Environment
Environment
As Nuclear Waste Piles Up, Private Companies Pitch New Ways To Store It
As nuclear and radioactive waste piles up, private companies are stepping in with their own solutions for the nation’s radioactive spent fuel. One is proposing a temporary storage site in New Mexico, and another is seeking a license for a site in Texas. But most experts agree that what’s needed is a permanent site, like Yucca Mountain, that doesn’t require humans to manage it. Continue Reading As Nuclear Waste Piles Up, Private Companies Pitch New Ways To Store It
Snow Melts, Anxiety Rises: Wildfire Season Is Here
As wildfires become more frequent and intense, the disappearance of snow now ushers in a season of higher anxiety for those who have experienced the destruction of wildfire. And this spring feels particularly ominous, with water levels in ponds and lakes already exposing bathtub rings of pale earth that wouldn’t normally be visible until the end of the dry summer months. Continue Reading Snow Melts, Anxiety Rises: Wildfire Season Is Here
Washington Lawmakers Revive Tax Break For Electric Vehicle Buyers
In their last minute dash to adjournment Sunday, Washington state legislators revived a lapsed sales tax break for buyers of electric cars. The resurrected incentive will be similar in value to a publicly-funded rebate for battery-powered cars that Oregon now offers.
A valuable tax break for buyers of fully-electric and plug-in hybrid cars in Washington expired last May. Continue Reading Washington Lawmakers Revive Tax Break For Electric Vehicle Buyers
Washington Legislature Allocates Funds To Study Snake River Dam Removal
Tucked into Washington’s $52.4 billion operating budget passed Sunday night by the Legislature is controversial funding for a “stakeholder group” tasked with looking into what would happen should the four Lower Snake River dams be removed or altered. Continue Reading Washington Legislature Allocates Funds To Study Snake River Dam Removal
Mushroom Hunters, Rejoice: Springtime Crop Benefits From Summertime Fires
Springtime means it’s morel mushroom harvesting season. Depending on where fires burned last summer, mushroom collecting could take you to different spots across the Northwest. Continue Reading Mushroom Hunters, Rejoice: Springtime Crop Benefits From Summertime Fires
Why Are So Many Gray Whales Washing Up Dead On Pacific Northwest Beaches?
The peak stranding time for gray whales in the Pacific Northwest is normally April, May and June. But the federal agency NOAA Fisheries has already logged nine dead whales washed ashore in Washington and one in Oregon. That’s on top of 21 strandings on California beaches since the beginning of the year. Continue Reading Why Are So Many Gray Whales Washing Up Dead On Pacific Northwest Beaches?
Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS
PFAS are a family of chemicals accumulating in the soil, rivers, drinking water and the human body. How much exposure to these substances in clothes, firefighting foam and food wrap is too much? Continue Reading Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS
‘On The Tipping Point’ Of The Spear: U.S. Asparagus Farmers Worry As Import Competition Grows
Growers in Washington, California and Michigan raise the majority of the nation’s domestic asparagus — and Washington’s season is on. But business in U.S. spears is noticeably dwindling due to cheaper competition from foreign markets.
That’s because there’s increasing amounts of cheaper asparagus from Peru and Mexico coming in: fresh, canned and frozen. And that’s cutting into profits for U.S. growers. Continue Reading ‘On The Tipping Point’ Of The Spear: U.S. Asparagus Farmers Worry As Import Competition Grows
Most Teachers Don’t Teach Climate Change; 4 In 5 Parents Wish They Did
As students around the globe participate in Earth Day, a new NPR/Ipsos poll finds 55% of teachers don’t teach or talk about climate change and 46% of parents haven’t discussed it with their kids. Continue Reading Most Teachers Don’t Teach Climate Change; 4 In 5 Parents Wish They Did
Is There Room For Hydrogen-Powered Cars In A Future That Looks Electric?
Today, automakers Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes make hydrogen fuel cell electric cars in very limited numbers. None of their Pacific Northwest dealers currently stock or sell those models to local drivers. Nevertheless, Toyota is laying the groundwork to bring its hydrogen-powered vehicles to the Northwest. Continue Reading Is There Room For Hydrogen-Powered Cars In A Future That Looks Electric?
‘Our Planet’ Nature Documentary Addresses The 800-Pound Gorilla: Human Impact
The new Netflix series takes a hard look at the effects of our behavior on the natural world. Series producer Alastair Fothergill says that this is a different, more urgent type of show. Continue Reading ‘Our Planet’ Nature Documentary Addresses The 800-Pound Gorilla: Human Impact
Central Washington Utility Eager To Branch Into Hydrogen Fuel Production
The Douglas County Public Utility District operates Wells Dam on the Columbia River north of Wenatchee. The dam generates a lot of surplus electricity, especially during spring runoff. Quite a few years ago, utility managers hit on the idea of using surplus electricity to split water molecules to make hydrogen. Continue Reading Central Washington Utility Eager To Branch Into Hydrogen Fuel Production
