The SunBreak » oregon

Washington State’s Water-Pollution Regs Assume People Hate Fish

Michael van Baker — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:08:44 +0000

This looks fishy, doesn't it? Washington residents average just 6.5 grams of fish per day, while Oregonians inhale almost 30 times that? It makes you wonder how on earth Ivar's manages to stay in business. More worryingly, these fish consumption rates are what the state uses to determine acceptable levels of water pollution.

Tons of Japan’s Tsunami Debris Due on West Coast

Michael van Baker — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:50:45 +0000

The best analogy for the impacts of tsunami debris, explains Ebbesmeyer, is the 150-ton concrete-and-metal dock that washed up on the Oregon coast. More than 50 feet in length and about ten feet "tall," less than a foot of it was visible in the water. Like the debris field, it was almost impossible to spot in open water, a hazard to marine navigation, and a Trojan horse of sorts: the dock was carrying more than 90 different, potentially invasive, species that were destroyed.

Op-Ed: Seriously, Will Nature-Deficit Disorder Turn Fatal?

Michael van Baker — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:39:52 +0000

Is it courageous for a 3-year-old to stand her ground against a lion? Is it brave for the boy in this video to say "kitty kitty"? It seems a fairly culturally specific reaction. As an adult, knowing what I do about both Plexiglass and lions, I'd probably still step back from this lionness because I recognize this behavior is (in other, non-Plexiglassed circumstances) very dangerous.

Can “Troy Davis: The Human Face of the Death Penalty” Change Your Mind?

Michael van Baker — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:55:40 +0000

The evening is built around video footage, photos, and stories about Troy and his family, provided by Seattle documentary filmmaker and author Jen Marlowe (interviewed previously). Marlowe met over the years with Troy Davis and his family, working to prevent his execution, and will talk about Davis's case and about the human impact that can't be summed up in a screaming headline. Marlowe says she wants to talk in particular about the effects the death penalty has on families, and warns that she will have footage from the vigil outside the prison in Jackson the night of Troy's execution.

Health Net “Alerts” Customers to 6-Month-Old Data Breach

Michael van Baker — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:55:42 +0000

Then there is the date of the letter actually informing me that I'm in the unaccounted-for pool: July 27, 2011. Six full months for data thieves, if that's what happened, to get a head start on looting, with "details such as your name, address, health information, Social Security number and your financial information." Lastly, Health Net writes, they wanted to tell me about the incident--again, six months after a "continuing" investigation has been started--out of "an abundance of caution."

The Pacific Northwest, Home of Les Misérables

Michael van Baker — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:38:58 +0000

The Misery Index tracks just three factors: decline in home value, increase in gas prices, and unemployment. As for the home prices, this headline from the Seattle Bubble gives you some idea: "Case-Shiller: Seattle Home Prices Nearly 30 Percent Off Peak." Portland, same story. If that's not enough, economists are predicting a double-dip in housing prices, while even renters are getting hit with increases, thanks to refugees from the housing market deciding to rent instead.