The Oregonian's Environmental Coverage
Steve Novick
In the category of "why I don't think you should cancel your Oregonian subscription": I hope BlueO readers will join me in commending the Oregonian for today's "How We Live" front page articles on "Sustainability," which are the latest examples of the ongoing, commendable job the paper is doing of giving readers tips on hows to really "live green." (And no, I refuse to give a link - I want you to actually buy the paper!)
Today's paper has an article on the window replacement tax credit that tells you how to access the credit, but also explains that other home-energy steps, like sealing air leaks and beefing up insulation, often give you more energy bang for the buck. Another article addresses the evils of vehicle idling, explaining, importantly, that restarting you engine does NOT use more fuel than idling, if you idle for more than 10 seconds.
I think the O has been doing a terrific job on this stuff for the past few years, and deserves our thanks. Today's editorial, also on a green topic, was also very good, by the way: they contrasted the oil spill with the Federal government's decision to greenlight the Cape Wind wind power project off Nantucket Sound, by way of commending the Federal decision.
I am sorry that tribes, property owners and local environmental groups oppose Cape Wind, but no environmental damage from offshore wind projects will approach the damage from an oil spill - or, more importantly, global warming.
I admit I have two sort of selfish motivations for writing this post: (1) the "idling" article references the Oregon Environmental Council and I used to be on the board and have ongoing contacts with that fine organization; (2) it gives me another chance to buttress my previous argument that despite the Oregonian's editorials on Measures 66 and 67, we shouldn't cancel subscriptions - and apparently my argument needed buttressing with some BlueO readers, who accused me of selling out to Big Mainstream Media. But today, at least, I hope few if any of you will dispute the fact that our local Big Mainstream Media outlet deserves praise. Even if you are still annoyed by its changing the name of the "Living" section to "How We Live."
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6:37 p.m.
Apr 30, '10
Perhaps it is a bit snarky of me, but on the very day that the headline in The Oregonian about the looming environmental disaster unfolding the Gulf of Mexico is the pathetically worded "Oil sheen comes ashore"... not sure I am much in the mood to clap for their environmental coverage. Maybe tomorrow.
2:01 p.m.
May 1, '10
Sorry, Steve, the bad so outweighs the good with the O these days. Their editorial page is ripe with libertarianism, day after day after day. I've been meaning to write a BO post on just how out of step with Portland this paper has become, but other matters have been more pressing. The new publisher seems to have kicked things to the right. I appreciate articles on idling, too, but generally the paper's editorial stance is part of the problem, not the solution.
2:10 p.m.
May 1, '10
wow, for instance, the website. Yikes - try to find the articles Steve references. Nowhere to be found...