Newsletter — Spring 2023

Dear Readers,

The cherry blossoms have once again brought their promise of well-ordered beauty and grace while the wildflowers, holding fast on the rim, are buffeted by the breeze of the Columbia River Gorge. It is spring in the Pacific Northwest, finally,—a time of renewal and hope, but there are other signs as well. The natural world is awakening to a future coming fast upon us. One question is: Do we see it? Another question is: Are we ready? This new issue of Open Spaces considers these questions, particularly in regard to energy and climate change, by offering several sources that together present an understanding of the problem and some possible ways to move us toward clean energy and away from the threat of global warming. These include:

Sen. Ron Wyden on significant movement toward clean energy in the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.

Noted energy expert Angus Duncan on the ongoing threat of climate change and the actions necessary to remediate harm to our environment and us.

Environmentalist and retired physician Robert Sack on small modular reactors currently under development.

Angus Duncan’s discussion of the comparative costs of nuclear power vis a vis renewables.

A link to the most recent report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the state of global warming.

Meanwhile, some thought provoking and entertaining diversions that might be of interest in the hours when concentrating on the problems of the day can be set aside that as far as we know, are unlikely to be on Twitter.

All the best to you and yours,

The folks at Open Spaces: Views from the Northwest

Special thanks to Amy Chan Design for their assistance with this latest update.