Clallam County PUD endorses Snake River dam removal

The Board of Commissioners of Clallam County PUD #1, on April 10, became the first public utility district in the region to come out in favor of restoring a free-flowing lower Snake River. The utility serves citizen-owners on Washington State’s North Olympic Peninsula. The commissioners unanimously approved a resolution that minced no words. The resolution makes these key …

Jerry Franklin tells it plain: We need our older forests!

The UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS) welcomed Dr. Jerry Franklin, SEFS Emeritus Professor, as the 2023 Sustaining Our World Speaker. Dr. Franklin spoke on “What the Old Forests Taught Us: Forest Stewardship in the 21st Century”, with Q&A following. Franklin's program description: A revolution in our understanding of forests – what they …

Climate Commitment Act Funds Go to Washington State Forests in Historic Recognition that Forests Play a Central Role in Reducing Emissions

Laura Otýpková -- Pixabay April 24, 2023, Olympia, WA — State legislators in Olympia invested a landmark $83 million in forest conservation and ecological forest management practices to boost carbon sequestration on state lands. This funding marks the first time the state government will set aside timber acreage strictly for its carbon value, by designating it …

Forest Service takes key step toward 1st national rule to protect mature, old-growth trees, forests

Announcement advances Biden’s 2022 Earth Day Executive Order The 42 Divide logging sale in the Roseburg, Oregon Bureau of Land Management district. Photo Credit: Hanna Anderson WASHINGTON, DC – According to reports, the U.S. Forest Service announced Thursday a pathway for protecting mature and old-growth trees and forests as part of a strategy to improve …

Paul Stamets Supports Legacy Forests

Paul Stamets at Elwha River overlook "Our old growth forests are undervalued – we should not be deceived that short term gains in selling lumber accurately reflects the value of the intact biodiversity resident within these ancient stands. In particular, varieties of  Agarikon (Fomitopsis officinalis aka Laricifomes officinalis) are now known to have potent antiviral properties. But …

New coastal risk assessment for Port Townsend

A North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation and Development Council grant helped local communities advance their planning for addressing the impacts of climate change. The City of Port Townsend used the grant money to develop this sea level rise and coastal flooding risk assessment, an important first step in climate preparedness.

$$ to improve your home, reduce your bills!

From OCA member Dave Large, here's a list of incentives for reducing home-related energy usage offered by the federal government, Washington State, the City of Port Angeles, and the Clallam County PUD. Incentives cover many aspects of a home, from simple to more complex, including insulation, windows, space heating and appliances, photovoltaic, solar hot water, …

Clean energy incentives on the way, from the IRA!

From the American Solar Energy Society: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest climate bill inU.S. history. A main focus is tax credits and rebates for clean energy, electric vehicles, and efficiency updates. Below are some highlights of how this bill can benefit you and/or your business:

Schumer-Manchin bill

Let’s toast to some success! However, here are critiques of the new bill from Rachel Fazio of the John Muir Project and Dominick DellaSala of the Wild Heritage Project, both sponsored by the Earth Island Institute: Eldergeek Dominick DellaSala <dominick@wild-heritage.org> wrote: it's missing mature forest protections - a major problem - it has tax credits for biomass - a …

Port Angeles adopts Climate Resiliency Plan

Three years in the making, the Port Angeles Climate Resiliency Plan has been adopted and posted online. Next comes implementation of the Plan, including short-, medium-, and long-term priorities, cost estimates, ordinance language, etc. This phase will be facilitated by a grant project of the North Olympic Development Council. Kudos to Council and Planning Commission …

Save Our wild Salmon

Greetings, As we head toward the holidays and the end of another year (gulp!), we wanted to share with you three recent stories/news that our team at SOS found inspiring. ONE: The first installment in a new two-part series from Lewiston Morning Tribune’s award-winning reporter Eric Barker. This series is exploring the circumstances today around …

350 Seattle Newsletter

TACOMA LNG RESISTANCE We’re not going to sugarcoat it, November was a rough month for communities in Tacoma and allies along the Salish Sea working to protect their health, safety, and children’s futures from local fossil fuel expansion. The state Pollution Control Hearings Board ruled to uphold the controversial final project permit for Puget Sound …

Local Cross-Governmental/Organizational Stewardship Group Sets Priorities for the 2022 Washington State Legislative Session

Thanks partially to OCA leadership, climate is a high priority for the Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network The second priority addressed (Items 3-4) focuses on climate change. OCA applauds the Strait ERN for taking seriously its role to steward the magnificent natural resources of the North Olympic Peninsula. https://olyclimate.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/straitern_2022wastatelegislativepriorities_final_2021nov19-.pdf

USDA Forest Service Alaska Roadless Rule Repeal Update

Sincere apologies for the typo in the email address and in the link to the preferred method for providing comments. The preferred method for submitting comments is: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FS-2021-0007-0006. The errors are corrected below. ----------------------------------------The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is taking steps to repeal the 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule and restore protections …

Draft 2021 Northwest Power Plan 

This September, the Draft 2021 Northwest Power Plan was released. The 2021 Northwest Power Plan, once finalized, will help determine how much clean energy and energy efficiency the Northwest will use by providing a blueprint for power system decisions throughout the region. It comes at a critical time, when the Northwest needs to replace the energy and capacity services …

Grave concerns from scientists about Infrastructure Bills

A letter is circulating the Hill from well over 100 scientists urging them not to pass the BBB or BIF legislative packages unless the climate-harming logging provisions are removed from both. These two bills are the ones climate activists have been counting on to help promote climate solutions; the Reconciliation Bill (Biden's Build Back Better 3.5 Trillion) andthe Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill …

The Increase in CO2/Heat is getting steeper

The link between co2 emissions and warming is indisputable. Scientists have understood this for almost 200 years.  Scientists have scientifically known for nearly 200 years that a trace gas like atmospheric carbon dioxide absorbs heat: Joseph Fourier 1824 - Remarques Générales Sur Les Températures Du Globe Terrestre Et Des Espaces Planétaires (General remarks on the temperatures …

Conservation Northwest trying to Undo Established Precedent for Forest Management Benefits

Link to the Amicus Brief Lawyers for DNR and Hilary Franz have submitted an Amicus brief in the case brought by Conservation Northwest to change the beneficiaries of forest lands management in Washington State. The intent, or purpose, of the Conservation Northwest suit is not clearly disclosed in the Amicus brief, but the invalid arguments …

WA State Alert on Systemic Risk of Climate Change

State of Washington DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS P.O. Box 41200  l  Olympia, Washington 98504-1200Telephone (360) 902-8700 l  TDD (360) 664-8126  l  FAX (360) 586-5068  l  http://www.dfi.wa.gov July 7, 2021 TO:  Washington State Regulated Financial Institutions RE:  DFI Alert on Systemic Risk of Climate Change and Related Financial Risks Message from DFI Director Charlie …

9 Years to ZERO newsletter

Accelerating Climate Impacts This past month has brought hellish reminders of the gravity of the climate emergency and the very real danger it brings. We’ve seen destructive heat waves in the Northwest, which cooked shellfish on the shore and is estimated to have killed more than a billion marine animals. Hundreds of people, including unhoused individuals, …

Nationwide Permits issued for commercial shellfish aquaculture ruled Unlawful

Back in October, 2019 the Federal District Court found that the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) Nationwide Permits issued for commercial shellfish aquaculture unlawful. The Court ruling required shellfish operations to re-permit under Individual Permits but did allow planting through the 2020 season and harvesting through March 2022. The aquaculture industry group appealed the decision. …

League of Conservation Voters Endorses Climate Agenda

This is the single biggest day for climate action in more than a decade.Today, President Biden signed a series of executive orders and memoranda that place climate justice at the center of the administration's agenda. These orders are just the start of the Biden-Harris administration's all-of-government approach to address the climate crisis and the interrelated …

Addressing the climate crisis is a top, cross-cutting priority for President-elect Joe Biden

League of Conservation Voters The saying goes, "Personnel is policy." As President-elect Joe Biden continues to announce his choices for key leaders in the next administration, one point is clear: Addressing the climate crisis is a top, cross-cutting priority.On the campaign trail, Biden called for a whole-of-government approach to four interconnected issues: The economy, public …

Commerce awards $9.8 million for electric vehicle charging

Commerce awards $9.8 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state Projects prioritize communities underserved by EV infrastructure and those disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution from transportation systems OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $9.8 million in Electrification of Transportation Systems (ETS) grants for 14 projects in …

Clallam County Commissioners to Work with the City of Port Angeles on Climate Plan

Clallam County Commissioner Work Session On November 23rd, the Monday Work Session for the Board of Clallam County Commissioners began their Discussion on Climate Change. Rich Meier stated "The logical first step is to conduct a greenhouse gas inventory to measure a baseline for decision making, and a yardstick of where we’re going for future …

Port Angeles City Council Awards Contract to Begin Climate Action Plan Update

Port Angeles City Councilmembers Port Angeles City Council members at meeting on Zoom.Top row left: Mayor Kate Dexter | Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin | Deputy Mayor Navarra CarrBottom row left: Mike French | LaTrisha Suggs | Charlie McCaughan | Brendan Meyer-picture not available November 17, 2020, | Port Angeles Virtual City Council Meeting Full Recording of City …

Post-Election Virtual Recap

Thank you for joining our Washington Environmental Council + Washington Conservation Voters Post-Election virtual gathering last week! We really enjoyed celebrating everyone’s accomplishments from this election cycle together, as well as learning about the political lay of the land and environmental priorities for 2021. If you weren’t able to make this event, we’re sorry we …

The Challenge of Drought on a Changing Planet

The Sierra Club’s Climate Adaptation and Restoration GrassRoots Network Team invites you to join in our ongoing webinar series. Communities throughout the United States are facing great challenges with a changing climate. One of the most crucial challenges is that of drought -- whether it’s periodic drought, deep water stress, or fundamental climate zone shifts.  For this series of …

How can we make our economy work for everyone?

What would a sustainable, universally beneficial economy look like? Like a doughnut says Oxford economist Kate Raworth https://www.ted.com/talks/kate_raworth_a_healthy_economy_should_be_designed_to_thrive_not_grow?language=en This talk was presented at an official TED conference,and was featured by our editors on the home page. In a stellar, eye-opening talk, she explains how we can move countries out of the hole -- where people …

Port Angeles School District debuts COVID-19 tracker

Debut of the Daily COVID-19 Cases Dashboard for mobile Up-to-date information on school reopening status. Peninsula Daily News story in full > by Michael CarmanTuesday, October 27, 2020 1:30am PORT ANGELES — Parents will be notified when a case of COVID-19 is confirmed in the schools, Port Angeles School District Superintendent Marty Brewer said as …

DEADLY BACTERIA LURK IN SE US COASTAL WATERS. CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASES THE RISKS.

image credit to White Water Magazine Scientists call Vibrio a bellwether for climate change because it flourishes in warm water. As the overheating planet alters the oceans — swelling sea levels and fueling harsher storms — the bacteria are multiplying in places where they already thrived and creeping into places where they never did. That’s sickening more …

What is Carbon Offsetting?

Visual Capitalist examines the carbon offsetting principle.

“Carbon offsetting programs such as the one implemented by California have the potential to generate revenues and encourage innovation. Critics, however, have suggested it has a number of design issues.”

Sequim Beacon Adds Resources

The Sequim Beacon has added a multimedia Resources section to their website with recommendations for books to read in the Left-leaning category. There's also a link to a timely talk by Noam Chomsky and a PowerPoint presentation on The Two Moralities. "This presentation is an introduction to the concept of 2 moralities: the "Strict Father" …

25 Washington Newspaper Editors Contact List

Places to submit Letters to the Editor Follow the links for further instructions Clallam County: Peninsula Daily News: 250 words or less Clark County: The Columbian (Vancouver, WA): 200 words or less King County: Crosscut: No word limit specifiedBellevue Reporter: 300 words or lessKent Reporter: 250 words or lessRedmond Reporter: 300 words or lessRenton Reporter: 250 …

En-ROADS — Climate Change Solutions Simulator

En-ROADS is a transparent, freely-available policy simulation model that provides policymakers, educators, businesses, the media, and the public with the ability to explore, for themselves, the likely consequences of energy, economic growth, land use, and other policies and uncertainties, with the goal of improving their understanding. https://vimeo.com/359091159

Seattle Cruise Control Update

Greetings, Seattle Cruise Control Supporters! The COVID-19 pandemic has had at least two positive consequences: The entire 2020 Seattle-to-Alaska cruise season — all 233 ships — has been cancelled.Work has stopped on the new cruise terminal at T46! However, a pause is not the same as a cancellation: the Port of Seattle Director has stated that "when it's safe to …

Climate Emergency Movement

The global tally for Climate Emergency declarations is up to 1,755, within 30 countries. In California, the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD) Board of Directors adopted a Climate Emergency resolution and committed to achieving net zero emissions electricity by 2030, becoming the first utility company to commit to a timeline that is in line with …

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

Timothy Snyder | March 2017 An idiot’s guide to tyranny: Some thoughts about Timothy’s Snyder’s ‘On Tyranny’ — The Berkshire Edge “Americans today are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism in the twentieth century. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. Now is …

Accurate Weather and Climate Reporting on KNKX Jazz Blues & NPR News

Thanks for signing our petition, "Accurate Weather and Climate Reporting on KNKX Jazz Blues & NPR News". We were successful in modestly moving KNKX with respect to Cliff Mass's minimization of the climate crisis. Station managers arranged for a scientific review (conducted pro bono by Dr. Tad Anderson, a former colleague of Mass and a …

The Washington State Climate Assembly needs your help!

Position announcement: 17 July 2020 Washington State Climate Assembly Program Assistant The Climate Assembly Washington Initiating Team is looking for excellent candidates to serve as Program Assistant for the first-ever “Citizens’ Climate Assembly” in the United States!   So-called “Citizens’ Assemblies” are a form of deliberative democracy that has been used with promising results around the …

Greta Thunberg: Humanity has not yet failed

Sommar & Vinter i P1 | Jun 20 - 75 min. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7E2Wz3C5XwtEw3Pi96tLQA?si=gOHyk4gOSMGxKcgdaoc4lg Spotify URL - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7E2Wz3C5XwtEw3Pi96tLQA?si=gOHyk4gOSMGxKcgdaoc4lg Episode Description Climate activist Greta Thunberg urges world leaders to do more. Doing our best is no longer good enough. We must now do the seemingly impossible, Thunberg says in the Swedish Radio show Summer on P1 where she …

OCA Signs Letter to Big Oil: Protect the Arctic Refuge

OCA joins other groups to encourage the big oil companies of Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Hilcorp, and BP to not pursue fossil fuel development in one of our most majestic public lands in the nation - the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  Read the letter here . . . Drilling in the Arctic Refuge is risky and unnecessary - it violates …

OCA Stands Opposed to the Keystone XL Pipeline

In solidarity with Indigenous communities, farmers and ranchers along the route, OCA is sending our protest banner to the Governors of Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska demanding they stop all pre-construction activity. Background: The movement against the Keystone XL Pipeline has successfully stopped the Trump Administration and TC Energy, aka TransCanada, from building this climate-destroying …

Stop the Money Pipeline supports the demand to defund the police

For years, the Movement for Black Lives has demanded investments in the education, health and safety of Black communities, instead of in institutions that criminalize, cage and harm Black people.Stop the Money Pipeline supports the demand to defund the police, and invest instead in Black communities.Cities across the United States spend a mind-boggling portion of …

4 area Tribes are “still in” for climate action

The Jamestown, Hoh, Quinault, and Suquamish Tribes are among 12 Tribes nationwide that have signed on to the We Are Still In declaration, a coalition of cities, states, tribes, businesses, universities, healthcare organizations, and faith groups who strongly oppose the US withdrawal from Paris and are not going to take a retreat from the global …

$170K grant will facilitate climate planning on the NOP

Once again, partnerships pay off: The Puget Sound Partnership, along with its local stakeholders’ group known as the Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network, have awarded $170,000 to the North Olympic Development Council (a local coalition of governments, businesses, NGOs, and citizens) to develop multi-benefit local climate action plans that integrate with local governmental comprehensive and shoreline …

About CoronaVirus

Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) Letter from Dr. Robb at UC San Diego. For those concerned about the coronavirus: Subject: What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic by James Robb, MD UC San Diego Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at …

Climate-related Bills in the WA State Legislature

Climate- and energy-related bills in the WA State Legislature that the League of Women Voters supports: SHB 1110 /  SB 5412   Reduces greenhouse gas emissions with transportation fuels.  HB 1113 Aligns Washington State's greenhouse gas reduction goals with the 2015 Paris Agreement and current climate change science assessments.  HB 1597 Integrates the natural gas upstream emissions rate and global warming …

Open Letter Delivered at Meeting of Equator Banks

Press Release -- 13 November 2019By: BankTrack & Partners As banks head for Singapore to decide on new Equator Principles, 300+ civil society groups call for ambition and courage Campaigners urge banks to stop financing climate disasters and respect Indigenous’ Peoples Rights 312 Civil society organizations from 58 countries have today called upon the financial …

Scientists endorse mass civil disobedience to force climate action

Reuters -- Environment October 12, 2019 -- Matthew Green LONDON (Reuters) - Almost 400 scientists have endorsed a civil disobedience campaign aimed at forcing governments to take rapid action to tackle climate change, warning that failure could inflict “incalculable human suffering.” . . . “We believe that the continued governmental inaction over the climate and …

Climate Resolution for the City of Port Angeles is up for a vote

NOVEMBER 6, 2019 -- City of Port Angeles Council Meeting Agenda In the meeting packet .PDF linked above:Resiliency Plan: Recommendations Addressing Climate Change -- p. 78-103Appendix A: Climate Resolution for the City of Port Angeles -- p. 104Appendix B: Actions for Reducing PT City Government Emissions -- p. 106-107 Appendix A: Climate Resolution for the …

Kudos to Port Angeles High School

They've made Climate Change their theme for the year. Here's their memo to students and parents: School-wide theme: Educating for Climate Change: Teachers are reporting creative ways that they are incorporating the theme of Educating for Climate Change into their classrooms this year. For example: Ms. Christianson’s French III/IV students found French words/phrases associated with climate change, then …

Plastic Industry’s Planned Expansion Threatens Our Ability to Avoid Catastrophic Climate Change

“We cannot solve the climate crisis without also addressing the rapidly-growing plastic pollution crisis,” said Judith Enck, Former EPA Regional Administrator and founder of Beyond Plastics CONTACT 518.605.1770, Judith Enck, BeyondPlastics@Bennington.edu FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 15, 2019 BENNINGTON, VERMONT — As students around the world prepare for a series of climate strikes, the petrochemical industry is …

Leviathans in the Harbor

More and bigger cruise ships are crowding coastal destinations. When is enough, enough? Who gets to decide? by Brian Payton , August 27, 2019, Hakai Magazine 'Knoll Lowney, the lawyer representing the three plaintiffs who claimed they were victims of Carnival’s environmental violations, said, “Time and time again, Carnival has shown its contempt of environmental laws and the …

Climate crisis reducing land’s ability to sustain humanity, says IPCC

UN report finds ecosystems never before under such threat and restoration is urgent The Guardian, Aug 8, 2019 by Damian Carrington, Environmental Editor 'However, action now to allow soils and forests to regenerate and store carbon, and to cut meat consumption by people and food waste, could play a big role in tackling the climate …

U.S. Oil Refinery, Tacoma Water Quality Permit Renewal

Tell Ecology: No oil terminal expansion in Tacoma! Fact Sheet for this Permit Renewal Frequently Asked Questions about Effective public commenting Comment Online Use the online comment form Comment by mail Greg Gould Industrial Section P.O. Box 47600 Tacoma, WA 98504 Attend a related event Aug. 7, 2019, 6:30 p.m. - U.S. Oil Refinery, Tacoma …