Environment
Oregon State professor lands grant to clean up wood burning stoves
In the leadup to winter, researchers at Oregon State University are teaming up with the Nez Perce tribe and local manufacturers to develop a cleaner way to burn wood in stoves. They have received $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to research and develop a cheap device that can be put into a […]
Oregon says drop, cover and hold on in an earthquake. Some specialists disagree.
Seismic experts agree that one day the state will be smacked by a massive earthquake off the coast that will cause widespread damage. They also agree that Oregonians need to prepare. But they disagree on what the state should advise. On Thursday, the state holds its annual Great Oregon ShakeOut drill aimed at raising awareness […]
Plan for one of Oregon’s largest chicken farms draws criticism; hearing set
Eric Simon got into chicken farming 20 years ago after a career as an electronics technician because, he said, he was poor. With his wife and two young kids, he moved 30 miles from Corvallis to rural Brownsville and bought a house on 40 acres on the edge of town. He built barns and then […]
Conservation work in Oregon forests gets federal boost
Two state agencies have been awarded a $750,000 federal grant to continue work on a state plan for protecting endangered species and species that could become endangered in the next 70 years in Oregon’s northwest forests. The Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife share the grant, which will be […]
Oregon shows how workers can be protected when they face extreme heat, smoke
As a result of climate change, the United States experienced a particularly dangerous and hot summer this year. New record highs were set all over the country and the Pacific Northwest was particularly hard hit. As of September 2021, according to the National Weather Service, the state of Oregon had a record 88 days over […]
Oregon’s climate efforts need robust push from governor, state commission
In any given year, some Oregonians thrive while others struggle. Lately though, no one is untouched by society-wide crises, one after the next, breaking on us like waves in a relentless tide. People all express similar feelings: overwhelmed, tired, and at a loss. The global pandemic continues to disrupt our lives. The dangerous heating of the […]
Report shows parts of Oregon spent months last year with elevated air pollution levels
Klamath Falls had as many elevated pollution days as cities like Phoenix, Cincinnati and San Antonio in 2020, according to a new report. The non-profit Environment America, part of the left-leaning Public Interest Network, used EPA air quality data taken from monitors in every state. Despite fewer Americans using cars every day or undertaking major […]
Tribes in Oregon want bigger role in setting state’s water strategy
Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes want a bigger role in the state’s planning for the next century of water management in Oregon as fisheries continue to dwindle. They are asking Gov. Kate Brown to create a new task force for tribes to work directly with state agencies on critical waters. Oregon officials are developing what […]
Oregon farms get $280,000 in federal grants to switch to solar energy
When Josh Cohen bought his farm in the Rogue Valley 16 years ago, he expected to power his irrigation system, greenhouse and coolers with solar energy. But the equipment was costly, and he hesitated to strap himself with a big loan. Now he’ll achieve his goal with a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture […]
New Oregon laws tackle affordable housing, rebuilding from fire
SALEM – Two years after passing sweeping legislation requiring many cities to allow duplexes anywhere single-family homes could be built, the Oregon Legislature returned in 2021 with more housing-related edicts to local governments. Due to some of the more than two dozen land use laws passed in the 2021 session, cities must allow affordable housing […]
New plan from Global Warming Commission relies on farms, forests to absorb emissions
Oregon farmers could be recruited to play a crucial role in the state’s climate change efforts under a new plan from the Oregon Global Warming Commission. The Commission, created by the Oregon Legislature in 2007, lays out more than 30 strategies for upping the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by Oregon lands and waters and […]