Environment
Environment
Nature’s ‘Brita Filter’ Is Dying And Nobody Knows Why
A mysterious die-off of freshwater mussels has scientists scrambling to find a cause. Freshwater mussels clean water and provide habitat to countless other species.
PG&E Announces $13.5 Billion Settlement Of Claims Linked To California Wildfires
The utility hopes the settlement will help it emerge from bankruptcy proceedings by the end of the year. When it declared bankruptcy in January, the company faced potential liabilities of $30 billion.
Northwest Dam Managers To Increase Columbia River Flows To Help Chum Salmon
For the increased flows to occur, water will be released more than 850 river-miles northeast of Bonneville Dam. The water is then captured and released as needed to keep the salmon redds, or nests, underwater.
Shockingly Chewable: Farmers Are Using Food Waste To Make Electricity
Dairy farmers in Massachusetts are using food waste to create renewable energy. Each farm produces enough to power about 1,500 homes. This helps prevent the release of methane, a greenhouse gas.
Choosing Not To Fly Home For The Holidays, For The Climate’s Sake
Carbon emissions from global air travel are rising fast, and U.S. passengers make up the largest share. But some are vowing not to fly at all, motivated by guilt and concern for the environment.
Wildlife Managers Look To Save Salmon Habitat In Washington’s Chehalis Basin
Biologists say, if things continue, salmon may be extinct from the basin by next century. That’s why they’re coming up with a plan to help restore the area’s 3,400 miles of streams and rivers – which are also home to the largest diversity of amphibians in the state.
Another Settlement Reached Over Columbia And Snake River Dams Leaking Oil
The environmental group Columbia Riverkeeper has sued dam operators along the Columbia and Snake rivers. They hope to reduce oil spills, require operators to monitor how much oil is leaking into the water and ask dam managers to look into using eco-friendly oil.
Lower Columbia River Methanol Refinery Halted By Washington Regulators For Environmental Review
A $2 billion methanol project proposed for the Lower Columbia River town of Kalama, Washington, hit a new roadblock Friday, when the Washington Department of Ecology said the environmental review did not adequately assess its greenhouse gas emissions and contributions to climate change.
Report Finds Native Americans More At Risk Of Lacking Access To Clean Water
A new report from DigDeep and the U.S. Water Alliance found race is the strongest predictor of water and sanitation access. This has implications for public health.
Developers Of This New ‘Battery’ Are Trying To Spark A Carbon Capture Revolution
Carbon capture technology is slowly being integrated into energy and industrial facilities across the globe. Typically set up to collect carbon from an exhaust stream, this technology sops up greenhouse gases before they spread into Earth’s airways.
Opponents Of Proposed Eastern Oregon-To-Idaho Transmission Line File Federal Lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by Stop B2H Coalition and Greater Hells Canyon Council, claims the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service failed to adequately evaluate the environmental impacts of Idaho Power’s proposed transmission line.
Scientists Discover Microplastics In Northwest Oysters And Clams
Several studies have shown that microplastics, which are tiny pieces of plastic that make up other larger plastic items, can make their way into fish, crustaceans, clams, oysters and ultimately into us, the people that eat them.
