Salem-News.com Environment articles

Organic Foods Have More Nutritional Benefits; Less Chemical Pesticides

The researchers also found pesticide residues were three to four times more likely in conventional foods than organic ones.

(PULLMAN, Wash.) - The largest study of its kind has found that organic foods and crops have a suite of advantages over their conventional counterparts, including more antioxidants and fewer, less frequent pesticide residues.

The study looked at an unprecedented 343 peer-reviewed publications comparing the nutritional quality and safety of organic and conventional plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables and grains.

Lead Bullets, Fishing Gear Killing 120 Different Bird Species in North America

Researchers looked at copper bullets as one less-toxic alternative to lead and notes that they generally work well in modern firearms commonly used for big game hunting.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - The ingestion of lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle accounts for illness and mortality in more than 120 different species of birds in North America, according to a newly published review of scientific studies on the issue.

Oregon Senators Push Congress for Additional Funding to Fight Western U.S. Wildfires

Figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior show that this year’s fire season is already projected to exceed the current budget by $615 million.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have called on Congress to pass a proposal from the White House to provide additional fire funding to treat the catastrophic wildfires already raging in states across the western United States.

President Obama on Tuesday, asked Congress to include an additional $615 million dedicated to wildfire suppression costs as part of an emergency spending request.

Purple Sails Washing Ashore Along Oregon Coast After 10 Year Absence

Purple Sails have a clear 'sail' that catches the wind and pushes them across the ocean’s surface.

(SEASIDE, Ore. ) - Something that hasn't been seen for a while on Oregon beaches has returned – almost as mysteriously as it disappeared ten years ago.

The Purple Sails are back, cast up on the beaches in various areas and getting ready to wear out their initially lovely little welcome as they start to rot and stink.

Greenland Ice Sheet Collapse Began 400,000 Years Ago

A period known as the Marine Isotope Stage 11 resulted in a global sea level rise of about 6-13 meters above present time.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - A new study suggests that a warming period more than 400,000 years ago pushed the Greenland ice sheet past its stability threshold, resulting in a nearly complete deglaciation of southern Greenland and raising global sea levels some 4-6 meters.

The study is one of the first to zero in on how the vast Greenland ice sheet responded to warmer temperatures during that period, which were caused by changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

New Pesticide Rule Hopes to Help Oregon Bee Deaths

The temporary rule, which goes into effect immediately, will be enforced for 180 days.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - The Oregon Department of Agriculture is taking additional steps to protect bees and other pollinators from exposure to specific pesticide products following multiple incidents of bee deaths this summer.

In adopting a temporary rule, ODA is prohibiting the use of pesticide products containing the active ingredients dinotefuran and imidacloprid on linden trees or other species of Tilia.

Salem Work Crews to Begin Repairs on Upper Bennett Dam

During construction, the south channel around the island and the boat slide at the dam will be closed.

(STAYTON, Ore. ) - The boat slide at the Upper Bennett Dam will be closed between July 15, and August 30, to allow the City of Salem to make repairs to the Upper Bennett Dam.

During a routine inspection of the Upper Bennett Dam in August 2013, a void area was discovered under the structure that required immediate attention.

Starfish Along Oregon Coast Headed for Extinction

Today, an estimated 30-50 percent of the Oregon populations of this sea star species in the intertidal zone have the disease.

(NEWPORT, Ore. ) - Just in the past two weeks, the incidence of sea star wasting syndrome has exploded along the Oregon Coast and created an epidemic of historic magnitude, one that threatens to decimate the entire population of purple ochre sea stars.

The ochre sea star, which is the species most heavily affected by the disease in the intertidal zone, may be headed toward localized extinction in Oregon, according to researchers at Oregon State University who have been monitoring the outbreak. As a “keystone” predator, its loss could disrupt the entire marine intertidal ecosystem.

Southern Oregon Wildfire Continues to Grow

The fire is only 5 percent contained at this time.

(KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. ) - The Bryant Fire reported Thursday afternoon burning 20 miles east of Klamath Falls on the NE end of Bryant Mountain has grown to 1,200 acres.

The fire is burning in an active logging operation in felled and bucked timber on steep, rugged terrain.

Parts of Oregon Inundated by Western Tent Caterpillars

Western tent caterpillars produce one generation per year.

(SCAPPOOSE, Ore. ) - Oregon State University Extension offices in Columbia County are being inundated with calls by concerned members of the public about localized, often severe, defoliation of hardwoods in the northern portion of the county.

The defoliation has been most noticeable on red alders, cottonwoods, willows and fruit trees; however, other broadleaf trees and shrubs are also being affected. The damage is caused by an outbreak of western tent caterpillars (Malacosoma californicum), a moth native to the Pacific Northwest.