environment Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

EPA Proposes Relaxing Obama-Era Rules On Waste From Coal Plants

By NPR News November 4, 2019

PacifiCorp's Carbon Plant in Utah is one of several coal-fired power plants in the company's fleet chosen for early retirement. CREDIT: Cassandra Profita/OPB

The Environmental Protection Agency would give coal plants more time to close unlined coal ash ponds, and ease rules on wastewater. Opponents say that prolongs the risk of toxic spills. Continue Reading EPA Proposes Relaxing Obama-Era Rules On Read More

Major Coal Producer And Trump Campaign Donor Files For Bankruptcy Of Murray Energy

By NPR News October 29, 2019

Bob Murray — seen at the headquarters of Murray Energy in St. Clairsville, Ohio — pushed the Trump administration to roll back numerous coal regulations. But he says the industry needs even more help from the government. Jeff Brady/NPR

Bob Murray, the owner of Murray Energy, pushed the Trump administration to roll back numerous coal regulations. But he says the industry needs even more help from the government. Continue Reading Major Coal Producer And Trump Read More

Diversifying Crops Is Good For The Planet. But Can It Be Good For Farmers’ Wallets?

By NPR News October 23, 2019

A mix of barley, peas and flax grows in a field at Casey Bailey's farm near Fort Benton, Mont. Bailey sells this crop to Montana dairy farmer Nate Brown, who has been feeding it to his goats.

Fertilizer runoff is fueling the toxic algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico. Farmers could help by growing crops in rotation to reduce the need for fertilizer. But it's unclear who will buy them. Continue Reading Diversifying Crops Read More

Trees That Survived California Drought May Hold Clue To Climate Resilience

By NPR News October 18, 2019

Forest biologist Patricia Maloney is raising 10,000 sugar pine seedlings descended from trees that survived California's historic drought.

When it comes to surviving the warming climate, scientists are finding that some plants and animals have an edge. The hope is that these "super adapters" can help preserve their species. Continue Reading Trees That Survived California Read More

Washington, Oregon, Yakama Nation Call For Superfund Listing At Bonneville Dam

By Cassandra Profita October 18, 2019

Bradford Island sits alongside Bonneville Dam in the middle of the Columbia River.

The Yakama Nation and the states of Oregon and Washington are asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to declare a new Superfund site on the Columbia River at Bradford Island alongside Bonneville Dam. Continue Reading Read More

Don’t Want Plastic With Your Seafood? Neither Do Otters And Orcas In Northwest Waters

By Tom Banse October 2, 2019

OSU masters student Katherine Lasdin separates the innards of a donated rockfish at the Port of Newport, Oregon, for later analysis to see if it ingested microplastics. CREDIT: TOM BANSE/N3

Plastics in the ocean food chain has become a hot topic for local scientists, for similar reasons city and state policy makers and activists are debating plastic bag bans and how to reduce plastic straw and bottled water usage. All are concerned that the world's oceans are awash in plastic trash and fibers. 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

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

Trump Administration Finalizes Plan To Repeal Obama-era Water Protections

By Monica Samayoa September 12, 2019

Sheri Tonn, with Citizens for a Healthy Bay, looks at the old Occidental Chemical Corporation site from a boat on the Hylebos Waterway. For decades the facility produced drycleaning solvents and other chemicals that have slowly leached underground. CREDIT: COURTNEY FLATT/NWPB

The move comes as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the repeal Thursday of the Waters of the United States rule — the first step in a two-step rule making process. Continue Reading Trump Read More

Could Relocating Sage Grouse Save The Birds In Washington?

By Courtney Flatt September 3, 2019

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

Moving imperiled sage grouse from one spot to another can be hard on the birds. But research from Washington State University suggests that after a restless adjustment period, the birds eventually get used to their new homes. Continue Reading Could Read More

U.S. Forest Service Proposes Plan To Reduce Environmental Scrutiny For Public Lands Projects

By Jes Burns August 22, 2019

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

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to reduce the public’s role in shaping the way it applies federal environmental laws to projects on public lands. The agency says the changes would help land managers “make timelier decisions based on high quality, science-based analysis.” Read More

Plastic’s New Threat: Indestructible Rafts For Ocean-Crossing Invasive Species

By NWPB News August 2, 2019

Marine organisms like these gooseneck barnacles are crossing the Pacific Ocean to North America by hitching rides on floating debris composed of man-made materials — mostly plastic. Courtesy of Russ Lewis

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Fukushima, Japan, also triggered tsunami warnings for our coastlines here in the Pacific Northwest. And while the resulting waves did not turn out to be catastrophic when they reached our local shores, those same forces delivered a wake-up call. Read More

Plastics Or People? At Least 1 Of Them Has To Change To Clean Up Our Mess

By NPR News July 31, 2019

Plastic bags wash up as part of the litter on beaches around the world. CREDIT: REUTERS/RICARDO ROJAS

As consumers rebel against plastic waste, there's a growing question: Do we invent something people can toss without harming the environment or do we change people by giving them a chance to reuse? Continue Reading Plastics Or People? Read More

Lab Results Show Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa Lake Free Of Herbicide Barrel Contaminants

By Erin Ross June 28, 2019

Wallowa Lake in eastern Oregon, supplies drinking water to the city of Joseph. CREDIT: AARON SCOTT/OPB

After almost 10 months of waiting, residents of Joseph, Oregon, can feel more confident drinking their water and swimming in nearby Wallowa Lake, according to lab test results released Thursday. Continue Reading Lab Results Read More

Demonstrators Urge Republican Senators To Maintain Walkout For Rural Oregon Interests

By Dirk VanderHart June 27, 2019

A flatbed truck rides by as a crowd rallies at the Capitol in Salem to protest House Bill 2020. CREDIT: David Stuckey/OPB

The so-called “Stay Strong Stay Gone” rally marked the latest backlash over bills seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon. Loggers, truckers, farmers and their supporters had all come, they said, to urge 11 Senate Republicans who’ve been absent from the statehouse since last week to remain in hiding. Read More

Oregon Senate President Says Cap-And-Trade Bill Is Dead Amid GOP Walkout

By Dirk VanderHart June 25, 2019

The Oregon State Capitol in Salem on March 18, 2017.

Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, says Oregon’s sweeping plan for addressing climate change this legislative session does not have the votes to pass. But it’s not clear whether that will be enough to bring Senate Republicans back to work. 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

EPA Begins Removing Herbicide Barrels From Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa Lake

By Erin Ross June 18, 2019

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun removing potentially contaminated barrels from Wallowa Lake. Despite initial fears, the barrels seem to have been full of lake water, though the EPA is waiting for test results to confirm that the water and barrels are indeed clean. Read More

Canada Wants To Ban Single-Use Plastics. Would It Make A Difference?

By PBS Newshour June 13, 2019

A Canadian ban on single-use plastics products could go into effect as early as 2021. CREDIT: COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS

From Vancouver to Halifax, plastic plates, plastic bags and plastic straws may be on their way out. But a possible country-wide prohibition on certain single-use plastic products may not address the spread of the most insidious plastic litter, some scientists say. Read More

Spotted: A Swarm Of Ladybugs So Huge, It Showed Up On National Weather Service Radar

By NPR News June 6, 2019

A huge blob that appeared on the National Weather Service's radar wasn't a rain cloud, but a massive swarm of ladybugs over San Bernardino County in Southern California. AP

Meteorologists in Southern California were puzzled by the big green blob on their radar — it looked like a rainstorm on what was a clear day. Then they discovered it was beetles. Continue Reading Spotted: A Swarm Of Ladybugs Read More

Finding New Opportunity For Old Coal-Fired Power Plant Sites

By NPR News May 23, 2019

The coal plant in Shamokin Dam, Pa., is a local landmark that delivered electricity to this region for more than six decades. It closed in 2014, and the state hopes to lure new businesses to the site. CREDIT: JEFF BRADY/NPR

Coal-fired power plants keep closing, and communities around the country must decide what to do with those sites. Pennsylvania has a plan, aiming to create new jobs where old ones have been lost. It's a trend seen in other states, including Washington. Read More

Washington Becomes First State To Allow Human Composting

By Paige Browning May 22, 2019

Katrina Spade (orange hat) of the Urban Death Project works with student volunteers to prepare a mulch pile at the Western Carolina University Forensic Osteology Research Center. CREDIT: ASHLEY AHEARN/KUOW

Recomposition will be allowed at Washington's crematories starting in May 2020 under a new law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee this week. The final remains can be buried in "scattering gardens" in cemeteries or other locations by permit. Continue Reading Read More

Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS

By NPR News April 25, 2019

Parts of the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, N.C., are contaminated with a PFAS compound called GenX. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is surveying residents in the area about their health.

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 Read More

Fuel Producers, Consumers Take Sides On Washington’s Debate Over Lower-Carbon Transportation

By Courtney Flatt March 27, 2019

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

Washington lawmakers are developing a low carbon fuels standard. If signed into law, new rules would limit the amount of carbon coming out of car and truck tailpipes. Backers say it’s necessary to combat climate change. Critics say it will increase the price at the pump. Read More

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

By John Ryan March 14, 2019

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

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