Environment
Environment
A Group Of Gray Whales Survives Die-Off With An Annual Detour To Puget Sound
If you take a beach walk in springtime around Whidbey or Camano Island, north of Seattle, there’s a good chance you could spot a 40-foot-long gray whale, feeding in the shallows just offshore. Or you might just see a fin or part of one’s tail bobbing along the waterline. Continue Reading A Group Of Gray Whales Survives Die-Off With An Annual Detour To Puget Sound
‘Nothing Looks Good.’ Across The West, Firefighters Prepare For A Potentially Bad Fire Season
Severe drought has turned forests and grasslands into dry fuels, ready to ignite from a careless camper or a lightning strike. More people are building in areas bordering wildlands, expanding the so-called wildland-urban interface, an area where wildfires impact people the most. Invasive, highly flammable vegetation is spreading uncontrolled across the West. Continue Reading ‘Nothing Looks Good.’ Across The West, Firefighters Prepare For A Potentially Bad Fire Season
More Nuclear Energy Could Be Coming To Central Washington, As Grant County Explores Small-Scale
Washington’s Grant County is exploring nuclear generation in an effort to generate more carbon-free electricity. The county’s Public Utility District recently signed a deal with Oregon-based NuScale Power to figure out if a partnership might work. Continue Reading More Nuclear Energy Could Be Coming To Central Washington, As Grant County Explores Small-Scale
‘Somber Harvest’: Crops May Fail, Cattle Sold As The Northwest Descends Into Drought
Some stunted wheat fields won’t see the combine this summer. Cattle operators are severely cutting back their herds for lack of grass. Little moisture since February in wide swaths of the Northwest is to blame. And drought is deepening across the West, with federal drought maps showing massive and growing areas of red. Continue Reading ‘Somber Harvest’: Crops May Fail, Cattle Sold As The Northwest Descends Into Drought
A Push To Revive Federal Protections For Wolves After New State Laws Allow More Killing
Wildlife advocates are pressing the Biden administration to revive federal protections for gray wolves across the Northern Rockies after Republican lawmakers in Idaho and Montana made it much easier to kill the predators. Continue Reading A Push To Revive Federal Protections For Wolves After New State Laws Allow More Killing
How Your Hot Showers And Toilet Flushes Can Help The Climate
A secret cache of clean energy is lurking in sewers, and there are growing efforts to put it to work in the battle against climate change. Continue Reading How Your Hot Showers And Toilet Flushes Can Help The Climate
Every Day I’m Truffling: Shuffling Into The Woods, Dogs In Tow, To Hunt A Northwest Delicacy
Northwest truffles – the fungi, not the chocolate – are becoming more popular. One reason people are finding new uses for the local delicacies is a growing trend in how they’re harvested: with dogs. Continue Reading Every Day I’m Truffling: Shuffling Into The Woods, Dogs In Tow, To Hunt A Northwest Delicacy
Half Of The World’s Single-Use Plastic Waste Is From Just 20 Companies, Says A Study
In 2019, more than 130 million metric tons of single-use plastics were thrown away, with most of that waste burned, buried in a landfill or dumped directly into the ocean or onto land. Now, a new report finds that just 20 companies account for more than half of all single-use plastic waste generated worldwide. Continue Reading Half Of The World’s Single-Use Plastic Waste Is From Just 20 Companies, Says A Study
A Dangerous Fire Season Is Looming As The Drought-Stricken West Heads Toward Water Crisis
Just about every indicator of drought is flashing red across the western U.S. after a dry winter and warm early spring. The snowpack is at less than half of normal in much of the region. Reservoirs are being drawn down, river levels are dropping and soils are drying out. Continue Reading A Dangerous Fire Season Is Looming As The Drought-Stricken West Heads Toward Water Crisis
Governor Signs And Partially Vetoes Ambitious Washington Environmental Laws, Drawing Criticism
Gov. Jay Inslee signed the Climate Commitment Act, environmental justice legislation, a clean fuels standard and bills related to reducing Washington’s single-use plastic waste and hydrofluorocarbon pollution. Continue Reading Governor Signs And Partially Vetoes Ambitious Washington Environmental Laws, Drawing Criticism
Scientists Urge Federal Government To Restore Protections For Gray Wolves
A group of scientists urged the Biden administration Thursday to restore legal protections for gray wolves, saying their removal earlier this year was premature and that states are allowing too many of the animals to be killed. Continue Reading Scientists Urge Federal Government To Restore Protections For Gray Wolves
One Idea To Remove Snake River Dams May Be Dead In The Water. Inslee And Murray Oppose It
A wide-ranging proposal to save wild salmon by removing the four Lower Snake River dams may be dead in the water. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray say any proposal for the controversial dams needs a “science-based,” “community-driven” approach. Continue Reading One Idea To Remove Snake River Dams May Be Dead In The Water. Inslee And Murray Oppose It
