Latest EarthFix Headlines

May 15, 2012

Electronic Recycling Sets Record, Others Drop

Oregon's electronic recycling program has set another collection record, even as other kinds of recycling have dropped.

Proposed Hydropower Lands NW River On Endangered List

A proposed hydropower project has landed a Northwest waterway on an environmental group's list of the top 10 Most Endangered Rivers of 2012.

Report Inconclusive On What Killed Orca L112

A new report out today stops short of determining what caused the death of a young female orca that washed up near Long Beach, Wash. The scientists who produced it for a federal agency come up with new details about the whale's trauma, bruising and hemhorraging, and lack of broken bones.

A Man And The Orcas

Former naval officer Ken Balcomb has been studying the endangered orcas of Puget Sound for over 30 years. In a way, they’re his children. When one of them washed up dead in February, Balcomb set out looking for answers. He thinks they lead to his former military branch. New: Orca Death Still Unsolved.

May 14, 2012

Algae Boom in Puget Sound

All this warm weather is making for a lot of shiny happy people in the Northwest. Turns out the algae in the waters of Puget Sound are feeling the same way. Ashley Ahearn reports that algal blooms are making one scientist take note.

Which Mammals Will Adapt to Climate Change?

A new climate-change study published Monday surveyed nearly 500 mammals in the western hemisphere. It found that on the whole, mammals that can move quickly to new territory and adapt to human encroachment have good odds of surviving a warming planet. Mammals that stay put may not stick around.

Derelict Vessel Risks Shellfish Contamination

WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. — State officials have suspended mussel harvesting in Whidbey Island's Penn Cove until further notice after a 128-foot derelict fishing vessel anchored there burst into flames and sank over the weekend.

May 13, 2012

New Research: Hatchery Salmon Posing Problems For Wild Stocks

An estimated 5 billion hatchery fish are released into the Pacific Ocean each year. A collection of research released Monday raises concerns about how all those hatchery fish might be competing with wild salmon.

May 10, 2012

Oregon Governor Wants Power Users To Help Meet Clean Energy Goals

PORTLAND -- Gov. John Kitzhaber said today (yesterday/Thursday) that power customers could play a bigger role in the state's clean energy future. He spoke at the Northwest Smart Grid Summit.

Spring Weather Makes For Tricky River Management

Warmer temperatures this week have kept river levels high in Idaho as mountain snow melts. It’s been a challenging year for those who manage the state’s river systems. That’s because the spring runoff happened a month earlier than last year.