Welcome to Open Spaces

Open Spaces is a forum for voices that speak with knowledge and understanding of matters currently affecting all of us. 


“When artists, entrepreneurs, and agents of social change cluster, they look for forums where they can interact and be challenged and provoked. In Cascadia, Open Spaces plays this role. It is where thoughtful people publish essays that push readers to think outside their comfort zones.”

— Denis Hayes, coordinator of the first Earth Day
and current president of the Bullitt Foundation

Law
Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain

No constitutional office of the United States is bestowed by the formal approval of fewer people than federal judge. How can it be that such government officials enjoy substantial power yet effectively answer neither to the people nor to Congress? Learn about Judicial Activism.

Solutions
Brandi Tuck

Portland’s Path Home is a nonprofit whose mission is to empower homeless families with children to get back into housing – and stay there.

Leisure Time
Open Spaces Editors

Looking for a good book to read and perhaps share? Here are a few “keepers” about which we have never heard said: “I want that day back.”

P.S. We’ve also updated our list of useful diversions for your enjoyment.

Public Policy
Senator Ron Wyden

“When the U.S. Senate passed my Clean Energy for America Act last year as the centerpiece of the Inflation Reduction Act, I had to pinch myself after the floor vote.”

Senator Wyden recaps the key points of this monumental legislation leading us towards a clean energy future.

Climate Change
Angus Duncan

What CAN we do NOW about climate change? An Expert Speaks.

Book Review
Elizabeth Cosgriff

An insightful, passionate and entertaining examination of how voters make political decisions, and of what any party or politician needs to do to win their allegiance.

Poetry
Kim Stafford

Photo of two ducks swimming by Ben Pattinson-Unsplash

A moment of refuge in our environmental legacy as observed by Oregon’s ninth Poet Laureate.

Enjoy the poem

Artist Showcase
Photos by Harry Kingston

Top: Alaska
Where glaciers touch the sky and the sea.

To see more of Harry’s work, visit his photography showcase.

International Climate Change

For updates, visit the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) website, where one can find Summaries for Policy Makers from recent and upcoming Synthesis Reports.

Photo: Visible Earth, NASA