UO School of Law on Oct. 19 addressed these issues. The Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, which UO law students produce, and the Bowerman Center for Environmental Law sponsored the symposium.

State Sen. Brad Avakian (D-Beaverton), one of the symposium's keynote speakers, said Oregon's government has a historical record of acting for the betterment of society, as in the 1967 Beaches Bill and the 1971 Bottle Bill.

"We lost that in the last couple of decades, but the last legislative session was a turning point," Avakian said. "It was the beginning of a cultural shift back."

Accomplishments of the 2007 legislative session Avakian noted include expanding the Bottle Bill; requiring recycling of consumer electronics; and the Oregon Renewable Energy Act, which mandates that 25 percent of Oregon's energy will be renewable by 2025.
The level of thought toward climate change in the Pacific Northwest is unique, and so are the Northwest's challenges for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Northwest does not have the number of methane-producing cattle that the agricultural Midwest does, and it also benefits from hydroelectric power. Therefore, the Northwest has a greater share of its emissions coming from transportation than the U.S. does as a whole, said Spencer Reeder of the Washington State Department of Ecology, and transportation emissions are harder to reduce than other types of emissions."

Read full article in the [Eugene Weekly]