Cascadia today: Feds cancel WA meeting vote-by-mail + AK cruise kills whale + the moody art of Takao Tanabe
Good morning! If you're new to Cascadia Journal, welcome! I write this newsletter every day, bringing you an opinionated roundup of news, environmental reporting, and arts & culture coverage from across the Cascadia bioregion. I also write weekly articles and essays about what's great about Cascadia – and our pushback against increasing fascism in the US.
I'm also an organizer with Cascadia Democratic Action, grassroots organization that's advocating for autonomy for Oregon and Washington. If you're not yet receiving CDA's weekly email action alerts, sign up here. Thanks!
US postal service skips WA vote-by-mail meeting
Washington State Standard reports that the US Postal Service abruptly canceled a meeting with Washington state legislators to discuss Trump's executive order that requires states that conduct vote-by-mail to hand over their voter rolls to the feds before the post office will allow ballots to be mailed. There's been immense confusion over whether USPS will enforce the rule and lawmakers in Cascadia have loudly condemned the plan, with a coalition of 23 states (including WA & OR) are suing to block the anti-democratic measure. Cascadia was an early adopter of universal vote-by-mail, which has low incidence of fraud and increases voter turnout. Sightline Institute looks at how the feds' meddling in Cascadia's robust vote-by-mail systems would deprive thousands of people of their right to vote.
Andrew Engelson
LNG "Eye of Sauron" applies to burn continually
The Tyee reports that LNG Canada is seeking a permit to allow the giant gas flare tower at the LNG terminal at Kitimat on the north coast of British Columbia to burn continuously. The plant needs to use the flare, which resembles the evil Eye of Sauron tower from the Lord of the Rings, much more often than predicted. The tower produces emissions, nighttime light, and excessive noise, which the Narwhal reports have had serious impacts on the community of Kitimat.
Cruise from Seattle enters AK port with dead whale on bow
Alaska Beacon reports that a cruise ship that likely sailed out of Seattle entered the Alaskan port of Seward with a dead fin whale on its bow. The ship, the Ovation of the Seas, run by Royal Caribbean, struck and killed the whale, and NOAA scientists are investigating the incident. The mega cruise ship can carry more than 4,000 passengers and the impacts from these ships are devastating to Cascadia and the globe. Activists an NOAA have urged cruise ship speed limits in Prince William Sound to protect whales but the industry has refused.
Seattle debuts bus service to Golden Gardens park
The Urbanist reports on a new summertime bus route between Seattle's Ballard neighborhood and Golden Gardens, a popular beach on the Salish Sea. It's part of an increasing trend of transit dedicated to recreation, including Metro's popular Trailhead Direct line between Seattle and hikes in the Cascades foothills. This year, Portland debuted express shuttle bus service to hikes in Forest Park.
Transit agencies are realizing that people use transit for much more than the 9-5 commute. I look forward to the day when buses serve hikes all along the I-90 corridor east of Seattle and also provide regular service to ski areas in winter. And what about mini ferry service across Seattle's Lake Union? Or ferries linking stops along the Willamette and Columbia in Portland and Vancouver, WA?
The moody, magnificent art of Takao Tanabe
The Tyee has a fabulous review of an exhibition of the work of painter Takao Tanabe, who would have celebrated his one hundredth birthday this year. The collection of the Japanese Cascadian artist's work is on display at the Audain Art Museum in Whistler and it looks and sounds stunning. The austere landscapes capture the majesty of Cascadia's forests, seas, and moments of peace at sunrise and sunset. Tanabe was also a kind and generous presence in his community, which endured internment during the Second World War.
“Their minimalism reflects endurance. His generosity demonstrates an ethic of community care. Above all, his voice insists: art is not optional but necessary — a mode of survival.” --Sherri Kajiwara, in an essay about the exhibit, Through a Nikkei Lens
Thanks for reading. Keep loving and keep fighting. --Andy
Do you appreciate Cascadia Journal's reporting on the ways the Pacific Northwest is pushing back against US fascism? If you have the means, please consider a paid subscription of just $5 per month. Each subscription helps me produce original reporting and opinionated notes on Cascadia's fight to build a more resilient and autonomous bioregion. And to those who already subscribe, thank you! --Andrew
