Anti plastic-baggers, welfare scammers, Amanda Knox tell-all-abouters, and the pacific Northwest accent. TGIM! more ›

Last week, Councilmember Mike "Credit Union" and the rest of the City Council floated a big idea: banning plastic bags in the city of Seattle. The idea came just after a report Port Townsend Marine Science Center, which estimated that people in Washington State use 2 billion plastic bags each year. But now, the Seattle Times reports, the decision is being criticized--by the people who make plastic bags. more ›

Bad guys, plastic bags, gamer news and proof that you're not bad with money, it just costs a lot to live here. It's the Tuesday afternoon news roundup. more ›

The people have spoken, and Referendum No. 1, the 20-cent plastic bag tax, has been shot down, trailing a black plume of petroleum-fueled flames, as the corporate plastic bag companies rejoice. The Seattle Times reported the defeat came with a staggering 58 percent to 42 percent rejection, with more than half of the expected votes counted. more ›

Our good friends at the American Chemistry Council, a plastics industry organization, have pumped another $500,000 into the fight against Seattle's dastardly plastic bag "tax." Because if there's anyone out for our best interests, it's the plastics industry. And they're willing to put their money where their mouth is; this makes a total of $740,000 in contributions they've made. The pro-bag fee people raised a totally comparable $9,500 in June, for a total of about $65,000, mostly from local enviros. more ›

• Urban farming--Sightline has a nifty article with mock-up photos about what it would be like to really green up our cities. Because, you know, it would be totally cool to have cows on the roads.
• Publicola has its own problems with recent KING5/SurveyUSA polls, offering the hope we could have both a bag tax and a not-Mayor Nickels! Oh, and Erica C. Barnett scratches back at Joel Connelly for flaming her in his column today.

A KING 5/SurveyUSA poll shows Referendum 1, the 20-cent plastic bag tax, being defeated 51 to 42 percent. The tax, approved by the city council last year, was to go into effect on January 1, but now Seattle's voting on it August 18, which is what we always do and why nothing ever gets accomplished. As inconvenient as the tax is, we have to ask: Why the hell don't you just get reusable bags like everyone else? Seriously people, shit shouldn't be this hard. more ›

more ›

January means one thing, and that's Sundance. This is actually our fourth year in attendance, and this time around, the festival is extra-super-dee-duper green. Which means Brita is handing out reusable (and BPA-free) Nalgene bottles, and you can't find a plastic bag to save your life. Seems that the economy is even taking its toll on Hollywood; compared to previous years, there's not as much swag, fewer press and industry folks are around, and audience figures are, we've been told, about 60 percent of normal. Well, we're still here, and so far we've seen four films. more ›

In one of those mysterious black-is-white, up-is-down occurrences, Mayor Greg Nickels and the City Council's Richard Conlin have in unison agreed to push for a $0.20 per paper-or-plastic bag fee at grocery and convenience stores and drugstores. While we're still trying to figure out what the vision is, we're aware that paying for bags bugs the hell out of a lot of people. more ›

This morning, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced a proposed ban on foam food containers and a fee for disposable bags at grocery stores. The ban on polystyrene foam products would outlaw common items like plates, meat trays, eggshell containers, and cups from both restaurants and grocery stores. The so-called "green fee" would apply to both paper and plastic bags at your local grocery store. The fee would impose a 20-cent charge for each disposable bag. more ›

Local supermarkets QFC and Fred Meyer have issued a recall on bottles of their Everyday Living Bleach. The companies have issued a warning about the potential for explosion when opened. more ›

The latest session of the state legislature is now in full swing and most people are watching the big-ticket items under discussion. The supplemental budget and what to do with our $1.5 billion surplus are at the top of the list. Also high on the agenda are transportation issues like a new vote on light rail and a toll on 520. But there are always niche issues under consideration. They probably won't get the limelight coverage the budget and Sound Transit will, but when we find something interesting, we'll let you know. more ›

In the chapter on invasive species in David Williams' awesome book The Street-Smart Naturalist he says of blackberries: more ›

Shopping for carnivorous loved ones this holiday season? We suggest a visit to the Oberto Factory Outlet, a store clogged with a staggering array of discount meat snacks. more ›