climate change Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Could the Northwest’s basalt rocks help slow climate change?

By Courtney Flatt May 30, 2023

A women in a blue and red plaid shirt stands in front of a blue river. She is holding two gray rocks on top of each other. in the background, on the other side of the river, there are rocky hills and a blue sky.

Casie Davidson, a scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, points out how basalt rocks are layered on top of each other. The rocks formed millions of years ago after volcanic… Continue Reading Could the Northwest’s basalt rocks help Read More

Inslee talks clean energy jobs, Malden rebuild and battling climate change

By Mary Ellen Pitney May 25, 2023

Washington Governor Jay Inslee speaking outdoors with the Mayor of Malden, Ted Maxwell.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee visited Washington State University's Pullman campus on Thursday. He spoke with Northwest Public Broadcasting's Mary Ellen Pitney on climate-related issues including building more electric car charging stations, helping towns become fire resistant and recovery efforts in Malden, three years after that Labor Day fire. Read More

Dead salmon prompt Army Corps of Engineers to repair Skagit River jetty

By Lauren Gallup May 24, 2023

The Army Corps Seahorse vessel arriving on the McGlinn Jetty on the Skagit River. // Credit: Heather Spore, Swinomish Tribal Community.

The Army Corps of Engineers began emergency repair work May 22 on a jetty that sits at the mouth of the Skagit River’s North Fork, near La Conner. Crews will use cobble and sediment to essentially plug porous areas of the McGlinn Island Jetty. Those gaps have stranded, harmed or killed out-migrating juvenile salmon this spring, according to a press release from the Read More

New Washington wine research focuses on climate change, sustainability

By Lauren Paterson May 18, 2023

The sun shines over a mountain peak in central Washington behind rows of green vineyards.

Sunrise over Red Mountain vineyards in central Washington. (Credit: Andrea Johnson Photography/Washington State Wine Commission) Listen (Runtime 1:03) Read It’s been a slower start to spring in the Pacific Northwest,… Continue Read More

WSU researchers win historic FDA approval for gene-edited pork

By Courtney Flatt May 3, 2023

Six brown sausages sit on top of a black grill. Orange flames crawl up the grill and onto the sausages.

Blake Foraker grills gene-edited German-style sausages at Washington State University. Credit: Connor Henricksen Listen (Runtime 3:58) Read At a barbecue on campus last week, flames licked a set of sausage… Continue Reading WSU researchers Read More

Federal regulators want public input on Goldendale Energy Storage Project

By Courtney Flatt May 1, 2023

A view from the edge of the cliff where the Goldendale Energy Storage Project could be built. An underground tunnel would carry water from a upper reservoir to a reservoir… Continue Reading Federal regulators want public input Read More

How controlled burns benefit fire-dependent ecosystems

By Lauren Gallup April 12, 2023

Firefighters with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources conducted a controlled burn in Cougar Canyon near Naches, Washington last fall. Photo courtesy of DNR Communications.

For decades, the federal government declared all forest fires in the West a destructive force. Now, it is viewed as a fundamental part of the western ecosystem. Lauren Gallup and Mary Ellen Pitney explain. Continue Reading How controlled burns benefit Read More

NW scientists study the promises – and challenges – of offshore wind

By Courtney Flatt April 6, 2023

An illustration of a yellow cable sitting on a light tan ocean floor. The water is dark blue. In the background, the cable is connected to a light gray floating rod that appears to come from the ocean surface.

An illustration of a potential floating wind turbine under the water. Credit: University of Maine Listen (Runtime 1:00) Read With the climate rapidly changing, researchers are trying to find ways… Continue Reading NW scientists study the Read More

Washington bill could help ease renewable energy development tensions

By Courtney Flatt March 16, 2023

Blue-sliver solar panels in the sun. They on top of brown dirt ground. The sky is blue with little white clouds. The shadow of the solar panels are directly beneath the panels.

File photo of solar panels. Credit: Sarah Swenty, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Listen (Runtime 1:02) Read In the Pacific Northwest, conversations about renewable energy can get pretty heated. Residents… Continue Reading Washington Read More

Study: North Cascades grizzlies could gain more habitat as the climate warms

By Courtney Flatt February 21, 2023

Grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Listen (Runtime 1:03) Read Grizzly bears in Washington’s North Cascades could gain habitat as the climate warms, according… Continue Reading Read More

Electric fire trucks are coming to the Pacific Northwest

By Tom Banse February 17, 2023

Portland Fire & Rescue would be the second department nationally to take delivery of an electric fire engine built by Pierce Manufacturing. This is the first one in service with the Madison Fire Department in Wisconsin

You probably no longer bat an eye when an electric car passes by on the road. More novel battery-powered vehicles are soon joining the parade to help operators achieve their sustainability goals. Electric ferries are coming to Puget Sound and hybrid electric airplanes are being tested in Washington. Now, several Pacific Northwest fire departments have ordered their first Read More

Washington bill could allow Department of Natural Resources to sell carbon credits

By Courtney Flatt February 13, 2023

Forested area in Washington. CREDIT: Connor Henricksen Listen (Runtime 1:07) Read In the eyes of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, one big thing is missing from the state’s… Continue Reading Read More

Artificial intelligence helps Northwest scientists better understand wildfire emissions

By Courtney Flatt January 24, 2023

Late afternoon light catches smoke from the Cold Springs Fire near a structure that appeared to be empty long before the fire, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, near Omak, Washington. CREDIT:… Continue Reading Artificial Read More

No-till farming, cover crops reduce greenhouse gasses but cost growers at the start, study finds

By Courtney Flatt December 22, 2022

Larry McMillan drives a combine as he harvests barley Friday, Aug. 24, 2007, near Moscow, Idaho. The region's warm and dry weather has provided optimal conditions for the continued harvest season. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A combine harvests barley Friday, Aug. 24, 2007, near Moscow, Idaho. Credit: Ted S. Warren/AP READ When you think of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions, you might picture industrial smoke stacks… Continue Read More

Goldendale energy project would harm tribal resources, environmental impact statement finds

By Courtney Flatt December 22, 2022

Whitebark pines – the ‘quintessential wilderness tree’ – added to the Endangered Species List

By Courtney Flatt December 15, 2022

Tree climber Phil Chi does one last safety check before he climbs to the top of a whitebark pine tree. Credit: Courtney Flatt Listen (Runtime 0:59) Read The West’s iconic… Continue Reading Whitebark pines – the Read More

How one quintet hopes music will help people process climate anxiety, grief

By Courtney Flatt December 9, 2022

A woman in a red jacket sits at a piano. A man in a green shirt plays the trombone. Other musicians are in the background. Audience members sit in wooden chairs.

LISTEN (Runtime: 4:12) READ Music poured out of the small sanctuary at Shalom United Church of Christ in Richland, Washington. Piano keys evoked dripping, melting glaciers. Drum beats became the… Continue Reading How one Read More

Studies show prescribed burns key to forest resiliency

By Courtney Flatt November 22, 2022

Firefighters stand in the distance with drip torches along a road surrounded by trees. A fire burns in the foreground of the picture. It's climbing up some smaller trees.

Scientists are studying old wildfires to find what forest treatments slowed the flames – and what treatments didn’t work so well. Researchers are looking closely at the Schneider Springs fire, the largest wildfire in Washington in 2021. Continue Reading Read More

Washington farmworker advocate pushes for climate justice at COP27

By Johanna Bejarano November 15, 2022

Farmworker leader Edgar Franks during at COP27. Credit: Familias Unidas por la Justicia Listen (Runtime 1:09) Read Agricultural workers are pushing for climate justice in Washington and are now taking… Continue Reading Washington Read More

State land managers update timber sales to include climate, carbon emissions after court ruling

By Lauren Gallup November 4, 2022

Part of the Box of Rain timber sale that the Washington State Department of Natural Resources approved to go to auction in December. Photo courtesy of the Center for Responsible… Continue Reading State land Read More

It’s not snowflakes, it’s aphids flying about parts of the Northwest

By Courtney Flatt October 19, 2022

Swarms of aphids pulse the air in front of a chimney and trees.

Swarms of aphids pulse the air in Moscow, Idaho, during a late-October afternoon. CREDIT: Linda Weiford, WSU News Listen (Runtime 1:01) Read No, that’s not snowflakes you’re seeing on these… Continue Reading It’s not snowflakes, it’s Read More

‘It’s an invasion.’ North America’s tiniest butterfly spotted in Southeastern Washington

By Courtney Flatt October 14, 2022

A Western pygmy blue butterfly sits on a mustard plant. Butterfly watchers have found at least 190 of these butterflies near Richland and the Yakima River, a rare site in Washington.

This particular adventure begins with the search for a bird. However, like many discoveries that venture a bit off course, birder Chris Lindsey found something much more interesting: a Western blue pygmy butterfly. The smallest butterfly in North America. Read More

White River celebration: 11 years after dam removal, the river recovers

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour October 13, 2022

Miss Yakama Nation Ellia-Lee Jim and Jr Miss Yakama Nation-Tehya Listen Eleven years after the Condit Dam was removed from the White Salmon River, the fish (and the land) are… Continue Reading White River celebration: 11 years after Read More

Washington’s fire season the mildest in a decade

By Courtney Flatt October 10, 2022

A view of the Bolt Creek Fire from Heybrook Lookout.

This year’s fire season has been the mildest year for Washington in a decade. But, the season isn’t over yet. Continue Reading Washington’s fire season the mildest in a decadeRead More

Federal report recommends removing four lower snake river dams to protect salmon

By Courtney Flatt October 1, 2022

Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. Breaching the Snake River dams is one major way to protect salmon, according to a final federal report announced Friday on salmon and steelhead recovery in the Columbia River Basin

Breaching the Snake River dams is one major way to protect salmon, according to a final federal report announced Friday on salmon and steelhead recovery in the Columbia River Basin. Continue Reading Federal report recommends Read More

What Does It Cost To Charge An EV At Home And Will The Grid Handle It?

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour September 30, 2022

Flickr Creative Commons:rudisillart Listen (Runtime 1:44) Read Both Washington and California have set aggressive goals to ban the sale of new gas powered vehicles over the next 10 to 15… Continue Reading What Does It Cost To Charge Read More

Washington Wine Grape Harvest Could Be “Biggest Yet”

By Lauren Paterson September 21, 2022

A sunbeam glistens over a green vineyard of red wine grapes near a river in Vantage, Washington.

The Washington wine grape harvest is underway. Pinot Noir grapes are being harvested near Vantage, WA. Listen (Runtime :56) Read This year’s wine grape harvest is about two or three… Continue Reading Washington Wine Grape Harvest Could Be “Biggest Read More

Biden Administration Launches Website To Provide Real-Time Climate Data, Predict Future Scenarios

By Courtney Flatt September 9, 2022

A new climate assessment website could help communities better understand their chance of facing climate risks, such as wildfires.

A first-of-its-kind climate resiliency website will help communities understand climate-related risks, the Biden administration said. The new website, launched Thursday, provides real-time information and predictions for local communities that are more vulnerable to disasters, such as wildfires, heat waves and droughts. Read More

What Happens In Our Urban Neighborhoods When There’s A Heat Wave?

By Lauren Gallup September 5, 2022

Nature Conservancy lead scientist, lead scientist Phil Levin, left, and Lowell Wyse, right, of the Tacoma Tree Foundation install a temperature logging device in South Tacoma. This will help scientists measure the impact that planting more vegetation has on temperatures in urban areas. Photo courtesy of Courtney Baxter/TNC

Heat waves are becoming more common in Western Washington. It's just one outcome of worsening climate change. With this, efforts to green-up urban areas may help keep people cool and safe. Continue Reading What Happens In Our Urban Neighborhoods Read More

Farmworkers Call For Climate Emergency Declaration in Washington

By Johanna Bejarano August 31, 2022

Farmworkers and environmental justice advocates want Washington Governor Jay Inslee to declare a climate emergency in the state. Continue Reading Farmworkers Call For Climate Emergency Declaration in WashingtonRead More

Breaching The Four Lower Snake River Dams Not An Option Right Now, Say Murray, Inslee

By Courtney Flatt August 27, 2022

Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said removing the four dams on the Lower Snake isn't feasible right now.

A much-awaited report said removing the four Lower Snake River dams shouldn't happen right now, but dam removal is the best way to protect Snake River salmon. Continue Reading Breaching The Four Lower Snake River Dams Not An Read More

Scientists Work To Protect Indoor Air Quality From Wildfire Smoke

By Courtney Flatt August 20, 2022

Smoke from a wildfire. It’s tough to keep wildfire smoke out of homes. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory give some practical tips to help.

Even with smoke, you can breathe easier. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have practical tips to keep the air clean inside homes despite the smoke in Northwest skies. Continue Reading Scientists Work To Protect Indoor Air Read More

Scientists Release Plan To ‘Rewild The American West’

By Lauren Paterson August 11, 2022

A brown beaver sits near a wooden dam above the water.

Professor William Ripple says the wetlands and streams created by beavers act as firebreaks that could slow wildfires, a big issue in the West. Listen Amid droughts, wildfires, and climate… Continue Reading Scientists Release Plan To ‘Rewild The Read More

CTUIR Scientists Snorkel Rivers To Help Save Freshwater Mussels In The Northwest

By Courtney Flatt July 28, 2022

Alexa Maine surveys the Middle Fork of the John Day River, searching for freshwater mussels.

Checking every inch of a streambed for freshwater mussels requires a snorkel and a wetsuit. It’s a messy job, but it’s vitally important as these keystone species are declining throughout the West. Continue Reading CTUIR Read More

Federal Report Recommends Breaching Lower Snake River Dams To Restore Salmon

By Courtney Flatt July 14, 2022

To recover healthy salmon populations, one or more of the Snake River dams must be breached, in addition to other actions, according to a new draft report released Tuesday by federal officials. Continue Reading Federal Report Read More

More Than Work: Living On A Ship, Crew, Officers Become Friends, Family

By Courtney Flatt June 24, 2022

The deck crew on NOAA's Bell M. Shimada hauls the CTD machine back on deck after it collected water samples from the ocean.

The Bell M. Shimada is designed to gather scientific information. But the collaborative effort of the crew and officers makes scientific endeavors at sea possible. Continue Reading More Than Work: Living On A Ship, Crew, Officers Become Read More

This Single-Celled Sea Critter Could Help Scientists Learn About Climate Change

By Courtney Flatt June 23, 2022

Jennifer Fehrenbacher looks at planktic forams under a microscope. The research is part of a two-week survey of the Northern California Current ecosystem.

One single-celled oceanic organism could provide big answers to questions about climate change. Continue Reading This Single-Celled Sea Critter Could Help Scientists Learn About Climate ChangeRead More

Growing Phytoplankton To Learn More About The Ocean’s Food Web

By Courtney Flatt June 22, 2022

Rebecca Smoak, a graduate researcher at Oregon State University, and Maria Kavanaugh, an assistant professor at OSU, place plastic Nalgene bottles in an incubator to grow phytoplankton on the Bell M. Shimada, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel.

Phytoplankton make up an extremely important part of the ocean’s food chain, serving as food for organisms that feed young salmon and other fish in the ocean. Continue Reading Growing Phytoplankton To Learn More About The Ocean’s Food Read More

WSU Researchers And Tacoma Eco-Building Company Receive Grant To Create Affordable, Sustainable Building Material

By Lauren Gallup June 21, 2022

Eco-Shelter Inc. CEO and founder, Alexa Bednarz, talks with Dr. Vikram Yadama on a trip to India. Photo courtesy of Alexa Bednarz.

WSU researchers and an eco-building startup in Tacoma are teaming up to create affordable and sustainable roofing for consumers across the world. They have a goal— to make roofing material that is sustainable, adaptable to different parts of the world, and affordable for people living on less than $5 a day. Read More

Northwest Cherries Will Ripen Later This Year Due To Spring Snow

By Lauren Paterson June 7, 2022

Bright yellow Rainier cherries are stacked on top of each other in a huge pile.

Rainier cherries in the Northwest bloomed after the snow, so the crop should be stronger. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Fruit Commission) Listen Snow fell throughout the Northwest in… Continue Reading Northwest Cherries Will Read More

Seeds Of Drought: Weather Conditions Cause Shortages Of Seeds For Spring Forage Planting

By Anna King April 1, 2022

Mason Douglass leans on one of his thirty seed bins at Tri-State Seed outside of Connell, WA Listen Anna King reports on a serious shortage of seeds for forage crops… Continue Reading Seeds Of Drought: Weather Read More

Freshwater Mussels Declining Throughout The Northwest

By Courtney Flatt March 30, 2022

Biologist Jordan Richard pulls a freshwater mussel off the bottom of the Clinch River to see if it's alive. Hundreds of thousands of mussels have perished in the ongoing die-off. CREDIT: Nathan Rott/NPR

The decline of freshwater mussels could have a negative impact of waterways throughout the West CREDIT: Nathan Rott/NPR Listen Courtney Flatt reports on the decline of freshwater mussels in the… Continue Reading Freshwater Mussels Declining Read More

State Transportation Package and Eastern WA

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour February 25, 2022

A sign with zero dollar amounts for gasoline, photo credit Drew Lawton via Flickr

The Sixteen year State Transportation package has passed through the Senate Transportation Committee and held a public hearing recently. An Eastern Washington Commissioner is raising alarming concerns regarding the bill. Are Gas powered vehicles going to be allowed? Read More

Gangs Of Elk Are Feasting On Farmers’ Haystacks Across The Northwest

By Anna King January 29, 2022

Gangs of wild elk are attacking farmers’ haystacks in Washington and Oregon. They’re hungry, after a long drought and record mountain snow this winter has driven animals down to the lowlands. Climate scientists say things may only get worse in the future. Read More

New Hope For A Rare Plant At Hanford Reach

By Courtney Flatt January 29, 2022

Wildfires, invasive species and climate change are seriously threatening the Hanford Reach National Monument, and with it, a rare plant that grows only in one place in the world. Continue Reading New Hope For A Rare Plant At Hanford ReachRead More

Northwest Energy Generation Continues To Green Up

By Courtney Flatt January 13, 2022

Coal plant closures in the Northwest decreased heat-trapping emissions that contribute to climate change. The Boardman Power Plant closed in October 2020.

Coal plant closures in the Northwest and an increase in natural gas generation meant fewer heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions recently contributed to climate change, according to new data from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Continue Reading Read More

How Melting Sea Ice Increases Wildfire Risk In The Northwest

By Courtney Flatt December 17, 2021

New atmospheric research has found melting sea ice in the Arctic increases the risks for wildfires on the West Coast.

Recent atmospheric research may help Northwest forest managers better prepare for wildfires. Continue Reading How Melting Sea Ice Increases Wildfire Risk In The NorthwestRead More

During Fire Season, One Family Learns To Save Trees, You Must Cut Some Down

By Courtney Flatt November 9, 2021

Peter and Shannon Polson with their dog, Bonnie. For six years, the Polsons thinned trees, chopped off limbs, and built a home resistant to fire to prepare their property for when the flames would come.

One family’s continuous wildfire preparation paid off this summer in North Central Washington. Continue Reading During Fire Season, One Family Learns To Save Trees, You Must Cut Some DownRead More

In New Climate Order, Inslee Says Washington State Vehicles To Plug In

By Courtney Flatt November 8, 2021

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ordered around 5,000 state vehicles to transition to electric over the next 19 years.

Washington’s state vehicles soon will plug in instead of gas up. Continue Reading In New Climate Order, Inslee Says Washington State Vehicles To Plug InRead More

Climate Change Is Causing Problems For Puffins

By NPR News October 12, 2021

Maine's population of rare Atlantic puffins took a hit this year, as the number of chicks to survive a tough summer plummeted. The state's coastal bays and the Gulf of Maine is among the fastest-warming large water bodies on the planet, making the puffins' fate a test-case for how climate change could disrupt marine ecosystems worldwide. Read More