News items for August 30, 2024
Gas Meters by ivva イワヲ used under CC BY-SA 2.0
-
1. Salmon swim freely in the Klamath for first time in a century
Workers breached the final dams on a key section of the Klamath River on Wednesday, clearing the way for salmon to swim freely through a major watershed near the California-Oregon border for the first time in more than a century as the largest dam removal project in U.S. history nears completion.
Oregon Public Broadcasting
-
2. Biden protects 28M acres of Alaska public lands
The Biden administration it was protecting 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska, reversing a Trump administration effort to open them up to development. The move protects the lands from activities including mining and oil and gas extraction.
The Hill
-
3. Why interest rate cuts won’t fix a global housing affordability crisis
From Anchorage to Amsterdam, many developed and even emerging economies are confronting a similar problem: Housing supply is failing to meet demand, helping to push home prices to levels that are out of reach even for middle-income families.
New York Times
-
4. Pipeline opposition in BC intensifies as construction begins
A blockade set up by Nisg̱a’a tribal protectors signals growing resistance to the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline. Indigenous leaders from across the northwest have stated their support for legal and direct action against the project.
The Narwhal
-
5. Feds giving West Coast states get $100 million to create zero-emission truck fueling network
Oregon, California and Washington are getting a major boost from the federal government to advance the shipment of goods by zero-emission trucks on Interstate 5. The U.S. Department of Transportation is funding the states to create a network of charging and fueling stations to power battery and hydrogen-fuel cell semitrucks.
Oregon Public Broadcasting
-
6. Trying to escape sea-level rise, NW tribes are drowning in paperwork
A new study shows how federal grant funding has actually become an obstacle to climate adaptation.
High Country News
-
7. EPA takes action against deceptive recycling claims in plastics industry
The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first ever federal action against a system that misleads consumers about the recycled content in plastic products.
ProPublica
-
8. WA to study pumped storage benefits
Washington state wants to learn more about an old type of battery called pumped storage hydropower. With more carbon-free energy coming online in the next few decades, more batteries will be built to store power from renewable technologies. Across the U.S., 90% of battery storage comes from pumped storage hydropower, enough to conservatively power 15 million homes.
Northwest Public Broadcasting
-
9. Thawing Alaskan permafrost is unleashing more mercury
Alaska’s permafrost is melting and revealing high levels of mercury that could threaten Alaska Native peoples.
Grist
-
10. Robots are starting (good) fires in CA
BurnBot is part of a nascent but fast-growing “fire tech” sector that’s focused on preventing, detecting and suppressing wildfires.
Seattle Times
More News from August 30, 2024
-
When birds build nests, they’re also building a culture
Scientists already knew that groups of animals, including birds, can form their own cultures, in the sense that information gets transmitted through social learning rather than just genetics. Birdsongs, for example, can have regional “accents,” and birds also look to their elders to learn about foraging and migration. Studies suggest that the same can be true for nest-building.
Oregon Public Broadcasting
