April 26, 2013: A Window on Ocean Acidification and Phytoplankton, the Base of the Food Web

A row of space-age domes off the Washington coast may provide a peek at the future. Not the future of space travel but the effects of increasingly acidic oceans on phytoplankton, the base of the food web. Scientists and students at the University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs on San Juan Island are engaged in the nation’s first controlled-ocean research tool in coastal waters where co2 levels are almost double those in the atmosphere.

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April 18, 2013: 21 Acres of Farmland Holds Its Own in Wine Country

Can farm fresh creamy nettle soup compete in wine country? If 21 Acres Center for Local Food and Sustainable Living has its way, grapes won’t be the only local product getting a ‘value-added’ lift when its turned into wine and its value increases as much as five fold. But the completion is stiff. Woodinville wineries want land to build hotels for their customers. Those committed to growing the local farm movement - even stinging nettle - want land and infrastructure to nurture other Washington grown produce.

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April 5, 2013: A River for All? Environmental Justice and the Duwamish River Valley

Ever since Seattle’s only river was declared a Superfund site, the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition has advocated on behalf of the communities who live near it. In a new report, the Coalition and Just Health Action say the EPA, who is legally responsible for cleaning up the river also have an obligation to the communities whose lives have been impacted.

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March 27, 2013: Mason Bees to the Rescue: Gentle Pollinators Emerge to Solve Food Crisis

When gardeners talk about bees, the buzz is usually about honeybees. After all, honeybees pollinate fruit blossoms and produce sweet amber honey. But with colony collapse disorder decimating their numbers, gardeners are turning to an unsung heroine, the native mason bee. These gentle, solitary bees are pollinating powerhouses. One mason bee can do the pollinating work of 100 honeybees. A local mason-bee entrepreneur has taken note. All he needs are bee-raising partners to help increase their population and ensure the nation’s food supply.

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March 18, 2013: Puget Sound Energy’s Green Reputation Gets A Black Eye: Sierra Club Sues Utility Over Ownership in Coal-Fired Power Plant

Why is the state’s largest electric utility with a reputation for clean energy burning coal for 20% of its power supply? The Sierra Club and Montana Environmental Information Center are asking the same thing. The two are seeking a court order requiring Puget Sound Energy and other owners to install modern pollution controls at the Colstrip Generating Facility in eastern Montana. The coal plant is one of the biggest greenhouse gas polluters in the West.

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March 5, 2013: A Multi-Million Dollar Military Expense Not in 'Budget Talk': Construction of a 2nd Explosives Handling Wharf at Bangor Nuclear Submarine Base 20 Miles from Seattle

One military expense that’s not discussed in budget talks is construction of a $715 million dollar explosives handling wharf at the Navy’s Bangor Nuclear Submarine Base. The base occupies five miles of shoreline on the northern edge of Hood Canal, Puget Sound’s western arm. It manages the third largest collection of nuclear warheads in the country. A National Environmental Policy Act lawsuit was filed against the Navy last summer. Legal wrangling kept the case on hold. But last week the 9th Circuit said its first responsibility was to resolve issues raised by the suit and the case would move forward. Martha Baskin has our story.

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February 25, 2013: Legislation to Ban Tris Flame Retardants Hits Snag: Third Try by Toxic Free Legacy Coalition to Remove Its Use in Sofas and Children’s Products

Of the estimated 80,000 chemicals used in everything from sofas and mattresses to baby bottles and car seats, only 200 have been assessed for health risks. Individual states have succeeded in banning chemicals one at a time. In Washington, foes of the toxic flame retardant Tris have proposed legislation to not only ban its use, but make sure manufacturers find less toxic alternatives.

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