environment Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

Cleaner Fuels Could Soon Power Washington Cars If New Fuel Standard Passes Legislature

By John Ryan March 14, 2019

Tailpipe exhaust is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state and nationwide. CREDIT: Rick Bowmer/AP

After hours of contentious floor debate, the Washington House of Representatives passed a low-carbon fuel standard this week. The result, if the state Senate also passes it: Cleaner fuels could start flowing from gas pumps in Washington state over the coming decade. Read More

Wolf-Delisting Plan Would Remove Federal Protections In Washington And Oregon

By Courtney Flatt March 6, 2019

This Feb. 2017, file photo provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shows a gray wolf of the Wenaha Pack captured on a remote camera on U.S. Forest Service land in Oregon's northern Wallowa County. CREDIT: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE/AP

President Donald Trump’s acting interior secretary announced plans Wednesday to lift protections for gray wolves in the Lower 48. The move will likely spur controversy in the Northwest. Continue Reading Wolf-Delisting Plan Would Read More

Jay Inslee Says He’s The 2020 Climate Candidate. What Does His Record Say?

By John Ryan March 4, 2019

Governor Jay Inslee points to the crowd after announcing his candidacy for President on Friday, March 1, 2019, at A&R Solar on Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Seattle. CREDIT: MEGAN FARMER/KUOW

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Friday what political observers in his state have been expecting for months: He’s running for president, and focusing his campaign on climate change. But how strong is his record tackling, in his words, “the most urgent challenge of our time”? Read More

Washington May Soon Join Its West Coast Neighbors In Mandating Lower Carbon Fuels

By Courtney Flatt February 26, 2019

File photo of tailpipe vehicle emissions. CREDIT: Flickr/eutopication and hypoxia

Washington could soon join the ranks of its West Coast neighbors, requiring fuels at the pump that produce less carbon pollution. A low-carbon fuels bill passed its first big test Monday, moving out of the House Appropriations Committee. Read More

Lawmakers Consider Statewide Plastic Bag Bans In Washington And Oregon

By Cassandra Profita February 19, 2019

File photo. Washington and Oregon lawmakers are considering statewide bans on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores. CREDIT: JULIA REIHS/KUT

Lawmakers in both Washington and Oregon are considering bills that would ban single-use plastic bags statewide to reduce plastic pollution. Continue Reading Lawmakers Consider Statewide Plastic Bag Bans In Washington And OregonRead More

EPA Says It Plans To Limit Toxic PFAS Chemicals, But Not Soon Enough For Critics

By NPR News February 14, 2019

The Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster, Pa., is one of many places across the U.S. where the foams once used in firefighting training contained harmful chemicals known as PFAS.

The chemicals, which are linked to health problems, have contaminated drinking water and soil in many parts of the United States. Critics say the EPA is not acting fast enough to limit them. Continue Reading EPA Says It Plans Read More

Want Proof Climate Change Is Here? Look At Oregon In 2018, Report Says

By David Steves February 5, 2019

Ben Thorpe (left) and Shavon Haynes measure the snowpack on Mount Ashland. CREDIT: JES BURNS/OPB

Climate change is playing out in significant ways in Oregon, with evidence in the form of more severe wildfires, lower summer stream flows and diminishing winter snowpacks, according to the state’s fourth annual climate assessment report. Read More

Oregon Bottle Deposit System Hits 90 Percent Redemption Rate

By Cassandra Profita January 22, 2019

A row of sparkling clean reverse vending machines greet customers at the grand opening of the Medford BottleDrop center. CREDIT: JES BURNS/EARTHFIX

Oregon’s bottle deposit system is recycling more containers than ever before despite major disruptions in global recycling markets. Continue Reading Oregon Bottle Deposit System Hits 90 Percent Redemption RateRead More

Would You Want To Be Composted After You Die? Washington Lawmakers Consider Making It Legal

By Tom Banse January 16, 2019

Artist's rendering of a future flagship Recompose facility in Seattle. CREDIT: MOLT STUDIOS VIA RECOMPOSE

A bipartisan effort to make Washington the first state to legalize human composting faced its first test in front of lawmakers on Tuesday — and the idea seemed to go over relatively well. Continue Reading Would You Read More

New Map Shows Hotspots Of Environmental Health Hazards For Washington Neighborhoods

By Esmy Jimenez January 10, 2019

The Environmental Health Disparaties map shows concentrations of pollution combined with demographics to color code risk areas. CREDIT: WASHINGTON DEPT. OF HEALTH

The Environmental Health Disparities Map ranks neighborhoods from 1 to 10. Ten is coded in red, meaning a higher environmental risk while 1, being the lowest, is coded in blue. On that map, Yakima County is a big, red blemish. Read More

Climate and Environment Radio Programs Begin in January

By Gillian Coldsnow January 9, 2019

Concern over climate change rose in late November with the release of a United Nations report on limiting global warming. “An ear-splitting wake-up call to the world,” the UN said of the report: “It confirms that climate change is running faster than we are — and we are running out of time.” What do climate scientists have… Read More

Umatilla’s Owl Man Is Bringing Burrowing Owls Back From The Brink

By NWPB News January 2, 2019

Burrowing owl populations are declining each year at a rate of 2 to 3 percent.CREDIT: NICK FISHER/OPB

A decommissioned chemical weapons depot and a lone biologist might be the last hope for a population of burrowing owls. Continue Reading Umatilla’s Owl Man Is Bringing Burrowing Owls Back From The BrinkRead More

Arctic Report Card Documents ‘Cascading Effects’ Of Warming Ocean Temperatures

By NPR News December 12, 2018

Sea ice is seen from NASA's Operation IceBridge research aircraft off the northwest coast of Greenland in March 2017. A new report says rapid warming over the past three decades has led to a 95 percent decline of the Arctic's oldest and thickest ice. CREDIT: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Arctic has experienced the "most unprecedented transition in history" in terms of warming temperatures and melting ice, and those changes may be the cause of extreme weather around the globe, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 2018 Arctic Report Card. Read More

Grazing Restrictions Could Be Lifted On Some Of Oregon’s Sage Grouse Habitat

By Courtney Flatt December 7, 2018

A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo. CREDIT: BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT/FLICKR

The Trump administration wants to reduce restrictions for greater sage grouse across seven states. For the imperiled birds in Oregon, that means fewer grazing restrictions in some specific habitat. The decision has rankled conservation and hunting groups and been supported by ranchers. Read More

Scent Research Could Help More Salmon Find Their Way Home

By Jes Burns December 6, 2018

OSU's Maryam Kamran is conducting research on salmon olfactory homing in an effort to prevent hatchery fish on the Elk River from straying. CREDIT: JES BURNS/OPB

Apparently, salmon don’t like the smell of watercress. The aroma of shrimp doesn’t pique their interest either. And the fragrance, eu de steelhead? A definite no-go. Continue Reading Scent Research Could Help More Salmon Find Their Way HomeRead More

Gone Fisher-ing: An Elusive Predator Soon Returns To The North Cascades

By Courtney Flatt December 2, 2018

Fishers were once plentiful across the western United States until fur trappers wiped out their population. CREDIT: GREG DAVIS/OPB

Washington’s North Cascades will soon see the return of a small, weasel-like predator called the fisher. The carnivores have been missing from the area since the 1930s. Biologists hope the reintroduction next week will follow in the footsteps of other successful efforts in Washington. Read More

Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get Worse

By Cassandra Profita November 28, 2018

The Eagle Creek Fire as seen from the Cascade Locks Hatchery. To keep hatchery fall chinook from dying because of the fire, Oregon officials released them early. CREDIT: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

The Northwest is already seeing the effects of climate change, according to a new national climate assessment. Continue Reading Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get WorseRead More

Federal Scientific Report Says Climate Change Is Already Hurting U.S. Communities

By NPR News November 24, 2018

Residences leveled by the Camp Fire line a cul-de-sac in Paradise, Calif., earlier this month. A massive federal report says climate change is contributing to larger wildfires as well as other deadly extreme weather. CREDIT: Noah Berger/AP

Climate change is already causing more frequent and severe weather across the U.S., and the country is poised to suffer massive damage to infrastructure, ecosystems, health and the economy if global warming is allowed to continue, according to the most comprehensive federal climate report to date. Read More

Good News For ‘Green’ Brews: Consumers Say They’ll Pay More For Sustainable Beer

By NPR News October 15, 2018

Allagash employees Salim Raal, left, and Brendan McKay stack bottles of Golden Brett, a limited release beer fermented with a house strain of Brettanomyces yeast. The Maine brewery recently installed solar panels as part of its sustainability initiatives. CREDIT: DEREK DAVIS

Breweries are quite creative these days when it comes to saving energy. Double Mountain Brewery in Oregon uses refillable beer bottles, Five & 20 Spirits and Brewing turns its waste grain and water into compost for aquaculture, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company recovers carbon dioxide from the fermentation cycle. Read More

Why Many Northwest Animals And Plants Need Wildfire

By Aaron Scott October 8, 2018

Not all wildfire is a force of destruction. Many of our favorite Northwest plants and animals have evolved to depend on it. Continue Reading Why Many Northwest Animals And Plants Need WildfireRead More

Old Growth Could Be Key For Native Songbird Species To Beat Climate-Change Heat

By Jes Burns October 1, 2018

OSU PhD student Hankyu Kim set a decoy designed to trigger the territorial instinct of hermit warblers. The small songbirds will be caught, tagged and released so their movements can be tracked. CREDIT: GREG DAVIS

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

Washington Ecology Dept. Has Burning Desire To Clean Up Long-Smoldering Pasco Landfill

By Courtney Flatt September 27, 2018

This photo from the 1970s shows various solvents and industrial chemicals that Washington state Ecology officials are trying to clean up in a Pasco Superfund site. CREDIT: WA DOE

After nearly 20 years, a troubled landfill-turned Superfund site outside Pasco may soon have a final cleanup plan. Washington State Department of Ecology managers presented options Wednesday at a public meeting in the Tri-Cities. Read More

Oregon Now Has A Hypoxia Season, Just Like A Wildfire Season

By Kristian Foden-Vencil September 18, 2018

OSU oceanographer Jack Barth prepares a glider that will spend weeks flying through the ocean, collecting data on ocean acidification and oxygen levels. CREDIT: KRISTIAN FODEN-VENCIL

Scientists say warming ocean temperatures mean Oregon’s coastal waters now have a low-oxygen season, or hypoxia season, just as the state’s forests have a fire season. Continue Reading Oregon Now Has A Hypoxia Season, Just Like A Wildfire Read More

Report: Salem Knew For Years That Algae Could Threaten Water

By Dirk VanderHart September 17, 2018

File photo. Low levels of cyanotoxins were found in the Salem, Oregon, drinking water supply due to an algae bloom in Detroit Lake. CREDIT - SHEILA SUND/TINYURL.COM/YBQ8VPHD

When toxins from algae made Salem’s drinking water potentially hazardous earlier this year, the city was unprepared to deal with both the public relations fallout from the breach and the more concrete matter of helping citizens access clean water. Read More

U.S. Appeals Court Rules On Long-Running Columbia River Pollution Case From Canadian Smelter

By Doug Nadvornick September 14, 2018

In this 2002 photo, a dog drinks from the Columbia River in the shadow of Teck Cominco smelter, six miles north of the Canadian border at Trail, British Columbia. CREDIT: CHERYL HATCH/AP

A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling in a case that revolves around metals pollution from a Trail, British Columbia smelter dumping in the Columbia River and flowing south to Washington state. Continue Read More

Washington’s Biggest Toxic Waste Polluter: A Mine (With Hanford Not Far Behind)

By Esmy Jimenez September 8, 2018

The Pend Oreille Mine operated by Teck is located in northeastern Washington near Metaline Falls. CREDIT: GOOGLE EARTH

Since the late 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been keeping track of big polluters through their Toxic Waste Inventory or TRI. The EPA has released their latest data for 2017. We crunched some numbers for Washington, and here are the results. Read More

Do You Know The ‘Puffin Man’? Rediscovering Oregon’s Iconic Haystack Rock

By NPR News September 7, 2018

A rocky outcropping on Oregon's coast is home to dozens of rare tufted puffins and, this summer, volunteer Art Broszeit — a de facto expert on the exotic cold climate birds. Continue Reading Do You Know The ‘Puffin Man’? Read More

A Dispute Is Brewing Over Mercury Air Pollution In Columbia River Gorge

By Courtney Flatt August 24, 2018

A view of the Columbia River Gorge. CREDIT: GORD MCKENNA/FLICKR-CREATIVE COMMONS

Two hazardous waste companies operating along the Columbia River are arguing over mercury pollution getting into the air. One company, TD*X, is accusing the other, Chemical Waste Management, of releasing mercury into the air. The report goes on to say regulators aren’t requiring strong pollution controls. Read More

How To Clean Sand: Volunteers Take On Microplastics At Oregon’s Iconic Haystack Rock

By NWPB News August 20, 2018

Valerie Schockelt (left) and Marc Ward use a microplastics filtration device to filter sand on Cannon Beach with iconic Haystack Rock in the background. CREDIT: JOSEPH WINTERS, OPB/EARTHFIX

With the guidance of Seaside-based conservation group Sea Turtles Forever, about 50 volunteers gathered to clean the sand near Haystack Rock using unique screen filtration systems. Continue Reading How To Clean Sand: Read More

Gulf Of Alaska Cod Are Disappearing. Blame ‘The Blob’

By NPR News August 20, 2018

Fisherman Darius Kasprzak searches for cod in the Gulf of Alaska. The cod population there is at its lowest level on record. CREDIT: ANNIE FEIDT

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

Four Years After Carlton Complex Devastated Okanogan County, What Have We Learned?

By Ashley Ahearn August 17, 2018

In this July 24, 2014, the remains of structures that were destroyed by wildfires near Pateros, Wash. The Carlton Complex fire was the largest in Washington State history. CREDIT: AP IMAGES/TED S. WARREN

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

How Conservationists Are Using AI And Big Data To Aid Wildlife

By NWPB News August 15, 2018

A whale shark. Big data and AI allows scientists to rapidly comb through thousands of photos and identify individuals using the skin patterning behind the gills and any scars they might have. CREDIT: SIMON J. PIERCE/COURTESY WILD ME

A Portland-based organization has developed a digital tool called Wildbook that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to expedite wildlife identification. Continue Reading How Conservationists Are Using AI And Big Data To Aid Read More

Forest Service Chief Talks Need For New Fire Management, Fuel Treatments

By Tony Schick July 31, 2018

A line of wildland firefighters marches through the woods during the Yellowstone fires of 1988. The massive complex of fires, which burned more than 790,000 acres, was a transformative moment in the country's view of wildfire. CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The West is in the midst of another intense fire season. Fires in California and Oregon have claimed lives and homes and burned up farmland. As part of EarthFix’s ongoing series on wildfire, reporter Tony Schick spoke with interim Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen about what her agency is doing to reform fire management and reverse the fire problem. Read More

In The Mountain West, Spring Is Springing Sooner, Throwing Nature’s Rhythm Out Of Whack

By NPR News July 24, 2018

A yellow-bellied marmot keeps an eye out while it gets a bite to eat. Related to groundhogs, yellow-bellied marmots are getting fatter and bigger because of the longer growing season brought on by climate change. CREDIT: Nathan Rott - NPR

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

Trump Administration Proposes Changes To Limit Endangered Species Act

By Courtney Flatt July 19, 2018

The Trump administration is proposing key changes to the Endangered Species Act. It’s a move conservation groups say could greatly weaken the way animals and plants are protected. Continue Reading Trump Administration Proposes Changes To Read More

Lawmakers Set Sights On Changes To Endangered Species Act

By Jes Burns July 13, 2018

An endangered Western lily in full bloom. CREDIT: JES BURNS

Federal lawmakers are making a move to change the Endangered Species Act. On Thursday, members of the U.S. House announced legislation they say will “modernize” one of the country’s seminal environmental laws, originally passed in 1973. Continue Read More

What’s Up With The Algae Blooms In Northwest Lakes?

By Eilís O'Neil July 12, 2018

Jackson Ludwig loves to swim in Washington lakes. CREDIT: EILIS O'NEILL

Our region’s booming growth is also part of the problem. More overuse of fertilizers, pet waste, leaky septic tanks, people feeding ducks and geese — all give cyanobacteria the nutrients it needs to grow. Continue Reading What’s Up With The Algae Blooms Read More

Nearly 100 Oregon Municipal Water Systems Will Test For Algae Toxins

By Dirk VanderHart June 29, 2018

Nearly 100 water systems in Oregon will begin collecting samples for harmful contaminants from algae blooms. Shown is Bull Run Reservoir 1, part of Portland's water system. CREDIT: FINETOOTH

Nearly 100 public water systems around Oregon—including the state’s largest—will be required to begin testing for harmful contaminants from algae blooms under new rules unveiled by the Oregon Health Authority. Continue Reading Nearly 100 Read More

A Baby Boom Is Helping West Coast Starfish Recover After Die-Off

By Cassandra Profita June 27, 2018

Malformed juvenile starfish in Puget Sound. CREDIT: KATIE CAMPBELL

Scientists say a starfish populations are recovering from a devastating die-off with help from a massive baby boom. Continue Reading A Baby Boom Is Helping West Coast Starfish Recover After Die-OffRead More

Bumblebee Blues: An Important Northwest Pollinator In Trouble

By NWPB News June 19, 2018

Hundreds of citizen scientists have begun buzzing through locations across the Pacific Northwest seeking a better understanding about nearly 30 bumblebee species. Continue Reading Bumblebee Blues: An Important Northwest Pollinator In TroubleRead More

This Is Why A Lot Of Our Recycling Is Going To Landfills

By Cassandra Profita June 13, 2018

Rogue Waste System’s Scott Fowler (left) and Laura Leebrick (center) have nowhere to send about 2,000 tons of baled and stacked of co-mingled recycling. CREDIT: JES BURNS

Over the past year, more than 10,000 tons of Oregon’s recycling has been dumped in landfills because there was nowhere else for it to go. It’s one of the consequences of new restrictions on shipping recyclables to China. Continue Reading This Is Why A Read More

Gas-Guzzling Cities, State Blow Past Deadline For Electric Vehicles In Washington

By John Ryan June 3, 2018

A parking spot is designated for electric vehicles at the charging station outside of the Ballard Market on Monday, December 11, 2017, in Seattle. CREDIT MEGAN FARMER - KUOW

Washington state’s electric vehicle law is being widely ignored, according to a new report. June 1 was the deadline set by a decade-old law that requires vehicles in government fleets to run on electricity or biofuel. But just two percent of the state's motor pool is electric now, and many cities and counties have no electric vehicles at all. Read More

You Thought The Eagle Creek Fire Was Out? Think Again.

By Cassandra Profita May 29, 2018

A hot spot in the Eagle Creek Fire was spotted at 2 a.m. Tuesday near the Herman Creek Trailhead. CREDIT: U.S. FOREST SERVICE

A small hot spot flared up early Tuesday morning about a half-mile east of the Herman Creek Trailhead. It’s less than a quarter of an acre with little chance that it will spread. Firefighters are using nearby creek water to extinguish it. Continue Reading Read More

New Hope To Stop Relentless Erosion Of Washington’s ‘Washaway Beach’

By Tom Banse May 23, 2018

This animation shows the extreme rate of coastal erosion at North Cove, Washington. The red line indicates the shoreline in 1990. CREDIT: GOOGLE EARTH

Aptly nicknamed Washaway Beach in Pacific County, Washington, has long suffered from the most extreme coastal erosion along the whole U.S. West Coast. Now a relatively low cost defense is raising hopes among property owners and nearby cranberry growers. Read More

Senators Look To Expand Thinning Work In National Forests

By Tony Schick May 15, 2018

Forest thinning, such as this work done in the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon, may be of value for some purposes but will also increase carbon emissions to atmosphere, researchers say. CREDIT: OREGON STATE UNVERSITY

A group of senators from western states want to expand a national effort to boost timber production and restore natural conditions on overstocked forests using thinning and other restoration work. Continue Reading Senators Look To Expand Thinning Work Read More

Tracking Whales In Puget Sound Is As Easy As Following Genetic ‘Bread Crumbs’ Left Behind

By Jes Burns April 22, 2018

Members of Puget Sound's south resident orca population. CREDIT: NOAA

Researchers at Oregon State University have worked out a way to detect and identify whales long after they move on — just by sampling the water. Continue Reading Tracking Whales In Puget Sound Is As Easy As Following Read More

Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke Downplays Possibility Of Drilling Off Washington, Oregon Coasts

By Tom Banse April 11, 2018

File photo of an oil platform off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke expressed doubt drilling would ever happen along the Pacific Northwest coast. CREDIT: BERARDO62 / TINYURL.COM/Y8KHPH57

In congressional testimony Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said he has heard the strong opposition from the West Coast to the Trump administration's plan for offshore oil and gas drilling. He expressed doubt drilling would ever happen along the Pacific Northwest coast. Read More

Coastal Counties Put Heads Together To Avoid Future Tsunami Alert Glitches

By Tom Banse April 6, 2018

Emergency managers from Washington coastal counties and tribes practiced tsunami alert communication and coordination with state and federal partners Thursday. They're trying to smooth out glitches revealed after an undersea earthquake in Alaska in January. Read More

Fight Over Salmon-Killing Roads In Washington Now A Supreme Court Case About Native Rights

By Eilís O'Neil March 31, 2018

Salmon on their way up from northwest Washington's Skagit River have to leap two feet onto the jagged edge of this pipe to make it to habitat upstream. CREDIT: EILIS O'NEILL/EARTHFIX

Seventeen years ago, 21 tribes sued Washington state to fix road culverts. On April 18, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to take on the case. The question is whether state taxpayers should have to dish out billions to dig up roads so salmon can get through. The court’s decision will have repercussions for tribes all over the West. Read More

Study: Olympic National Park Among Best Places To Bring Back Gray Wolves

By Courtney Flatt March 19, 2018

One of the most ideal places in the world to bring back gray wolves is right here in the Northwest, according to a new study. Researchers have found bringing the large carnivores back to the Olympic National Park could greatly help the ecosystem — and the predators. Read More