Cascadia today: Juneau spared in glacial flood + Cascadia judges threatened + a new gallery at Simon Fraser U.
Good morning! Here's your opinionated round-up of news, environmental reporting, and arts coverage from across the Cascadia bioregion. Did you know you can now comment on posts? You just need to be a paid supporter, and for just $5 a month, it's a bargain (and helps me continue to bring this newsletter to you). --AE
Juneau spared in glacial outburst flood
As fellow autocrats Donald J. Trump and Vladimir Putin announced they'd be discussing Ukraine's fate without Ukraine at a summit this week in Anchorage, the world's eyes are on Alaska. Meanwhile, in southeast Alaska, the northern extent of the Cascadia bioregion, Juneau has been plagued by problem caused by climate change: an annual flood of meltwater from the Mendenhall glacier. Luckily, a system of temporary levees protected much of the city from flooding. Speaking of climate impacts, if you're ever thinking of taking a cruise to Alaska, you might want to listen to me talking with KTOO public radio about all the terrible environmental impacts from Alaska cruises.
Right wing creeps threaten Cascadia judges
It's a trend on the rise in what now has to be described as the fascist United States of America: according to Washington State Standard, judges in the Pacific Northwest who've ruled against the Trump administration are receiving death threats, fake 911 calls to residences, and pizza deliveries sent to judges' homes in the name of "Daniel Anderl" – a young man who was brutally murdered in 2020 and targeted because he was the son of New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas. US district John Coughenour had police show up at his door with guns drawn after right wing harassers called 911 and told them he'd killed his wife. Federal judge Robert Lasnik, after criticizing Trump in a radio interview, was sent pizzas in Daniel Anderl's name.
Donald J. Trump has repeatedly hurled abuse online at judges who've ruled against him, calling them “sick,” “very dangerous” and “lunatic.”
“They would make a ruling, they would be bombarded with hate mail and hate emails and threats. And it’s so discouraging to a young judge to suddenly not only worry about, how do I do this job right, but how do I keep my family safe?” --judge Robert Lasnik
In related news, applications for concealed gun permits in Washington have surged.
Racism pervasive in BC health care
CBC reports that a PhD candidate at the University of Northern British Columbia is documenting how people of color and Indigenous people are subjected to racism in the BC health care system. Ashley Wilkinson found abundant evidence of micro-aggressions, racist slurs, and inaccurate assumptions about patients. Data from a different study show that one in five Indigenous patients in Canada experienced racism or discrimination in health care. In related news, changes to BC health policies may make things more difficult for those suffering from long-COVID.
Algae bloom on OR river a policy failure
Oregon State Standard reports on what's become an annual health crisis on the Willamette River south of Portland: a toxic algae bloom due to warm waters as a result of climate change. Fifteen miles of the river weren't closed promptly by health authorities, leading to risks from cyanobacteria of "headaches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever if inhaled or ingested." A bill that would have provided $1 million to fix the problem died in the Oregon legislature this year.
Maybe if Oregon wasn't responsible for its share of an insane $200 billion in federal tax revenue spent on ICE agents and concentration camps, it could afford to fix environmental problems close to home:
Andrew Engelson
New gallery opens at Simon Fraser Uni
The Georgia Straight reports on the opening Simon Fraser University's first dedicated gallery, the Gibson Art Museum, in September. The 12,000-square-foot gallery, which is LEED certified (climate friendly) and includes locally sourced mass timber, looks like a gorgeous new addition to the university in Burnaby, BC. The opening show will be Edge Effects, a collection of work by 15 Canadian artists.
--Andrew Engelson
