Ski scenic groomed trails on Mt. Bachelor
Nordic Sports Director Bob Mathews founded the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center in 1975 by overseeing construction of a modest pair of looping trails with all of 7 kilometers of snowmobile-groomed trails. The then diminutive Nordic program was rounded out by a 150-square-foot rental and lesson department squeezed into a corner of the main lodge. Through […]
Pacific NW
My favorite Pacific Northwest RV camping spots
Caption: Deception Pass – Courtesy of DeceptionPassFoundation.org Written by Steve Froese It’s great to live in our neck of the woods! We have some of the most scenic highways and byways on the continent. For instance, here in the lower mainland of British Columbia, we can go snow skiing and water skiing on the same […]
New Oregon map shows status of popular recreation areas
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Task Force released an interagency status map in March to help the public navigate the status of popular recreation areas impacted by the 2020 wildfire season. The September 2020 wildfires swept through approximately 1.3 million acres of land in Oregon across multiple jurisdictions. Many of these […]
Researchers say climate change may cause Early cicada bloom
Caption: Some cicadas have been "blooming" early and researchers think global warming is to blame. Credit: Michael Kropiewnicki, Pexels. Dear EarthTalk: Are the cicada blooms of the eastern U.S. out of whack due to global warming and/or other man-made environmental problems?-- Joe R., Moorestown, NJ The short answer is...probably. If you live in the eastern or midwestern U.S., you’ve likely seen so-called periodic cicadas. These inch-long, gray- and orange-winged insects with bulging red eyes feed on the underground xylem tissue of tree roots for years before emerging in millions-strong-per-acre swarms to mate and then die. Of the 3,000 different cicada speciesBee lawns gain popularity
Caption: Planting different types of tiny flowering plants among grass stalks is a great way to attract bees and other pollinators that help keep our farms productive and our produce aisles well-stocked. Credit: Simon, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: What is a “pollinator lawn” and how can I make one in my backyard?-- Jane W., Westbrook, CT Bees and other pollinators are essential for growing a great deal of nature’s finest foods. These include coffee, chocolate, beans, many fruits including apples, avocados, blueberries, cherries and peaches, nuts like almonds and cashews, and vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and Brussel’s sprouts, just to name
Backyard wind turbines seen as part of energy future
Caption:Backyard wind turbines could help us make the transition away from fossil fuels. Credit: Cowrin, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: You see a lot of people putting solar panels on their homes these days, but windmills not so much. Is there any future for small residential wind turbines as we transition to more renewable forms of energy?-- M. Simon, Portland, ME Wind power will likely play a key role in the transition to a zero-emission economy—especially if we can start to distribute it more widely and harness its benefits on a building-by-building basis. Could your own small wind turbine next to your home be
XPRIZE launches $100 million climate change competition
Caption: XPRIZE founder Peter Diamandis has steered several competitions toward solving pressing environmental problems. Credit: XDRIVE Foundation. Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard of XPRIZE, which funds innovations in space exploration technology. Is XPRIZE used to address climate change or other environmental problems?-- J.D. via e-mail XPRIZE was launched in 1996 to spur innovation in the commercial aerospace sector. Back then, entrepreneur Peter Diamandis offered $10 million to the first privately financed team that could build and fly a three-passenger vehicle 100 kilometers into space twice within two weeks. That first contest—officially dubbed the Ansari XPRIZE for Suborbital Spaceflight—attracted 26 teams from sevenAre hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars still viable?
Caption: Consider yourself lucky to see a Toyota Mirai or any other “FCV” (fuel cell vehicle) out in the wild — there are only about 300 on the road in the U.S., with the vast majority of those in California. Credit: Aaron Smart, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: What’s the latest on hydrogen powered fuel cells? Not long ago they were touted as the energy source of the future, but news has been scant of late.-- J. Gorman, Columbia, SC Indeed, around the turn of the millennium, the development of hydrogen fuel cells to power our transportation sector with renewable, non-polluting power
‘Climate feminists” make progress
Caption: Climate feminists march outside international climate talks in Poland in December 2018. Credit: Greenpeace. Dear EarthTalk: What exactly is "climate feminism?"-- Jim M., Lorton, VA Climate change impacts the everyday lives of all citizens around the globe, but certain communities are disproportionately affected. Women, in particular, shoulder a disproportionate burden as they are most reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods but lack the needed resources to properly respond to climate disasters. With women representing over 70 percent of the total global population living in poverty, the United Nations estimates that 80 percent of those displaced by climate change are
Backyard wind turbines seen as part of energy future
Caption:Backyard wind turbines could help us make the transition away from fossil fuels. Credit: Cowrin, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: You see a lot of people putting solar panels on their homes these days, but windmills not so much. Is there any future for small residential wind turbines as we transition to more renewable forms of energy?— […]
XPRIZE launches $100 million climate change competition
Caption: XPRIZE founder Peter Diamandis has steered several competitions toward solving pressing environmental problems. Credit: XDRIVE Foundation. Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard of XPRIZE, which funds innovations in space exploration technology. Is XPRIZE used to address climate change or other environmental problems?— J.D. via e-mail XPRIZE was launched in 1996 to spur innovation in the commercial […]
Are hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars still viable?
Caption: Consider yourself lucky to see a Toyota Mirai or any other “FCV” (fuel cell vehicle) out in the wild — there are only about 300 on the road in the U.S., with the vast majority of those in California. Credit: Aaron Smart, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: What’s the latest on hydrogen powered fuel cells? Not […]
Intel meets digital challenges with memory, storage products
Editor’s note: Intel is Oregon’s largest private employer with a reported 21,000 employees in the state. Intel recently announced six new memory and storage products to help customers meet the challenges of digital transformation. Key to advancing innovation across memory and storage, Intel announced two new additions to its Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive (SSD) […]
This Intel barista never gets your order wrong
Editor’s note: Intel is Oregon’s largest private employer with a reported 21,000 employees in the state. At Crown Coffee, a small-yet-homey coffee bar in downtown Singapore, the barista never gets your order wrong. Ella is her name and with uncanny consistency she makes a perfect cup of coffee every time. Ella is not human, but […]
