Get Started with Standup Paddleboards
Paddleboards. You’ve seen them everywhere, eyeing them longingly as they glide effortlessly through the water like waterborne angels. “It’s not for me,” you thought, eyeing the ground as you plod about like a boar, “standup paddleboards are for other people; special people. There’s no way I could do that”. Well I’ve got news for you, […]
Pacific NW
Biking Beyond self-guided bike tour in Olympia
Photo caption: The Tenino Quarry Pool was originally a working Sandstone Quarry in the late 1800s. The self-guided bike tour, Biking Beyond, takes visitors along the Yelm-Tenino Trail near Olympia, WA. Available in both digital and print format, the guide was created to assist guests in wayfinding. Points of interests range from recreation and family […]
Central Oregon Strong
Check out the Central Oregon Strong video and the many other amazing ActiveLifestylesNW.com videos in our Video Gallery. The City of Bend extended its administrative order discouraging travel to Bend through Oct. 26, 2020. It had been set to end on Labor Day. The order is intended to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in […]
Mine tailings may be a pollution solution
Caption: Mine tailings like this could sequester lots of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Credit: wild trees, flickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that wastes left over from mining operations could be used to absorb carbon dioxide and help solve the climate crisis? -- D. Moore, Richmond, VA Yes, mining wastes (“tailings”) could indeed be part of the solution to our climate woes. Researchers have shown that alkaline wastes—such as the slurries (semi-liquid mixtures), gravel and other industrial detritus that accumulate during and after mining projects—could be “reacted” with airborne carbon dioxide (CO2), which would not only sequester some of this most commonTrump weakens environmental protections
Caption: Donald Trump's actions and words make it known loud and clear that he is no friend to the environment. Credit: Matt Johnson, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: I'm wondering what President Trump's perspective is on our environment? He doesn't seem to be doing much about preserving it let alone healing it? --Sheila Kaye, via e-mail From the get-go, Donald Trump has been no friend to the environment, and he has used the highest office in the land to gut environmental protections and conservation initiatives—and open up natural resources to the highest bidders—at every opportunity. That the public hasn’t heard much about this is
Underground living could be big win for environment
Caption: This view shows off Helsinki's underground water works. The Finnish capital is a world leader in moving people and their infrastructure below the surface where they can live more energy-efficient lifestyles. Credit: Jordi Cueto-Felgueroso Arocha, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: If we lived in underground buildings (and cities), would it be better for the environment overall? -- Marty M., Hoboken, NJ It’s certainly true that moving more of our infrastructure, let alone work and live space, underground would relieve some of the pressure that our conventional above-ground development and habitation puts on the environment. While building below the surface presents its own
‘Sky pollution” on the rise
Caption: Some 9,000 satellites already orbit the ionosphere hundreds of miles above Earth's surface, shedding parts that turn into hurtling "space junk." Credit: Pixabay. Dear EarthTalk: Elon Musk plans to put thousands of new satellites into space to blanket Earth with high speed Internet. What are the environmental implications of this? -- M. C., Atlanta. GA Putting satellites up into the ionosphere—the layer of our atmosphere extending from 50-600 miles above the surface where a high concentration of ions and free electrons facilitate the reflection of radio waves—isn’t anything new. The Soviets beat us to the punch when they launched theWaterfalls create positive vibes
Caption: Being around waterfalls — like this 88-foot doozy along the North Fork of the Nooksack River in Washington State — could help us with a little mental uplift courtesy of the "negative ions" floating around crashing water molecules. Credit: Roddy Scheer. Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that being around a waterfall makes you feel good? – S.B., Lewiston, ME The notion of waterfalls making you happy is often viewed as an “old wives’ tale,” but there may be some truth to it given the so-called “negative ions” pervasive in such environments. The collision of water molecules with each other causes
Is DEET mosquito repellent safe?
Caption: Experts think the benefits of using DEET-based bug repellent to scare off mosquitoes and other biting insects outweigh the health and environmental risks. Credit: Laurie Wilson, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Is DEET natural and is it safe to use topically as a mosquito repellent? And which formulations and concentrations are advised?-- M. Frey, Milwaukee, WI DEET (short for “diethyltoluamide”) is a synthetic compound invented by the U.S. Army in 1946 that can be applied topically to repel mosquitos, ticks, fleas, chiggers, leeches and other biting insects. Unlike other repellents which actually deter bugs with smells they don’t like—or even kill them
Researchers find pesticides shorten honeybee lives
The lives of honeybees are shortened – with evidence of physiological stress – when they are exposed to the suggested application rates of two commercially available and widely used pesticides, according to new Oregon State University research. In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, honeybee researchers in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences found […]
OSU expands Coronavirus testing to Newport
TRACE-COVID-19, the groundbreaking Oregon State University project to determine community prevalence of the novel coronavirus, expanded to include two days of sampling in Newport on June 20-21. The addition of Newport to the study follows the positive tests of more than 120 workers at Pacific Seafood, which operates five processing facilities in the city. In […]
Powerful crystal may someday power homes
Photo caption: Researchers at the University of Oxford in the UK are experimenting with perovskites as the semiconductor in these small tin solar cells that could someday be on your rooftop supplying your home with free electricity. Credit: University of Oxford Press Office FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: What is perovskite-based solar all about, and how does […]
Portland tech firm creates virtual COVID-19 screening
Photo Caption: A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Portland-based Bright.md has helped health systems evaluate and treat tens of […]
Portland’s Elephants Delicatessen honored
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) honored Portland-based Elephants Delicatessen during a special VIP dinner in Washington, in early March where they shared their story of giving back to the community and being a good neighbor to the planet. The NRAEF’s Restaurant Neighbor Award (RNA), developed in partnership with American Express, highlights outstanding local […]
