Environment A decade after the Oso landslide, WA works to improve preparedness The Snohomish County disaster killed 43 residents in 2014. Today, geologists can better help people get out of harm’s way due to boosts in tech and funding. by Tom Banse Washington State Standard / March 20, 2024
Environment ‘Rife with flawed science’: OR and WA fight Trump’s emissions rollback The states join 26 others to argue the president's plan increases public health risks and violates the federal Clean Air Act. by Cassandra Profita Oregon Public Broadcasting / June 4, 2020
Environment Pacific Northwest forests fit trifecta for curbing climate change — if we stop logging them Study shows trees along the coast and in the Cascade and Olympic mountains have the most potential to sequester carbon. by Cassandra Profita Oregon Public Broadcasting / January 1, 2020
Environment Salish Sea's 'humpback comeback' is a good sign, but concerns remain More whales mean greater risk of ship strikes and fishing line entanglement. by Tom Banse Northwest News Network / August 16, 2019
Environment These giant rats failed mine-sniffing school. Now they have a new career in Tacoma While their relatives are saving lives around the world, Point Defiance's adorable African giant pouched rats are ambassadors for rodents everywhere. by Tom Banse Northwest News Network / July 24, 2019
Environment A proposed San Juans sanctuary may offer hope for captive orcas — and risks for wild ones Nonprofit advocates think sea pens will improve the retired killer whales' quality of life. SeaWorld vets disagree. by Tom Banse Northwest News Network / July 17, 2019
Environment Rockfish are bouncing back from years of overfishing After years of conservation efforts, surveys show depleted populations of groundfish are rebounding ahead of schedule. by Cassandra Profita OPB / December 20, 2018
Environment This Portland design lab wants to eliminate plastic packaging As more cities like Seattle ban plastic straws, Swedish-owned BillerudKorsnäs design lab has is developing a solution. by Cassandra Profita OPB/EarthFix / November 1, 2018
Environment A year after Oregon’s Eagle Creek fire, see how much has changed In this 360 video, see how the Eagle Creek Fire changed the forest and its popular hiking trails. by Cassandra Profita EarthFix/OPB / September 10, 2018
Environment Want to prevent megafires? Let forests burn To prevent large-scale wildfires, we'll need to allow some blazes to burn — and set others ourselves. by Cassandra Profita & Jeff Mapes / August 24, 2018