climate change Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

U.S. Implementing 1st-Ever Airplane Emission Rules; Critics Say They’re Ineffective

By NPR News December 28, 2020

A Southwest Airlines flight takes off as United Airlines planes sit parked on a runway at Denver International Airport in April. CREDIT: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

The U.S. is regulating greenhouse gas emissions from commercial aircraft for the first time. But critics are saying the rules will be ineffective. The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday the rules are being finalized after first being made public in July. Read More

Farmers Are Warming Up To The Fight Against Climate Change

By NPR News November 20, 2020

Del Ficke, a farmer in Pleasant Dale, Neb., has embraced the cause of building carbon-rich soil, capturing carbon dioxide from the air in the process. CREDIT: Dan Charles/NPR

Several big farm groups, traditionally hostile to environmental regulations, are now working with environmental advocates in support of farmer-friendly actions to reduce carbon emissions. Continue Reading Farmers Are Warming Up To The Fight Against Read More

Trump Administration Rushes To Sell Oil Rights In Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

By NPR News November 17, 2020

An airplane flies over caribou on the coastal plain of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where the Trump administration is moving to sell leases for oil drilling. CREDIT: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/AP

Officials hope to auction off leases before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. He has pledged to protect the pristine landscape that's home to polar bears and migrating caribou. Continue Reading Trump Administration Read More

Inland Northwest Trees Are Playing An Outsized Role In Curbing Climate Change, Study Says

By Jes Burns November 12, 2020

Thinning, mowing and prescribed fire are used in Ponderosa pine forests to maintain an open forest floor. CREDIT: Jes Burns/OPB/EarthFix

New research suggests that a U.S. Forest Service proposal to allow the cutting of larger trees on public lands east of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington will have an outsized impact on forest carbon storage in the Pacific Northwest. Read More

As Election Count Goes On, U.S. Formally Exits Paris Agreement To Curb Climate Change

By NWPB News November 4, 2020

Kristin Green, left, and Kayla Bordelon, from the Citizens Climate Lobby, hold signs and wave to motorists on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020, in Moscow, Idaho. CREDIT: Geoff Crimmins/The Moscow-Pullman Daily News via AP

The move, long threatened by President Donald Trump and triggered by his administration a year ago, further isolates Washington in the world but has no immediate impact on international efforts to curb global warming. Continue Read More

Gov. Jay Inslee On How To Stay Optimistic When Fighting Climate Change

By NPR News October 4, 2020

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee toured the town of Bridgeport on Saturday, Sept. 12, unknowingly bringing banned apples with him. But he didn't see the fire-evacuated farmworkers in Brewster, across the river, as the shelter was shut down by the time he arrived. CREDIT: Governor's Office/Twitter

The fires in Washington are largely under control now, but the state has been experiencing dangerous, even deadly, wildfires for years, something Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee says are only made worse by climate change. Continue Reading Gov. Read More

So 2020: New Storm Forms, Named Alpha Because We’ve Run Out Of Letters

By NPR News September 18, 2020

Satellite images of storms forming in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Storm Wilfred is the last named storm of the 2020 season using the English alphabet. Courtesy of NOAA

There's only been one other year – 2005 – that Greek names have been needed. The National Hurricane Center on Friday announced storms called Alpha and Beta have formed in the Atlantic. Continue Reading So 2020: New Storm Forms, Named Alpha Read More

‘I Don’t Think Science Knows’: Visiting Fires, President Trump Denies Climate Change

By NPR News September 14, 2020

President Trump speaks Monday during a briefing on wildfires in McClellan Park, Calif. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

On the other side of the country Joe Biden also addressed the fires, linking them to climate change. Continue Reading ‘I Don’t Think Science Knows’: Visiting Fires, President Trump Denies Climate ChangeRead More

Professor And Longtime Climate Science Denier Hired In High Position At NOAA

By NPR News September 13, 2020

The appointment of a climate change denier to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration comes as Americans face profound threats stoked by climate change, from the vast, deadly wildfires in the West to an unusually active hurricane season in the South and East. CREDIT: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

David Legates, a professor whose research has been supported by fossil fuel companies, has been hired for a top position at the federal agency that oversees weather and climate forecasting. Continue Reading Professor And Longtime Read More

Hurricanes Like Laura Are More Likely Because Of Climate Change

By NPR News August 27, 2020

Hurricane Laura approaches the Gulf Coast of the U.S. on Wednesday. The storm rapidly intensified before it made landfall. NOAA via AP

Hurricane Laura rapidly intensified before it made landfall. Abnormally hot water in the Gulf of Mexico helped it gain power. Continue Reading Hurricanes Like Laura Are More Likely Because Of Climate ChangeRead More

Absent From Stimulus Packages: Overhauling Energy And Climate Programs, As Past Ones Have

By NPR News June 17, 2020

Grand Coulee Dam File Photo - CREDIT Bureau of Reclamation

Climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are not part of the $3 trillion in U.S. relief packages passed so far — despite a long history of funding energy programs after economic crises. Continue Reading Absent Read More

Research From Northwest Scientists Shows Negative Climate Change Effects On Old Growth Forests

By Courtney Flatt June 1, 2020

OSU scientists detect a tagged hermit warbler in the canopy of an old growth grove in the Oregon Cascades. Learning how the small song birds travel over the course of a day could provide insight into why bird populations are doing well in old growth forests while declining in other warming landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. CREDIT: GREG DAVIS

Deforestation, climate change and the disturbances it can exacerbate – like wildfires, extreme droughts and insect outbreaks – are decimating old growth forests across the globe. That means forests worldwide are filling in with younger and shorter trees, according to a new study. Read More

Big Study Finds Small Territory Usage For Washington’s Medium-Sized Wild Lynx

By Courtney Flatt April 27, 2020

A Canada lynx in Washington spotted by one of 650 wildlife cameras in a Washington State University study. CREDIT: WSU Mammal Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab

In a study recently published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, WSU scientists found that lynx only occupy about 20% of potential habitat in Washington. Continue Reading Big Study Finds Small Territory Usage For Washington’s Read More

Northwest Fire Season Forecast: A Significant One, As Study Says People Should Prepare Long-Term

By Courtney Flatt April 8, 2020

Information on public fire danger signs comes from the Nation Fire Danger Rating System, which is being updated for the first time in more than four decades. CREDIT: JACOB FRANK/NPS

As the climate warms, fire seasons will get worse – that’s especially true for low-elevation ponderosa pine forests east of the Cascades. According to a University of Washington study published in the journal Fire Ecology, wildfires there will be larger and more frequent. Read More

As Many People Stay Home, Will The Environment Improve — At Least Temporarily?

By PBS Newshour April 6, 2020

Alexandra Sasha Grieb and Kyleigh Dabler, both 19, from Kennewick, waved at passing cars driving by Richland’s John Dam Plaza. Grieb said it will be up to younger generations to fight climate change now with their votes. “The earth will survive climate change. Humans won’t,” she said. CREDIT: Courtney Flatt/NWPB

Will the current lull in activity make a difference in the air we breathe or the future of climate change? Continue Reading As Many People Stay Home, Will The Environment Improve — At Least Temporarily?Read More

The Mountain Wildflowers Are Out (Earlier): How Climate Change May Affect Tourist Season At Rainier

By Courtney Flatt March 11, 2020

A subalpine meadow on Mount Rainier in the summer. CREDIT: Elli Theobald/courtesy of the research team

The wildflower season at Mount Rainier National Park was short in 2015. Some of the lupines stopped flowering and didn’t make seeds like they normally do. The shorter season also meant fewer people saw peak blooms. A new study looks at how winter changes may affect tourist season at Washington's iconic park. Read More

Climate Stewardship Connects Eastern Washington Faith And Farming To Legislative Action In Olympia

By Courtney Flatt March 5, 2020

Church members at Richland’s Shalom United Church of Christ sing environmental hymns during a service on Feb. 9, 2020, that addressed environmental issues, such as climate change. CREDIT: Courtney Flatt/NWPB

Climate change isn’t a new topic for progressive churches like Shalom United Church of Christ in Richland. But it is perhaps tinged with new urgency. Survey results from the Pew Research Center show that congregations are delving into environmental awareness recently. And so are farmers. Read More

Alaska Feels The Brunt As Investors Promise Retreat On Fossil Fuels

By NPR News March 1, 2020

JPMorgan Chase is the latest investor to say it won't finance drilling in Alaska's Arctic. Some welcome the move, but there's also concern in a state that depends heavily on oil revenue. Continue Reading Alaska Feels The Brunt As Read More

From Allergies To Declining Business, Warming Winters Affect Everyday Life

By NPR News February 26, 2020

Thomas Germanson sails a radio-controlled model yacht in early December in Madison, Wis. Thomas Germanson

For many parts of the United States this winter has been one of the warmest on record. People around the country are feeling the effects of it. Continue Reading From Allergies To Declining Business, Warming Winters Affect Everyday Read More

How Warming Winters Are Affecting Everything

By NPR News February 20, 2020

Warming winters graphic illustration. Illustrations by Cornelia Li for NPR

Winters are warming faster than summers in many places, and colder parts of the U.S. are warming faster than hotter ones. The warming winter climate has year-round consequences across the country. Continue Reading How Warming Winters Are Affecting EverythingRead More

Jeff Bezos Pledges $10 Billion To Fight Climate Change

By NPR News February 18, 2020

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced Monday he would spend $10 billion of his own fortune to launch a global initiative to fight climate change. He is photographed here in front of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in October. CREDIT: Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Amazon, the company Bezos founded and heads, has come under increasing scrutiny for its own carbon footprint. Continue Reading Jeff Bezos Pledges $10 Billion To Fight Climate ChangeRead More

Youth-Led Climate Lawsuit ‘Reluctantly’ Dismissed By Federal 9th Circuit Appeals Court

By NPR News January 20, 2020

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Friday the young plaintiffs had "made a compelling case that action is needed," but they did not have legal standing to bring the case. Continue Reading Read More

Microsoft Pledges To Remove From The Atmosphere All The Carbon It’s Ever Emitted

By NPR News January 16, 2020

By 2050, the tech giant pledges it will "remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975." Continue Reading Microsoft Pledges To Remove Read More

Australia’s Wildfires Are Releasing Vast Amounts Of Carbon

By NPR News January 13, 2020

Much of New South Wales, Australia, including the Sydney Opera House, lay under a shroud of smoke Thursday. The state remains under severe or very high fire danger warnings as more than 60 fires continue to burn within its borders. CREDIT: Cassie Trotter/Getty Images

The Australian bushfires are emitting huge amounts of climate warming carbon into the atmosphere. Normally, new vegetation that grows back would recapture it, but that may be changing. Continue Reading Australia’s Wildfires Are Releasing Vast Read More

More Ice And Less Snow Gets A Chilly Reception In Anchorage

By NPR News December 30, 2019

High school skiers compete in the annual Lynx Loppet race at Kincaid Park in Anchorage. The park has 30 miles of trails, but competitors were limited to a mile-long loop of man-made snow. CREDIT: Nat Herz/Alaska's Energy Desk

As the climate warms, recent winters in Anchorage, Alaska, have seen more ice. The trend is leading to safety concerns and new measures to cope in this city where winter is defined by snow. Continue Reading More Ice And Less Snow Gets A Chilly Read More

Not Logging Some Northwest Forests Could Offset Climate Change, Study Finds

By Cassandra Profita December 24, 2019

Elliott State Forest near Coos Bay, Ore. CREDIT: Ore. Dept. of State Lands

Researchers at Oregon State University and the University of California-Berkeley looked at which forests in the Western United States should be prioritized for preservation under climate change scenarios. Continue Reading Not Logging Read More

U.N. Climate Summit Goes To Extra Time, But Ends With Major Questions Unresolved

By NPR News December 15, 2019

Demonstrators take part in a protest on climate emergency outside the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid on Friday. CREDIT: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP via Getty Images

The talks showed deep divisions, as small countries highly vulnerable to rising seas and powerful storms were at odds with wealthy, high-emitting countries like the United States. Continue Reading U.N. Climate Summit Goes To Read More

Judge Rules In Favor Of Exxon In Climate Change Fraud Case

By NPR News December 10, 2019

Environmental activists rally outside of New York Supreme Court in October in Manhattan, the first day of the trial accusing ExxonMobil of misleading shareholders about its climate change accounting. CREDIT: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In a three-week trial, New York state prosecutors argued that the oil company had downplayed the financial risks it faces from possible climate regulation. Attorney General Letitia James said doing so made Exxon's assets appear more secure than they really were, which in turn affected its share price and defrauded investors. Read More

Choosing Not To Fly Home For The Holidays, For The Climate’s Sake

By NPR News November 28, 2019

Commercial air travel currently accounts for just about 2.5% of global carbon emissions, but those emissions are rising fast. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP

Carbon emissions from global air travel are rising fast, and U.S. passengers make up the largest share. But some are vowing not to fly at all, motivated by guilt and concern for the environment. Continue Reading Choosing Not To Fly Home For The Read More

Developers Of This New ‘Battery’ Are Trying To Spark A Carbon Capture Revolution

By PBS Newshour November 17, 2019

A cross-section of an electroswing adsorber, which is essentially an electrochemical cell — that is, a battery. The battery has two active (negative) electrodes on the outside and a positive (counter) electrode in the middle (red). When electricity runs into the battery, the active layers, which are covered with quinone, collect CO2 from the surrounding air. Image by Sahag Voskian

Carbon capture technology is slowly being integrated into energy and industrial facilities across the globe. Typically set up to collect carbon from an exhaust stream, this technology sops up greenhouse gases before they spread into Earth’s airways. Read More

As The Climate Warms, Companies Scramble To Calculate The Risk To Their Profits

By NPR News October 16, 2019

Companies are increasingly concerned about how Earth's changing climate might affect their businesses, such as crop failures from drought, heat and storms. Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Image

Companies are trying to figure out the risks to their profits from a warming planet. Some of them are turning to high-tech tools of climate science. Continue Reading As The Climate Warms, Companies Scramble To Calculate The Risk Read More

Pumping Oxygen In A Lake To Try To Save Fish Facing Climate Change

By Jes Burns October 15, 2019

Mohammed Bawazeer and Ian Riley carry a battery that will power the aeration system on Upper Klamath Lake for 32 hours, even if the sun isn't shining.

As the climate warms, many U.S. lakes are seeing more algal blooms, low oxygen levels and stressed out fish species. One team in Oregon hopes that pumping oxygen into the water can help. Continue Reading Pumping Oxygen In A Lake To Try To Read More

Audubon Study: More Than Half Of Washington Birds Species Risk Extinction From Climate Change

By John Ryan October 12, 2019

A bufflehead, one of 20 duck species that could lose most of their habitat in Washington state to climate change. CREDIT: John Ryan/KUOW

The study found that across North America, 389 species, or nearly two-thirds of the continent’s birds, are vulnerable to the heat waves, rising seas, increased fires and storms and other disruptions that 3 °C of climate change could bring. Read More

Researchers Are Freezing Their Ship Into Arctic Ice To Study Climate Change

By NPR News October 6, 2019

A helicopter takes off from the research vessel Akademik Federov to survey the thickness of an ice floe on Sept. 30. CREDIT: Ravenna Koenig

An ambitious Arctic expedition has reached a milestone. Researchers have found a floe to freeze into, where they'll construct an observatory and study Arctic systems from a ship. Continue Reading Researchers Are Freezing Their Ship Read More

Only 2 Countries Are Meeting Their Climate Pledges. Here’s How The 10 Worst Could Improve

By PBS Newshour September 29, 2019

The coal power plant "Staudinger" by energy company Uniper is photographed during sunrise in Grosskrotzenburg, 30km outside Frankfurt, Germany, February 13, 2019. CREDIT: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

10 countries account for approximately 70 percent of the world’s emissions, and all except one — India — are not on pace to meet the climate goals needed to prevent 2 degrees Celsius of warming. Continue Reading Only 2 Read More

U.N. Climate Summit Sets Stage For New National Emissions Promises

By NPR News September 23, 2019

A coal-fired power plant in central Poland. Global greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2018, and the world is on track for potentially catastrophic climate change in the coming decades. Czarek Sokolowski/AP

Humanity is not on track to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Delegations from nearly 200 countries are meeting to discuss promises they made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Continue Reading U.N. Climate Summit Sets Read More

‘The Heat Is On’: Tri-Cities And Yakima Demonstrations Add Voices To Global Climate Events

By NWPB News September 20, 2019

The demonstrations, including those in the Tri-Cities and Yakima, were part of a global effort coordinated largely by students and young adults to draw attention to climate change and the need for elected officials, business leaders and individuals to take action. Read More

‘We’re Young, But We’re Not Dumb’: Millions March In Global Climate Strike

By NPR News September 20, 2019

The Global Climate Strike drew scores of protesters around the world Friday, as young people answered a call from activist Greta Thunberg to demand action on climate change. Here, a protester attends a rally in Edinburgh, Scotland. CREDIT: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

"We know it's happening. We need change. We demand better," an 11-year-old girl said at a march in Thailand. Protesters are calling for net-zero carbon emissions and other changes. Continue Reading ‘We’re Young, But We’re Read More

Fly The Cleaner Skies: Airlines Look To Biofuel Production With Northwest Ties

By Courtney Flatt September 19, 2019

Alaska Airlines has 32 Boeing 737 MAX jets on order. CREDIT: PAUL WEATHERMAN/BOEING

Airlines like Alaska, United and Delta are looking into biofuel production. It’s a trend experts say will keep growing. The Northwest is playing a big role in several experiments airlines are helping fund. Continue Reading Fly The Read More

Study: Climate Change Wildfire Health Impacts Cost Billions For Washingtonians

By Courtney Flatt September 18, 2019

Smoke-Kittitas-Valley-081718-Esmy-Jimenez

Climate change is causing people in Washington to spend billions of dollars in healthcare costs. That’s according to a new study that looked at how hospital visits and early deaths during a recent wildfire season. Continue Reading Read More

Research Suggests Climate Change Is Reducing Snowfall In The Northwest

By NWPB News September 11, 2019

A snow-machine rider takes a snowpack reading as part of Community Snow Observations, a NASA-sponsored citizen science project. CREDIT: OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

New research says climate change is decreasing the amount of snow in the Pacific Northwest. And that has implications for water resources in the region. Continue Reading Research Suggests Climate Change Is Reducing Snowfall In The Read More

High-Tide Flooding On The Rise, Especially Along The East Coast, Forecasters Warn

By NPR News July 10, 2019

A street in Miami flooded during a high tide in 2018. A new report confirms that the number of days with high-tide flooding is increasing in many U.S. cities as sea levels rise. Wilfredo Lee/AP

As sea levels rise, coastal flooding that used to happen only during storms is increasingly occurring on sunny days. That has local officials reconsidering everything from zoning to police budgets. Continue Reading High-Tide Read More

Anchorage Hit A Balmy 90 Degrees This Week — For The First Time On Record

By NPR News July 5, 2019

People hike on the Byron Glacier on Thursday in Girdwood, Alaska, southeast of Anchorage. Many cities set heat records amid unusually hot and dry conditions in the area. CREDIT: Lance King/Getty Images

Temperatures climbed to 90 degrees in Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday, breaking the all-time heat record for the northerly city. Anchorage's previous record high (at least since 1952) was 85 degrees Fahrenheit, set on June 14, 1969. Continue Read More

1st Democratic Presidential Debate Kicks Off, Jay Inslee Highlights Climate Message

By NWPB News June 26, 2019

10 Democrats, including Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, took the debate stage June 26, 2019 in Miami

Night 1 of the first Democratic debate is over. The conversation was dominated by , and . As the candidates tussled, at least three of them showed off their Spanish-language ability. President Trump even weighed in — to mock NBC for and to "BORING." Read More

Oregon Senate Republicans Stage Walkout For 2nd Time This Year To Stop Vote On Climate Bill

By Dirk VanderHart June 20, 2019

The Oregon Capitol. CREDIT:BRADLEY W. PARKS/OPB

For the second time this legislative session, Oregon Senate Republicans prepared Thursday to stage a walkout, denying Democrats the ability to pass legislation. It’s the latest step in a standoff over sweeping climate change legislation. Read More

Trump Administration Weakens Climate Plan To Help Coal Plants Stay Open

By NPR News June 19, 2019

The Environmental Protection Agency's final version of its Affordable Clean Energy rule is supported by the coal industry, but it's not clear that it will be enough to stop more coal-fired power plants from closing. CREDIT: J. DAVID AKE/AP

President Trump has thrown his latest lifeline to the ailing coal industry, significantly weakening one of former President Barack Obama's key policies to address climate change. Continue Reading Trump Administration Weakens Climate Plan Read More

Western Forest Fires Release Less Carbon Than Thought, Study Shows

By NWPB News June 7, 2019

An air tanker makes a retardant drop on the South Umpqua Complex fires. CREDIT: U.S. FOREST SERVICE

The amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere from forest fires in the U.S. West is being greatly overestimated, possibly leading to poor land management decisions, researchers at the University of Idaho said. Continue Read More

Jay Inslee Not Happy Over National Party’s Refusal To Have Climate-Themed Debate

By Austin Jenkins June 6, 2019

Gov. Jay Inslee speaks with reporters following a talk on climate change at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics in Manchester, Jan. 22, 2019. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is stoking outrage and taking on his own party after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unequivocally quashed his proposal for a debate centered on climate change. He's also refusing to take "no" for an answer. Read More

In ‘Opening Argument’ For 2020 Campaign, Jay Inslee Says Washington Is A ‘Template For Success’

By NPR News May 31, 2019

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announces his run for the 2020 presidency at A&R Solar on March 1 in Seattle. He says tackling climate change should be "Job 1" for the next president. CREDIT: Karen Ducey/Getty Images

Inslee says the policies he's enacted in his state on the environment, the economy and health care are the same progressive actions he'd take if elected president. Continue Reading In ‘Opening Argument’ For Read More

When ‘1-In-100-Year’ Floods Happen Often, What Should You Call Them?

By NPR News May 8, 2019

Hurricane Florence flooded Nichols, S.C., in September 2018. It was the second catastrophic flood in the region in less than two years. Gerald Herbert/AP

In some places, homes and businesses in what's known as the 100-year flood plain have been hit by multiple floods in a matter of weeks. When these sorts of floods happen back to back, many residents might start to wonder: Why are they even called 100-year floods? Read More