The Heat Is On: Study Shows Pacific Northwest Snowpack Endangered By Increasing Spring Heatwaves
December 13th, 2023
Even in the precipitation-heavy Pacific Northwest, more frequent heatwaves are threatening a key source of water supply.
Read the Full Article
National Climate Assessment Details Challenges To Northwest Salmon Recovery; Warming ‘Increases Extinction Risk For Species Already At Low Abundance’
November 16th, 2023
The Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) released this week finds that the impacts of weather extremes — exacerbated by climate change — are far-reaching across every region of the United States. And it indicates a warming future threatens Northwest salmon recovery.
Read the Full Article
OSU Scientists Author State Of The Climate Report: ‘We Are On Our Way To Potential Collapse Of Natural, Socioeconomic Systems’
October 26th, 2023
An international coalition of climate scientists says in a paper published this week that the Earth’s vital signs have worsened beyond anything humans have yet seen, to the point that life on the planet is imperiled.
Read the Full Article
Report Says Floating Offshore Wind Farms Off Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Could Bring Billions In Value, Power A Million Homes
October 12th, 2023
A new report from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory shows that along a 200-mile stretch of ocean off the coast of southern Oregon and northern California, floating wind farms could potentially triple the Pacific Northwest’s wind power capacity while offsetting potentially billions of dollars in costs for utilities, ratepayers, insurance companies, and others across the West who bear the cost of climate change’s effects.
Read the Full Article
Portland State Inventory Shows Western States’ Glaciers Disappearing, Getting Smaller
September 28th, 2023
The Western United States is losing its glaciers. A new inventory from Portland State University researchers shows that some glaciers have disappeared entirely, some no longer show movement, some are too small to meet the 0.01 square kilometer minimum and some are actually rock glaciers — rocky debris with ice in the pore spaces.
Read the Full Article
Researchers Use Models To Estimate Where West Coast Salmon Habitat Will Remain Favorable With Warming Climate
September 15th, 2023
With climate change, some spawning habitat in British Columbia could actually expand, peaking in area around 2060, according to a recent study that looked at current stream habitat and projected future favorable spawning habitat as the climate warms.
Read the Full Article
UW Researchers Find That Fall Snow Levels (December) In Oregon, Washington Can Predict Total Snowfall An Area Will Get
September 15th, 2023
Researchers who study water resources want to know how much snow an area will get in a season. The total snowpack gives scientists a better idea of how much water will be available for hydropower, irrigation and drinking later in the year.
Read the Full Article
New Research Shows Surprising Resilience Of Fisheries To Marine Heat Waves; 248 Heat Waves 1993-2019 Analyzed
September 7th, 2023
New research has found that marine heat waves – prolonged periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures – haven’t had a lasting effect on the fish communities that feed most of the world.
Read the Full Article
UW Study Quantifies Fossil Fuel Emissions Causing Polar Bear Declines; Method Can Be Used For Other Species Impacted By Global Warming
September 7th, 2023
New research from the University of Washington and Polar Bears International in Bozeman, Montana, quantifies the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and the survival of polar bear populations.