Climate change is expected to increase drought and wildfire vulnerability in forests across the West. But new research out of Oregon State University shows that some places will fare better than others. Continue Reading New Research Read More
Newly published research predicting beer prices could double as rising global temperatures and more volatile weather cause shortages of barley created a big splash. But brewers and barley growers say you shouldn't drown your sorrows just yet: They have a plan. Read More
Increasingly hot and dry summers in Oregon and Washington have started to affect some of our most impressive travelers – the songbirds that migrate thousands of miles to breed here each spring. Continue Reading Old Growth Could Read More
Climate change is heating up national parks much faster than the rest of the U.S. That’s according to a first-of-its-kind study that looked all 417 national parks, including those in the Northwest. Continue Reading Study: Climate Read More
More than 40 researchers concluded that climate change would make ecosystems such as deciduous forests, grasslands and Arctic tundra unrecognizable. Continue Reading To Predict Effects Of Global Warming, Scientists Looked Back 20,000 Read More
Climate change might lead to bigger populations of hungrier insects. This could have serious consequences for grain-growing regions in the Northwest and across the world. Continue Reading Insects Could Eat Twice As Much Wheat By The End Of The Read More
Wildfire activity in the American West is likely to get worse in coming years. A new study out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences points to the lack of precipitation in the summer as the major driving factor when it comes to increasing fire severity. Read More
The cod population in the Gulf of Alaska is at its lowest level on record. Scientists say the culprit is a warm-water mass known as "the blob." Continue Reading Gulf Of Alaska Cod Are Disappearing. Blame ‘The Blob’Read More
For people living in the “wildland-urban interface,” wildfire risk is the new normal, and the risk is increasing as more people move into places where cul-de-sac meets forest or sagebrush. Continue Reading Four Read More
A warming climate is knocking nature's rhythms out of sync. High in the Rocky Mountains, scientists have been tracking the impact for decades. Continue Reading In The Mountain West, Spring Is Springing Sooner, Throwing Read More
While searching for seabirds in July of 2017, biologist Luke Halpin instead saw a sea bubbling with about 200 bottlenose dolphins and 70 false killer whales. It would be an unusual sight anywhere — bottlenose generally travel in much smaller groups — but Halpin’s sighting was made more remarkable by where it happened. These usually tropical animals were off the west coast Read More
Ocean conditions off the Pacific Northwest seem to be returning to normal after a three-year spike in water temperature. It’s promising long-term news for fishermen who are looking ahead in the short term to yet another year of low salmon returns. Read More
There’s a lot less snow in the western U.S. than there was a century ago. That’s according to new research that found dramatic declines in snowpack as the seasons have gotten warmer. Continue Reading Snowpack Has Drastically Declined In The West This CenturyRead More
An Idaho Senate panel voted February 22 to retain all references to man-made climate change in proposed science standards for K-12 education, which could end a three-year fight over the rules. Continue Reading Idaho Senate Read More
Over the next century, sea level rise is expected to wreak havoc on the U.S. coastlines – and a new analysis shows that the Northwest is not immune. Nearly all coastal wetlands in Oregon, Washington and California will be swamped at the highest predicted sea level change. Read More
About 100 activists gathered Wednesday, Feb. 21 to protest Puget Sound Energy’s plan to keep producing electricity from coal until 2035. PSE is the company that likely keeps your lights and Wifi on if you live in the Puget Sound area but not in Seattle. Their main concern was climate change. Read More
While you may be able to easily change your coat when the snow melts, it’s not so simple for animals whose fur turns white in winter for camouflage. A new study finds they'll need to rapidly evolve to match a climate with less snow. Continue Read More
Early this year, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said no to a massive oil-by-rail terminal proposed in Vancouver, Wash. The $210 million Vancouver Energy project, a joint venture from Tesoro and Savage, would have brought up to 360,000 gallons of crude oil a day on trains traveling along the Columbia River. Read More
As the climate gets warmer, sugar maple trees will have a harder time producing enough sap to meet demand. Luckily, scientists and maple syrup-makers are on the case. Continue Reading Climate Change Could Mean Less Maple Syrup For Your PancakesRead More
Carbon emissions by the tech giants that dominate cloud computing are surging, even as companies like Amazon and Microsoft take steps to tame their climate impact. Continue Reading What Amazon Doesn’t Want You To Know About The CloudRead More
The remarkable discovery of an intact ancient cypress forest in the Gulf of Mexico may reveal a lot about climate change — the past and the future. Continue Reading Scientists Say Long-Buried Ice Age Forest Offers Climate Change CluesRead More
A Washington climate activist is the first “valve turner” to go to prison for shutting off the flow of oil from Canada’s tar sands region into the U.S. Continue Reading Washington ‘Valve Turner’ Sentenced To Prison For Shutting Down Read More
The 21 young people who are suing the federal government over climate change are waiting for an appeals court in Oregon to rule on whether their case can go forward. Continue Reading Young People Delayed In Federal Climate Suit, But They’d Read More
The oceans off Oregon and Washington are ground zero for acidification, and Northwest scientists are working on new ways to adapt. Continue Reading Can Kelp And Seagrass Help The Northwest Adapt To Ocean Change?Read More
As the Pacific Northwest economy booms, it’s using a lot of concrete to build buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. Making all that concrete is a big part of our carbon footprint, and it all comes from one plant: Ash Grove in south Seattle. Continue Read More
For more than 10 years, Seattle leaders have said the city will lead the nation in fighting climate change. But the lofty words have been matched by continuing clouds of carbon emissions. Seattle dumps as much carbon dioxide into the sky as it did 25 years ago. Read More
Climate activists rallied today at the state capitol, the first day of the legislative session. They want Washington state to be powered exclusively by renewable energy within 10 years. Continue Reading Climate Activists Urge Washington Lawmakers Read More
By: Teresa Carey, PBS Newshour A migratory bird can predict its own future, and this crystal ball-like indicator can be found in its genes. In a study published Thursday in Science, biologists at the Center for Tropical Research found certain genetic traits in yellow warblers can gauge how well they will keep up with the pace of… Read More
Christmas trees could be in shorter supply in about eight years. That’s because the nation is going through an evergreen seedling shortage now. Listen You might be in the market for a Christmas tree right about now, but have you thought about what type of Christmas tree you want in eight years? Believe it… Read More
