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AREA NEWS:

Campaign seeks to repeal “sit-lie” law in Portland – Portland Tribune – 6/4/08
Advocates for Portland’s homeless population have begun a postcard campaign to pressure the city to repeal an ordinance that makes it illegal to sit or lie on city sidewalks during business hours (with a few exceptions).

Mutilated cats found near PSU – Portland Tribune – 6/2/08
The Oregon Humane Society is offering a reward for information about who has been mutilating cats near PSU. So far 5 bodies have been discovered.

Corvallis going green – Willamettelive.com – 5/31/08
Corvallis has partnered with Energy Trust of Oregon to pilot the Corvallis Energy Challenge, from March 2008 through next February. The focus is energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Bottle bill changes coming – The Oregonian – 5/29/08
Outlines the proposed changes for Oregon’s bottle bill and some of the industry concerns.

Gentrification sparks efforts to discuss racial injustice – New York Times – 5/29/08
Increasing gentrification in Portland, Oregon, neighborhoods has caused tension. Some community members are trying to generate conversation around the issue of racial injustice in housing and neighborhoods, but success has been challenging.

Dead dog walking – The Oregonian – 5/19/08
Discusses the difficulty area shelters experience in placing pitbill dogs, and the automatic death sentence many receive.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

Can we save our endangered species? – Newsweek – 6/9/08
A in-depth look at the controversy over the Endangered Species Act, and some of the animals who have made the cut.

Bee serious – Guardian.co.uk – 5/31/08
Honeybees are disappearing. Why? What will happen if they continue to disappear? What will happen to the overstressed bees who are left? An in-depth look at the role bees play in pollinating crops, and what’s going wrong.

“Uninhabitable swampland” on fire – Alternet – 5/30/08
Reports on how the watery Everglades have become dry enough to catch fire.

Water: human right or market commodity? – Alternet – 5/29/08
As clean water becomes more scarce, people are becoming divided about how to handle the shortages..and whether or not water should be a product for profit.

Ban on cluster bombs passed, despite objections of primary users – Common Dreams -5/29/08
Diplomats from 109 countries met in Dublin, Ireland, recently and developed a treaty that would “outlaw the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions.” The six countries who are the world’s leading users and producers of such munitions – the U.S., China, Russian, Israel, India and Pakistan – didn’t attend the conference and have said they won’t sign any such treaty.

Death of teen farm worker sparks call for action – Sacramento Bee – 5/29/08
The death of a 17 year old farm worker in California has brought attention to the conditions agricultural workers endure and has sparked a call for changes.

A chimp is a chimp, of course of course – unless he’s declared a person – MSNBC.com – 5/29/08
A chimpanzee is headed to a European court in efforts to have him declared a person, so that a teacher and animal advocate can become his guardian.

Amnesty International report calls for “immediate action” – New York Times – 5/29/08
AI’s annual report has called for the U.S. to close down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, and for world leaders to take action against human rights problems.

The kind of sea change you don’t want - Common Dreams – 5/28/08
Climate change is affecting the world’s oceans so significantly, that scientists can’t keep track of all the changes, nor make accurate predictions about the future.

Goodall urges Nobel for alternatives to animal research – Guardian.co.uk – 5/28/08
Primatologist Jane Goodall is encouraging the Nobel Foundation to create an award for scientists who advance medical knowledge without experimenting on animals.

What is fair trade, anyway? - OneWorld.net – 5/27/08
Outlines how fair trade works, the benefits and drawbacks, and the potential future of fair trade.

“Locavore” becoming mainstream – Business Week – 5/20/08
Looks at the rise in interest for locally-grown food and the impact such a demand is having.