The Elephant
A resource for journalists, politicians, policy makers, activists and citizens interested in climate change and the environmental emergency
The ElephantA resource for journalists, politicians, policy makers, activists and citizens interested in climate change and the environmental emergency
CAP AND WAIT. CLIMATE FOES GET THEIR DELAYS IN WA | by Mary Liz Thomson | Mar, 2024 | Medium
2024-03-11 in MediumDo climate programs like Washington’s cap and investment law automatically raise the price of gas? No, but mainstream media usually frames the story that way. Why do we have to accept this logic? We shouldn’t, it’s not even true. But this thinking is on track to take down Washington State’s newest carbon tax. After ten years of wrangling the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) was passed as a market-based program to reduce carbon pollution and achieve the greenhouse gas limits agreed to in state law. The program held it’s first auction last spring in 2023.
Right on cue after the industry had to pay ...
Tagged under: Oil Industry | Fossil Fuels | Net Zero | Legislation | Regulation | Washington State
Washington’s Insurance Commissioner urges companies to work with fire victims - The Columbian
2024-03-07 in columbian.comSPOKANE — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced Wednesday that he sent letters to insurers in the Spokane area urging them to make it easier for victims to file claims result
Tagged under: Forest Fires | Insurance | Washington State
America's Farmers Embrace Solar Panels to Protect Against Volatile Crop Prices - Bloomberg
2024-03-07 in BloombergUS farmers are turning to solar power as a buffer against volatile crop prices, and Biden's clean-energy tax incentives are set to boost the trend.
Tagged under: Solar Energy | USA | Agriculture | Washington State
WA could become proving ground for greener concrete
2024-01-17 in The Seattle TimesConcrete production generates 8% of global carbon emissions. Could Washington become a proving ground for cleaner mixes? The concoctions are already getting a try.
Tagged under: Washington State
Seattle sets December temperature records, following global trend
2024-01-04 in The Seattle TimesThe unusually warm month came as Earth’s rapidly warming winters affected snowfall and winter sports, and as a strong, naturally occurring El Niño pushed tropical air into the region.
Tagged under: El Niño | Washington State
Record-breaking atmospheric river soaks Western Washington
2023-12-05 in The Seattle TimesA warm and wet system is continuing to drive rainfall through the region into Wednesday, breaking records, raising gushing rivers and causing landslides.
Tagged under: Rivers | Washington State
Look out, gardeners. Seattle's winters just got warmer, new map says
2023-11-24 in The Seattle TimesThe average coldest night of the year has gotten warmer for much of the country and Seattle, though researchers warn against attributing it to climate change.
Tagged under: Washington State
The world is ‘woefully off track’ on climate goals, scientists find - The Washington Post
2023-11-14 in The Washington PostThe rise of electric vehicles stands out as a bright spot in the effort to cut down on emissions.
Tagged under: The Paris Agreement | Climate Change Adaption | Washington State
Environmental group offers tourists bird’s-eye view on Northwest conservation issues - OPB
2023-10-22 in Oregon Public BroadcastingA conservation group is helping people see a different perspective of the Snake River dams in southeastern Washington.
Tagged under: Oregon | Washington State | Rivers
US behind more than a third of global oil and gas expansion plans, report finds
2023-09-12 in The GuardianStudy highlights conflict between Washington’s claims of climate leadership and its fossil fuel growth plans
Tagged under: COP28 | Fossil Fuels | US Politics | Russia | Iran | Washington State
Home insurers cut natural disasters from policies over climate risk
2023-09-03 in The Washington PostMajor insurers say they will cut out damage caused by hurricanes, wind and hail from policies underwriting property along coastlines and in wildfire country.
Tagged under: Insurance | Washington State
National news' scant coverage of climate protests largely overlooked the scientific urgency driving controversial climate actions
2023-08-27 (or before) in Media Matters for AmericaThe past year has seen a global surge in climate activism, spurred by the escalating climate crisis, including controversial actions such as throwing paint and food at venerable works of art, bringing bustling city traffic to a halt, and disrupting major athletic competitions, among others. A Media Matters analysis of coverage by major national TV news networks and the top five U.S. newspapers by circulation reveals a troubling trend: Coverage of such disruptive climate protests over the last year was not only limited, but also heavily skewed, often focusing on the disruptive tactics of the activists rather than the urgent...
Tagged under: Climate Change | Activism | Washington State
Wildfire smoke linked to increased risk of dementia, study says
2023-08-22 in The Seattle TimesA study has found that people living in areas with persistent exposure to wildfire smoke may have higher risks of developing dementia later in life.
Tagged under: Washington State
Skin disease in orcas off North American coast concerns scientists
2023-06-29 in The GuardianLesions found on 99% of southern resident orcas studied on Pacific north-west coast
Tagged under: Whales and Dolphins | Wildlife | Washington State
City Settles with West Seattle Homeowners Over Cutting Public Trees
2023-06-28 (or before) in Seattle MetThe two settlements together amount to a fine of $5,229 per tree.
Tagged under: Washington State | Trees
Accountability Needed at the Country’s Most Toxic Site
2023-05-26 by in Counter PunchOn the edge of Washington state, just a few miles from the great Columbia River, boiling radioactive sludge is seeping out of a huge underground tank
Tagged under: Rivers | Washington State
Industry pushes back against Biden rules on climate disclosure
2023-05-02 in The Washington PostBig business is bucking President Biden’s efforts to use SEC rules and the purchasing power of the U.S. government to reveal and reduce climate emissions.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Washington State
How the climate movement learned to win in Washington
2023-04-06 (or before) in PoliticoAfter a staggering defeat, environmentalists needed a plan they could sell. Thus began a decade-long climb propelled by mass protests, heavy campaign spending and intense lobbying. Then came a final assist from Mother Nature herself.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Washington State
Older Americans protest against ‘dirty banks’ funding oil and gas projects
2023-03-22 in The GuardianProtesters cut up credit cards and march to Washington branches of JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo
Tagged under: Fossil Fuels | Washington State
When scientists tagged a curious seal, he led them to signs of a potential climate disaster
2023-01-20 in The Washington PostScientists found a climate change disaster waiting to happen in one of the most mysterious regions on Earth.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Antarctic | Washington State
Keystone pipeline leaks 14,000 barrels of oil into creek in biggest spill yet
2022-12-09 in The GuardianThe leak occurred in Washington county, Kansas, with the affected segment being ‘isolated’ and the drip contained
Tagged under: Washington State
Nothing to be afraid of: an introduction | by Emily Johnston | Medium
2022-11-24 (or before) by in MediumAbout a dozen years ago, I became friends with a couple who lived in central Washington’s Methow Valley — a wide open landscape nestled…
Tagged under: Washington State
Into the ice: A crab boat’s quest for snow crab in a Bering Sea upended by climate change
2022-10-17 (or before) in The Seattle TimesThe Bering Sea's winter ice is treacherous, but it's also a key ally to the snow crab fishery. When it's not there, the crab population suffers.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Fish | Washington State
Eyewitnesses to disaster: Commercial fishermen implore action on the collapse of Alaska ecosystems
2021-10-30 (or before) in The Seattle TimesThe North Pacific ecosystem is asking us to re-calibrate. Fish and crab stocks are crashing. As professional commercial fishermen, we need regulatory rules nimble enough to deal with new, rapidly-changing realities.
Tagged under: Pacific Ocean | Fish | Collapse | Alaska | Washington State
Severe drought devastates Washington state's wheat crop
2021-09-06 (or before) in ABC NewsA drought in eastern Washington state that is the worst since 1977 has devastated what is normally the fourth largest U.S. wheat crop
Tagged under: Drought | Washington State
Washington State fails to protect low-income communities from toxic chemicals - Toxic-Free Future
2021-08-10 in Toxic-Free Future | Science, Advocacy, ResultsBy Colin Hartke Community members living in affordable housing and construction workers building affordable housing in Washington State are left vulnerable to toxic chemicals under a recently updated regulation. The Department of Commerce (DOC) has released an update to the Evergreen Sustainable De
Tagged under: Housing | Washington State
Video shows salmon injured by unlivable water temperatures after heatwave
2021-07-27 in The GuardianA conservation group recorded the video after a heatwave in the Pacific north-west on a day when water temperatures breached 70F
Tagged under: Heatwaves | Pacific Ocean | Fish | Rivers | Salmon | Washington State
Our climate change turning point is right here, right now | Rebecca Solnit
2021-07-12 in The GuardianPeople are dying. Aquatic animals are baking in their shells. Fruit is being cooked on the tree. It’s time to act
Tagged under: Oregon | Shell | Extreme Weather | Climate Change | Washington State
Joe Biden blames climate crisis for deadly heatwave in western US and Canada
2021-06-30 in The GuardianRecord-shattering temperatures linked to dozens of deaths, buckled roads, blackouts and wildfires
Tagged under: Oregon | Joe Biden | Extreme Weather | Wildfires | Heatwaves | Washington State
Bank of America Says It Won’t Finance Oil and Gas Exploration in the Arctic
2020-12-01 (or before) in BloombergBank of America Corp. said that it won’t provide project financing for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic after facing opposition from environmentalists.
Tagged under: Arctic | Washington State | Finance
Federal Court Upholds Ruling Blocking Construction of Keystone XL and Other Oil and Gas Pipelines | Bold Nebraska
2020-05-11 in Bold Nebraska | We mobilize unlikely alliances to protect the land and water."Reject & Protect" march against the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington, D.C. in 2014 (Photo: Mary Anne Andrei) For Immediate Release: Monday, May 11, 2020 Federal Court Upholds Ruling Blocking Construction of Keystone XL and Other Oil and Gas Pipelines Court blocks the use of Nationwide Permit 12 for pipeline water crossings Great Falls, MT -- A federal judge today largely upheld an April 15 ruling vacating Nationwide Permit 12, a key water crossing permit used byTC Energy’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and many other pipelines nationwide. The April ruling held that the Corps violated the Endangered Species Act in i...
Tagged under: Washington State
Fisheries management is actually working, global analysis shows
2020-01-22 (or before) in University of WashingtonNearly half of the fish caught worldwide are from stocks that are scientifically monitored and, on average, are increasing in abundance. Effective management appears to be the main reason these stocks...
Tagged under: Fish | Washington State
Young climate activists chain selves to Washington pier amid pipeline delivery
2019-11-05 in The GuardianProtest comes amid effort to disrupt 700-mile Trans Mountain pipeline expansion
Tagged under: Activism | Washington State
Amazon’s ‘climate pledge’ commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2040 and 100% renewables by 2030 – TechCrunch
2019-09-23 (or before) in TechCrunch | Startup and Technology NewsIn Washington today, Amazon announced a series of initiatives and issued a call for companies to reduce their carbon emissions 10 years ahead of the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement as part of a sweeping effort to reduce its own environmental footprint. “We’re done being in the middle of the herd on this […]
Tagged under: Renewable Energy | Net Zero | Washington State
Big Oil spent big and won big in Washington and Colorado
2018-11-08 (or before) in ThinkProgressTagged under: Lobbying | US Politics | Oil Industry | Colorado State | Washington State
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