2009 really couldn't come soon enough.  If 2008 wasn't an already challenging year, the end (at least here in the Inland Northwest) is making us all look back to fonder times of campaign fighting, financial woes, and political scandals.  So while you've been digging yourself out of nearly 70 inches of snow in the last few weeks - here are a few things to take you mind off of the snowpocalypse.  And hey, it could be worse.... Kingston, Tennessee.

There have a been dozens of worthy, "Year in Photos", but the "The Big Picture" from boston.com provided a 3-part series, "2008, the year in photographs", that simply blew the rest out of the water.  Enjoy - Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. 

In 2008, the wonderful folks at the Sightline Institute continued to fill our inboxes and our minds with the most educated and thought-provoking environmental news of the Cascadia region, and when presented with a look back at what a year 2008 was we were shocked at all the news we digested.  The following is from an email we received from Sighline today, where they highlighted the accomplishments of their year:

April—Braking News, our report about gas prices and consumption received widespread media coverage.

May—Sightline’s 18th book, Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet hit bookshelves.

June—I was appointed to a Washington State panel to remedy the pollution pricing problem we highlighted in Bulk Discounts for Polluters Report. We also released the report Slowing Down: Vancouver, BC, and Smart Growth (with Smart Growth BC), finding that Greater Vancouver’s overall smart-growth record has slipped.

July—Walkscore.com --inspired by the “Year of Living Car-lessly” blog series—received national media attention when it ranked the 40 most walkable cities in the US. Seattle and Portland cracked the top 10.

September—The Western Climate Initiative released their final proposal for a regional cap-and-trade system. Sightline worked closely with them throughout the year to help draft this document. You can read our WCI blog posts and widely circulated Cap-and-Trade 101 Climate Policy Primer.

November—Oregon and Washington voters defeated two insidious ballot measures. Voters in Washington defeated I-985 after Sightline revealed it would have increased traffic congestion. Oregon voters defeated Measure 63 which dealt with critical land use policies. Additionally, we released our video Our Chance at a Clean, Green Economic Recovery, where I address the current economic situation and the tremendous opportunity it provides.

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