Cascadia Daily, Oct. 18, 2018

by Andrew Engelson

A poem for Justin Trudeau

Here in the upper lefthand corner of the United States, I’ve  had a tough time convincing my American friends that Justin Trudeau isn’t such a fantastic guy. Yeah, sure,  he’s a handsome fellow. And he delivered on his promise to legalize weed in Canada. And yes: compared to the daily embarrassment who slouches around the White House watching FOX news and tweeting whatever vile insult comes to his tiny  fingertips — well, Justin seems like a saint in comparison.

But Trudeau’s fondness for resource extraction is a huge problem. He’s so committed to the Trans Mountain pipeline  expansion across British Columbia, he directed Canadian taxpayers to purchase it from KinderMorgan. The project would increase the oil tanker traffic in the Salish Sea seven times over.  And now he’s pushing a $40 billion LNG project in BC that will make it tough for the province to  meet its carbon reduction targets.

This is all an awkwardly long introduction to a poem by Bellingham poet Rob Lewis, now online at Cascadia Magazine. Entitled, “Trudeau,” it’s about a guy who seemed pretty nice at first glance, until something strange happened…

“No one noticed,
not even him, the black speck
at the corner of his smile.
It began to spread, creeping across his lips
like an oil-bled kiss…”

Read the full poem online at Cascadia Magazine here to find out what happens to politicians who become addicted to pipelines…

And if you appreciate great writing like this on issues that matter to the Cascadia bioregion, please visit our donate page and make a contribution. We can’t do this without your support!

A Cascadia Magazine original:
Creating North Cascades National Park

Now online at Cascadia Magazine, read Lauren Danner’s feature on the group of hikers and conservationists who worked to create Washington’s North Cascades National Park, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month. It’s the story of a long battle fighting timber interests to set aside one Cascadia’s most incredible wilderness gems. Read the full article online here at Cascadia Magazine.

Preparing for the big one in Cascadia

According to CBC, the British Columbia government has finished installing a network of underwater sensors to help them better prepare for a megathrust earthquake. Meanwhile, more than 100 government agencies on either side of the Washington-BC border participated in an exercise to simulate evacuation and rescue operations for a potential eruption of Mount Baker, the most active volcano in Cascadia.

Are Portland mayor’s efforts to limit protest clashes illegal?

After another brawl between right-wing Patriot Prayer activists and anti-fascist groups last weekend, Portland mayor Ted Wheeler announced new measures to limit violence — but some legal experts, including the ACLU, questioning whether the rules are constitutional. For a lighter look at the protest clashes in Portland, read Terrence Petty’s essay “We Hope You Enjoy Portland Spirit” at Cascadia Magazine.

Will WA finally pass a carbon fee?

One of the most closely watched November ballot measures in Cascadia is Initiative 1631, which would gradually impose a fee on carbon, and invest the revenue in green energy projects, transit, and environmental restoration. Supporters include Bill Gates, who wrote about it on his blog, as well as Seattle climate scientist Sarah Myhre, who made the case for 1631 at Scientific American. Opposition comes from the usual suspects: oil companies are pumping millions of dollars into opposition ads, and Seattle weather guy and climate change denier Cliff Mass isn’t a fan. Meanwhile, former Dept. of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will lead a climate change planning project at the University of Washington.

Documented abuse of WA kids in foster care centers

Reporting for Crosscut (with support from InvestigateWest), Allegra Abramo writes about how kids in Washington state’s foster care system are subject to incidents of physical abuse. The detailed feature looks at substandard conditions at out-of-state, for-profit group homes that Washington contracts for foster care.

New music from Portland band Boreen

Over at OPB, you can listen to a track from the new album “Lovely” by Boreen, a Portland-based band fronted by singer/songwriter Morgan O’Sullivan. The song was written while O’Sullivan was working at a boring fast food job, and deals with the monotony and comfort of routine. The album debuts Oct. 26 and you can pre-order it here.

“Visual Ink,” poetry by King Khazm

At Arcade, you can read King Khazm’s poem “Visual Ink” online. Khazm, who’s a central figure in Seattle’s hip-hop scene, also manages the historic Washington Hall, and is a member of the Seattle Disability Commission.
“Manifest my situations from my imagination
visual ink plots from pain and preservation
from plight to grace, my space expands time
and grind from darkened clouds through rhymes I shine.”
Read the full poem online here.

Hope you enjoyed today’s selection of what’s going on in the Cascadia bioregion. Have a great evening and an even better tomorrow.  –Andrew Engelson

Photo credit: Anacortes oil refinery by Walter Siegmund via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0