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
Get Active with ActiveLifestylesNW.com
Caption: A family enjoys rafting on the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. ActiveLifestylesNW.com is a comprehensive online recreational guide geared to the interests of Pacific Northwest adventurers. ActiveLifestylesNW.com caters to adventurers with the time, desire and resources to follow their passion for exploring the great Northwest. Our content-rich website presents timely posts on popular Northwest […]
Rving in western Washington during a pandemic
Caption: Priest Rapids Recreation Area in Grant County Editor’s note: The following article is reprinted with permission from the Northwest RVing Blog hosted by MHRV (Manufactured Housing and Recreational Vehicle) Show Association. Written by Dave Helgeson Labor Day normally signals the end of the traditional camping season; the kids are back in school, youth sports […]
Solar storms are common occurance
Caption: While solar storms may be harmful to our communications technologies, they are also behind the amazing galactic light show visible from some northern latitudes in winter called the Aurora Borealis. Credit: Keith Williams, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Are there any environmental or health risks associated with the solar storms that have been hitting the Earth recently?-- Betsy R., Suwanee, GA Solar storms have been in the news lately, but the truth is these naturally occurring solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun happen all the time—or at least a few hundred times a year from what we canAnimal rights progress is slow moving
Caption: Even though they can feel pain and show awareness of their situation, animals are still considered the property of their human owner or the land manager where they roam in the eyes of the law. Credit: Elias Tsolis, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Do wild animals have any rights under the law in the U.S. (or other countries) the way human citizens do?-- John Hamilton, Raleigh, NC Winnie the Pooh said it best: “Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem.” While attention to animal rights has increased over the past few decades, animals are still largely underrepresented
Climate change brings bad news for Quaking Aspen
Caption: Quaking aspens are just one type of iconic American tree species that's losing ground against global warming. Credit: John Fowler, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: How will global warming change the distribution of trees across the continental U.S.? Which types of trees and forests are most at risk?-- Mike Powers, Golden, CO It’s true that climate change is already affecting tree distribution and forest cover in the United States (as well as everywhere), but only time will tell which tree species are most successful at adapting and whether we will lose significant amounts of forest cover overall. “A walk in the woods or
Fires in Oregon & Washington beyond normal
Caption: Some landscapes need occasional forest fires to germinate seeds for new plants' growth. Credit: Richard Droker, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: I am sickened by all the death, destruction and misery resulting from the West Coast wildfires, but aren’t these blazes actually beneficial to the environment?-- B.T., Helena, MT Some landscapes evolved with periodic wildfires as an influential force, and people have been using “prescribed burns” (the controlled application of fire under specified weather conditions) to restore health to certain types of ecosystems for millennia. But while some fires in some places might be beneficial, the wholesale torching of the forests ofMine 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 common
Trump 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
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 […]
