Posts Tagged ‘Pacific Northwest’
NCW’s Energy Future – What Is The ‘Thin Green Line’? Part 2
Continuing our series looking at the Thin Green Line and the role the Pacific Northwest is and will play in America’s energy future. In Part 1, we looked at shifts away from coal towards cheaper, more abundant oil and natural gas. And so due to the shrinking domestic market, coal companies want to send their…
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NCW’s Energy Future – What Is The ‘Thin Green Line’? Part 1
America’s energy landscape is undergoing seismic shifts – sometimes literally. Although North Central Washington’s hydropower remains a staple, more solar, wind and hydrogen is coming on board. For other parts of the country, new technologies have made shale oil and natural gas extraction cheaper and easier than coal. So those coal companies need a way…
Read MoreUnhealthy Air Hits NCW Tourism Economy, Prompting Formation of West Coast Travel Coalition
The North Central Washington economy depends on tourism. But travelers can be wary of heading to a state that’s experiencing summertime wildfires and unhealthy air. A newly formed coalition aims to help tourists make an informed travel decision, as Marcus Bellissimo reports.
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Wash. Air Quality Concerns Go Beyond Smoky Wildfire Season
Another day today of hazardous air in the Wenatchee Valley and much of the state. A new report “Trouble In The Air” finds some of Washington’s cities experienced a month or more of polluted air days in 2016. Pollutants such as particulate matter and ground-level ozone can have serious health effects. Eric Tegethoff reports. Photo: SounderBruce/Flickr
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Dry Fuels, High Heat Mean ‘Significant’ Fire Potential In July, August, National Fire Center Says
This year’s fire season has been has been very active. And the long-term forecast suggests fire conditions will get worse before they get better. Marcus Bellissimo explains. You can check out more from the Northwest Interagency Fire Center here. Photo: U.S. Forest Service
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Kilauea Eruptions Remind PNW Geologists Of St. Helens, Including New Scientific Discoveries
Mt. Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island has been erupting since the early 1980s, but its current explosive cycle has been unmatched since 1924. Everyone living in the Ring of Fire is acutely aware of volcanic eruptions no matter where they take place, especially local geologists and volcanologists. Marcus Bellissimo talked with a couple and filed…
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PNW Preparing For ‘The Big One,’ But Are Earthquake Fears Grounded In Facts?
Wildfires are by-and-large the most severe natural disasters that occur here in North Central Washington. We also see flooding during heavy rain storms, and there’s the potential for earthquakes in the area as well. The Pacific Northwest as a whole is preparing itself for the big one – a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake that could…
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PNW, Global Beer Production Nearing Plateau – Will Hops Follow?
Last years hop harvest in the Yakima Valley was the largest to date. Even as global beer production slows, the demand for hops is on the rise. Marcus Bellissimo reports.
Read MoreCentral Wash. University Aviation Program Unveils Newest Training Aircraft
With a pilot shortage across the Northwest, especially for regional, smaller flights, Central Washington University has been expanding its aviation curriculum. The program recently received Federal Aviation Administration certification to run its own flight school, under its own license. Pursuing any career can be difficult if the tools you’re training on are outdated. When it…
Read MoreNOAA Says Pesticides Killing Northwest Salmon, Orca
Federal scientists have determined that a family of widely used pesticides poses a threat to dozens of endangered and threatened species, including Pacific salmon, Atlantic sturgeon and Puget Sound orcas. The National Marine Fisheries Service issued its new biological opinion on three organophosphate pesticides — chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion — after a yearslong court fight…
Read More2017 Likely Wettest Year for Pacific Northwest Since 2011
On Monday we told you about a new record set at Rocky Reach Dam in April – the highest average monthly river flow past the dam since measurements started on the Columbia in 1914. And depending on weather, forecasters predict flows will likely increase through this month. Northwest River Center forecasts are for Columbia River…
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