September 20, 2018: Cruise Ships, Heavy Fuel Oil, and Arctic Sea Ice

Arctic sea ice is at its lowest in September, when the ice stops melting and glaciers begin to accumulate again. The National Snow and Ice Data Center tracks ice and says the extent of sea ice this year is expected to be one of the lowest in the satellite record. Climate watchers in Seattle and Amsterdam are bringing attention to the issue by targeting cruise ships that burn heavy fuel oil, a practice amplifying the effects of climate change. Martha Baskin has our story.

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March 29, 2018: Depaving Paradise. LIVE! Hillside Paradise Plots Community Garden

The demand for locally grown food is often higher among immigrants and refugees than the rest of the population. Often fed by agrarian roots or a hunger for foods from home, a resettlement agency recognized the need and decided to take action. World Relief Seattle joined forces with the community, a church, conservation and county agencies; to design one of the area's largest urban community gardens. Not only will the garden grow food that refugees can't find anywhere else, it's designed for a changing climate with on-site irrigation. Martha Baskin has the story.

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March 2, 2018: Puget Sound Energy - in a climate changing world what energy will you use?

Like all for-profit utilities, Puget Sound Energy is required to file an energy resource plan with the Utilities and Transportation Commission every two years outlining how it will meet future energy needs. The most recent plan doesn't sit well with those who testified at a recent public hearing. They say the plan is a blueprint to lock 1.1 million customers into decades of fossil fuels. PSE says the plan is a mandated regulatory exercise and doesn't predict what energy - coal, gas, wind, hydro – they plan to use past the mid-2020s. Martha Baskin has the story.

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February 8, 2018: Winter Seabirds: Are There More or Are They Just More Dispersed? It's a Nuanced Answer with Climate Playing a Big Role

If you're a birder, counting seabirds on a gray winter Puget Sound day is the place for you. While many species are in decline, there's a greater number of seabirds throughout the Sound, driven by migration from northern breeding grounds. But positive sightings don't always mean there's enough food. In the world of seabirds there's a lot of nuance, with climate playing a big role. Martha Baskin has the story.

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January 29, 2018: 100% for Climate: Threading the Legislative Needle

The tag line the environmental community is using to spur climate legislation is "100% for climate action." It's one gaining support from a variety of stakeholders - business leaders and city council members from central Washington. They may not agree on the exact language in bills making their way through the legislature, but their show of support for carbon pricing could thread the legislative needle.

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January 12, 2018: Climate Countdown: Activists, Tribes, the Governor and Lands Commissioner Push the Needle for the 2018 Legislative Session

300+ people from around the state, including tribal members, descended on the State Capital in Olympia this week to instigate a campaign called "Climate Countdown." They say time is running out to pass groundbreaking climate legislation and are demanding the legislature take meaningful action in the 2018 session. Martha Baskin has our story.

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December 12, 2017: Hard Rains, Polluted Run-off, and Salmon

For over a century, cities have been developed in ways that interrupt the natural water cycle. Hard surfaces prevent rain from soaking naturally into the soil. Instead stormwater floods through streets, carrying pollution directly to local waterways. For some species of salmon, stormwater can be lethal. Others can handle it, but only briefly or at certain stages of their life. In this feature Martha Baskin checks out an urban creek on a stormy day when salmon had returned to spawn.

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