Another Green Monday
Remember this image? Hard to imagine that's what our wonderful city looked like this time last year. But hey, if you're nostalgic for the past, call a friend or relative in the Midwest or the East Coast and talk about wild winter weather. It's been quite the role reversal this winter season. We must say though, Spokane is a much more peaceful place when people aren't pushed to the brink of frustration, anger and paranoia due to weather. *Photo from KHQ.
And honestly, it's nice to take a break from the around-the-clock coverage and excitement level the local media displays during winter storms. But would it kill the media, both local and national, to talk about the weird weather and how climate change plays in to that? Spending an entire January in the 40's should at least call for a mention of the words "climate change" but it's like those words don't exist in the media's lexicon. Maybe they know that society isn't smart enough to interpret the difference between weather and climate (it's not). Or is it because they don't want to be crushed by commenters for pushing a "liberal agenda." Either way, we're here to set the record straight, and to call on climate scientists to take more responsibility about how their work is presented to the public. In a recent story on the BBC, Dr Richard Betts, head of climate impacts at the Met Office Hadley Centre, said, "To be fair, people often make the same mistake but in the other direction, and link every heat wave, major flood, drought and famine to global warming. Of course, we know that these things happen anyway, even without climate change. They may happen more often under a warmer climate, but it is wrong to blame climate change for every single event. Climate scientists know this, but still there are people outside of climate science who will claim or imply such things if it helps make the news or generate support for their political or business agenda."
Weather is weather and to try and make a case about climate change and global warming with a mild winter in the west, or a wild winter in the east is just simply not effective. Betts says, "Over all I think there is no need to talk up every environmental change and event as evidence of anthropogenic climate change because the evidence is already strong, and going over the top may just backfire. We should stick to where the evidence is good — there is plenty of this."
After the jump you'll find some stories you might have missed last week.
Update on Senate Bill 6289, legislation co-sponsored by Spokane Senators Chris Marr and Lisa Brown that would tightly restrict the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizer. Jim Camden of the Spokesman-Review reported last week on the proposed bill, but it's the comments section that's worth checking out. For it's there that you'll see just how hard it is to work for environmental justice here in Spokane. Maybe it's not just a Spokane thing, and maybe these comments aren't rare to this area, but it's awful frustrating. “This is critically important in places such as Spokane, which are trying to reach the lowest phosphorus levels in the country,” said Rick Eichstaedt, who heads the Center for Justice’s Spokane Riverkeeper program. It’s particularly important for residents along Long Lake, where noxious algae blooms every summer, he added in Camden's piece. Now, do we agree with the commenters that regulations need to be placed on golf courses and parks - of course. But this is a great start, and we should applaud Senators Marr and Brown for fighting for this. Read Camden's report HERE.
Bike / Ped master plan in the works for Spokane Valley. Thanks to OutThere Monthly for tipping us off on this, and PAY ATTENTION VALLEY CITIZENS: the City of Spokane Valley has announced that it’s in the process of developing a Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan. City staff is working to develop a public outreach program to ensure that the plans represents the needs and desires of citizens. If you live in Spokane Valley and would like to participate in plan, please contact Mary Swank at 720-5325 or at mswank@spokanevalley.org. For more information, visit spokanevalley.org.
More on the subject of bicycling: Adopt a bike lane. Local bicycle advocate and enthusiast Barb Chamberlain recently lent her expertise to the ever-growing CyclingSpokane blog in a post about adopting a portion of a bike lane. "What would be utterly fantastic as a starting point would be people adopting the stretch of bike lane (or designated bike route, or heck, even the two or three feet of a regular street closest to the curb) alongside our homes," Chamberlain wrote. It's a great idea, and we look forward to promoting it, adopting it, and yes - riding on cleaner landes! Read more about it HERE and we'll be sure to keep you in the loop of what's going on with this idea.
A look to the future of Pacific Northwest rivers. A team of University of Washington researchers is finishing the most detailed yet report about what is likely to happen to Pacific Northwest rivers as the climate warms, and it doesn't look good. According to the Seattel P-I, "rivers on the west slope of the Cascades will have more rain in the winter, and floods will be bigger and more frequent." And closer to home, they predict that, "watersheds that depend mostly on snowmelt are slower to change, but in places such as the Wenatchee River, the projections show smaller, earlier spring run-off, and a decrease in flows during July, August and September. And as the century goes on, winter flows increase as more precipitation falls as rain." Read the detailed report HERE, and read the P-I's coverage HERE.
Boise looking to build awareness about bicycling safety. Boise's City Council was busy last week adopting new cycling safety ordinances, and the Idaho Statesman weighed in with their view saying, "a lot of the hard work is still ahead: adding and maintaining bike lanes, and teaching drivers and cyclists about the rules of the road." But it was this quote that really caught our eye, "No community can be truly 'bicycle friendly' unless it is also 'bicycle safe." Read the Statesman's view on cycling safety and awareness, and don't forget to read up on Spokane's attempt to make Complete Streets a reality.
Climate bill. Remember that? Ah, the fear of Scott Brown, who ran on a mission to block everything the President supports. But even before then we were hearing two reasons why a bill could not pass, says The New York Times: The Senate won’t have any strength left when it finishes with health care, and the nation cannot afford a bill that implies an increase in energy prices.
The first reason is defeatist, the second greatly exaggerated. The climate change bills pending in the Senate would not begin to bite for several years, when the recession should be over. The cost to households, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would be small. A good program would create more jobs than it cost.
The list of reasons to pass a climate bill, on the other hand, is long and persuasive. Read the rest of “The Case For A Climate Bill.”
Newsflash: Corporations are free at last! By now you’ve heard about the Supreme Court rule that corporations are allowed to spend freely to support or oppose candidates for President and Congress by a 5-4 vote, overturning a 20-year-old ruling. Exxon-Mobil, who continue to fund climate change skeptics even though they promised to stop , just celebrated. Enjoy the propaganda.
