Northern Spotted Owl. Photo by Dennis Newman.
As if old growth logging, and competition from barred owls wasn’t enough.
There’s another threat to Oregon’s fragile population of northern spotted owls.
Research from Oregon State University says climate change may also hurt the spotted owl’s chances for survival.
A new report from the EPA looks at how Climate Change is affecting the United States. Since 1990 we live in a country that’s warmer, with more heat waves and hurricanes. Sea levels are rising and glaciers are melting.
New research has found that older Douglas-fir trees in Oregon are just as susceptible to Swiss needle cast as younger ones, suffering the same needle loss and in some cases almost stop growing. Photo from OSU.
Oregon’s state tree, the Douglas Fir, is under attack from a disease that’s spreading and intensifying through the Coast Range.
It’s called Swiss needle cast, a fungus that causes the tree to lose its needles and stunts its growth. Researchers with Oregon State University say the disease has gotten so bad, it’s damaging forests to the tune of $200 million per year.
They suspect global warming may be a cause.
The world wide campaign known as Earth Hour is tomorrow, and across Oregon thousands of people, businesses, governments and other groups are signing up to take part. The idea – dim your lights for an hour, save some energy, and help raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change.
That includes Governor Kulongoski, who says he’ll dim the lights at the Governor’s mansion during Earth Hour, which runs from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.
A view of the Calapooya Mountains in the Umpqua National Forest. Photo from U.S. Forest Service.
We all know there’s something special about Oregon’s forests.
A new study by the Wilderness Society says if you’re looking for a place to store carbon, Oregon forests are the best in the nation.
Using Forest Service data, the Society says the top ten best forests for storing carbon are all in the Pacific Northwest. Six of them in Oregon, three of them are in Washington and one is in Alaska.
UPDATE: Our initial vote tally was incorrect. It’s been updated.
In the last days of the special session, one more victory notch in the belt of Oregon’s environmental community.
This afternoon, the House approved SB 1059, a bill that lowers greenhouse gas emissions from car and light trucks. The Oregon Environmental Council says the vote was 32-26. The Senate approved the bill yesterday, all that’s left is getting the Governor’s signature.
Here’s a brief rundown of what’s in the bill:
Update:
1000 Friends of Oregon and the Oregon Environmental Council released a joint statement praising the bill.
Mary Kyle McCurdy, 1000 Friends of Oregon Policy Director says, “This victory will help create healthier, sustainable communities across Oregon. And it’s a major step for giving Oregonians better transportation choices.”
“SB 1059 is a win-win for cities and towns across Oregon,” says Chris Hagerbaumer, Deputy Director of the Oregon Environmental Council. “The bill will help create the tools and resources local governments need to make cost effective decisions on planning future growth while also improving air quality and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Cities and towns of all sizes will be able to use the tools that the agencies develop.”
The Senate is expected to vote this afternoon on SB 1059, a bill regulating greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.
Under the bill, state agencies will set greenhouse gas reduction targets for five metro areas in the state, Salem-Keizer, Eugene-Springfield, Bend, Medford and Corvallis. The Portland metro area is already covered by a similar law.
The bill also calls for the state to help the metro areas by giving them help with planning and ideas on the best ways to reach the goals.
Supporters are hoping this will encourage more metro areas in the state to expand their mass transit options, and look for ways to control sprawl.
The Senate convenes this afternoon starting at 1pm. Brock Howell of Environment Oregon says if the bill passes, the House could vote on as soon as tomorrow.
Here’s one part of the green agenda for the special session that’s moving along. SB 1059 which lowers greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks was approved today by the Ways and Means Committee. Next stop is the Senate Floor.
This is what the bill does.
Supporters hope this will lead to more mass transit in the regions covered by the bill, and help prevent sprawl.
Thanks to 1000 Friends of Oregon for the tip!
Some testimony, but no action today on two environmental bills before the special session.
The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee heard from witnesses on SB 1059, the bill that requires urban areas to reduce greenhouse gases from cars and trucks, but it did not take vote. And because of time constraints, it put off taking another look at SB 1032, the bisphenol A ban.
Both bills come up again Thursday afternoon.
