The wildfires raging across the West Coast have made the air quality so bad in several U.S. cities that they rank among the worst in the world. In fact, the air quality in Portland, Oregon was so bad on Sunday that it went off the charts when it passed 500 on an air quality index. […]
Washington State has seen a slowdown in the infection rate of the novel coronavirus, for now, suggesting that early containment strategies have been effective, according to the Seattle NBC News affiliate. While Seattle was the early epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., the number of deaths and positive cases there has started to slow […]
Removing one gigantic dam can have a massive effect on restoring a river ecosystem. But bringing down more than 80 smaller dams? That can also cause a transformation. This spring the Forest Service, aided by U.S. Marine Corps members, will blast apart 13 more dams in the Trabuco ranger district in Southern California’s Cleveland National […]
Bottled water manufacturers looking to capture cool, mountain water from Washington’s Cascade Mountains may have to look elsewhere after the state senate passed a bill banning new water permits, as The Guardian reported. The state, with its glacier-fed springs and rainforests, will become the first state in the country to put a total ban on […]
The Washington Department of Ecology responded to an oil spill that took place Friday night when a Crowley Maritime Barge was transferring five million gallons of oil to the Shell Puget Sound Refinery, CNN reported. Around 20 gallons spilled, of which five entered the water, and that oil was contained within an area that was […]
Washington, DC made history Tuesday when its council voted unanimously to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2032, the Huffington Post reported. The commitment is part of the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018, which also includes measures to reduce emissions from buildings and transportation and gives the nation’s capital the most comprehensive […]
With only 74 left in the wild, the Southern Resident orca population in Puget Sound needs help now more than ever. That’s why on Thursday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s office announced “an unprecedented investment” to help boost the population as well as the Chinook salmon they eat. “We are undertaking a herculean effort to save […]
By Shawn Olson-Hazboun and Hilary Boudet A year after Washington state denied key permits for a coal-export terminal in the port city of Longview, the Army Corps of Engineers announced it would proceed with its review—essentially ignoring the state’s decision. This dispute pits federal authorities against local and state governments. It’s also part of a […]
Tuesday, a report written by the company proposing the world’s largest fracked-gas-to-methanol refinery was released by the Port of Kalama and Cowlitz County, Washington. The proposed fossil fuel refinery is controversial because of the impacts on both local residents’ health and our climate. Despite the company’s claim that the refinery could result in a climate […]