Citerank: (8) 626527Reduced emissions"...this new way of building [can] be a boon for reducing emissions from new construction..."1198CE71, 626528Transportation"High-speed rail should be encouraged or at least taken very seriously as an option. It stands to eliminate many emissions from flying and driving and will connect the region.

Electric vehicles should be encouraged via higher gas taxes and the adoption of California's fuel efficiency standards."959C6EF, 626529Energy"Cascadia is already in a good position in terms of low-emission electricity generation thanks to our region's hydro resources. I think the region should aim to be zero emissions very soon. All coal should be shut down by 2021 and all natural gas by 2025. A mix of renewables and nuclear should be the replacements. Perhaps the most promising Gen IV nuclear tech company is already based in Bellevue."959C6EF, 626530Diet"Large institutions (state government, schools, big companies) should band together to eliminate food waste and reduce animal product offerings in their cafeterias and other supply chains.

Government should allow animal-product substitutes to be marketed and sold in competition with the animal-based products. Regulations like those popping up around the country are just the dairy lobby et al trying to protect their business at the expense of consumers and the planet.

Stop s959C6EF, 626531ConservationOur region is already heavily forested but we need to make sure it stays that way by protecting public land and reforesting where possible. Areas that have been transformed from forests into agriculture, for instance, could be returned to lucrative forests (see mass timber) as opposed to grazing land (see diet).959C6EF, 626533It's semantics, we should embrace a new word"So I haven't thought long or hard about this issue, but my gut instinct in the whole "nut milk isn't milk" debate is to embrace the call for a new word. Fuck milk. We shouldn't be drinking milk if we're not nursing babies with our mothers'.

So let's embrace a new word and draw a distinction between the nasty lactate and the delicious, nutritious almond, cashew, oat milks and so on. Why not call it Klim? Easy to say, easy to market as a healthier alternative to milk. I think people wo13EF597B, 626631Update building codes"...building codes should be updated across the region to ensure new building stock is sustainable."959C6EF, 626769Cascadian industry boost"Vancouver and Oregon are two of the leaders in using mass timber in new construction...as the center of the North American logging industry, Cascadia can massively benefit from fostering this industry..."1198CE71

"Specific to Cascadia here are some issues I think we should be focused on:

Cities

Cascadian cities need to encourage density and eliminate sprawl. Portland has long been seen as a model for North American city planning. Seattle has also made huge strides in increasing Metro ridership. The region's cities need to double down and focus on walkability, bike infrastructure, and public transit to reduce vehicle miles traveled. This will mean cities need to enact zoning reform and ease permitting to allow for dense development.

Buildings

Vancouver and Oregon are two of the leaders in using mass timber in new construction. Not only can this new way of building be a boon for reducing emissions from new construction but as the center of the North American logging industry, Cascadia can massively benefit from fostering this industry.

More broadly, building codes should be updated across the region to ensure new building stock is sustainable.

Transportation

High-speed rail should be encouraged or at least taken very seriously as an option. It stands to eliminate many emissions from flying and driving and will connect the region.

Electric vehicles should be encouraged via higher gas taxes and the adoption of California's fuel efficiency standards.

Energy

Cascadia is already in a good position in terms of low-emission electricity generation thanks to our region's hydro resources. I think the region should aim to be zero emissions very soon. All coal should be shut down by 2021 and all natural gas by 2025. A mix of renewables and nuclear should be the replacements. Perhaps the most promising Gen IV nuclear tech company is already based in Bellevue.

Diet

Large institutions (state government, schools, big companies) should band together to eliminate food waste and reduce animal product offerings in their cafeterias and other supply chains.

Government should allow animal-product substitutes to be marketed and sold in competition with the animal-based products. Regulations like those popping up around the country are just the dairy lobby et al trying to protect their business at the expense of consumers and the planet.

Stop subsidizing animal agriculture and stop subsidizing the food our food eats, let it compete with plants fairly.

Conservation

Our region is already heavily forested but we need to make sure it stays that way by protecting public land and reforesting where possible. Areas that have been transformed from forests into agriculture, for instance, could be returned to lucrative forests (see mass timber) as opposed to grazing land (see diet)."