Study Explores How Oregon Liberals, Conservatives Think About Climate Science; ‘Completely Different Epistemic Vantage Point’
July 22nd, 2021
In the United States, climate change is controversial, which makes communicating about the subject a tricky proposition.
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With Hot, Dry Weather Since March, Columbia Basin Facing Reduced Water Supply, Low Flows; Washington Declares Statewide Drought Emergency
July 15th, 2021
At the end of February, much of the Columbia River basin showed near to above normal water supply forecasts. But with dry weather taking hold in March, and staying there, the picture now is quite dire, with some areas facing the driest April-September water volume on record.
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OSU Study: Roadless Forests In American West See More Blazes, Greater Severity, Resulting In Fire Resilience In Warming Climate
July 15th, 2021
Roadless national forests in the American West burn more often and at a slightly higher severity than national forests with roads, but the end result for the roadless forests is greater fire resilience, Oregon State University researchers say.
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What To Do When Resistance To Climate Change Is Futile? Paper Advises A Range Of Options
July 15th, 2021
Major ecosystem changes like sea-level rise, desertification and lake warming are fueling uncertainty about the future. Many initiatives - such as those fighting to fully eradicate non-native species, or to combat wildfires - focus on actively resisting change to preserve a slice of the past.
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‘Ecomechanical Models’: Researchers Develop More Accurate Way To Predict Impact Of Climate Change On Plants, Animals
July 8th, 2021
A team of scientists has devised a more accurate way to predict the effects of climate change on plants and animals -- and whether some will survive at all.
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High Temps Force Salmon Managers To Begin Sockeye Trap And Haul Next Week At Lower Granite Dam
July 1st, 2021
Idaho will begin a trap and haul operation at Lower Granite Dam July 6 to rescue endangered Snake River sockeye salmon, an operation they first did during the heat-caused sockeye die off in 2015.
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OSU’s New Wildfire Models Show Fewer Lightning-Caused Ignitions But Much Larger Fires By Mid-Century: What Do We Do About It?
June 24th, 2021
Human-caused wildfire ignitions in Central Oregon are expected to remain steady over the next four decades and lightning-caused ignitions are expected to decline, but the average size of a blaze from either cause is expected to rise, Oregon State University modeling suggests.
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EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK: Margin Of Error -With A Warming Columbia River Basin No Time Left To Dawdle Over Recovering ESA-Listed, Naturally-Producing Salmon, Steelhead
June 17th, 2021
Smolt-To-Adult returns. SARs. The BENCHMARK of Columbia/Snake River basin salmon and steelhead recovery. And in recent years the SARs benchmark – tagged, tracked fish-- is screaming bad news for Snake River salmon and steelhead. Bringing these fish back from the brink as the regional climate warms requires urgency.
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Report: Abundance Of Pacific Ocean Salmon In 2020 Lowest In 40 years Despite Record Hatchery Releases
June 17th, 2021
The global abundance of salmon in the Pacific Ocean in 2020 based on commercial catch was the lowest since 1982 and in North America the catch was the lowest since 1977, despite a record number of hatchery releases the year before, according to a report released in May 2021 by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission of Vancouver B.C.