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Oregon utilities agree to phase out coal-fired power
Posted by OPB: None Given on January 7th, 2016
OPB: Oregon utilities have agreed to support a bill that would phase out coal-fired power in Oregon by 2030.
The agreement follows negotiations with the backers of a proposed ballot measure that set the same target for eliminating coal from the state`s electrical supply.
The proposed legislation would only affect Pacific Power and Portland General Electric, which together serve about 70 percent of Oregon`s electricity. It also calls for doubling the amount of renewable energy the utilities generate...
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Northwest researcher says toxic algae have a competitive edge
Posted by OPB: None Given on October 25th, 2013
OPB: Pollution and climate change may be making freshwater algae blooms more toxic, according to a Northwest scientist`s newly published analysis.
Oregon State University researcher Tim Otten`s article in the journal Science concludes that fertilizer pollution, wastewater, and a warming climate are fueling the growth of huge mats of green scum in lakes and reservoirs.
“For instance in Lake Erie, it’s been plagued with toxic blooms that are so large you can see them from outer space,” he said.
Algae...
Season of smoke: Changing climate leads to bigger, smokier wildfires
Posted by OPB: None Given on October 3rd, 2013
OPB: Each fire season is a roll of the dice.
Some years lightning strikes more often. Other years soggy summers keep big burns at bay.
This year more than 4,000 wildfires burned almost a million acres across the Northwest. That might sound like a lot, but it falls below the 10-year average. In the last decade, only one year has had fewer fires than this year.
Scientists are quick to point out that no single fire season can be attributed to changes in the global climate, but as summers in the...