Probably my last blog post, here it goes.
Earlier this week I was looking back and realized I was pretty lucky in my choice of story. At the beginning of the semester I planned on writing my story about the effect of climate change on salmon. After seeing Keith struggle to get in contact with reluctant government sources I was glad I had settled on doing my story on wildfire. I know other people too struggled with some of their sources but I guess that can be expected in any reporting class.
Although I did have some problems getting in touch with some of my sources I found I had more information, more aspects to this story, than I could fit in 1500 words. In fact I think this entire class could have written about different aspects of wildfire if we were so inclined.
As far as actual classroom activities I think things were put together well with a lot of important information but I had some question about use of class time. There were some days when I felt I could be using my time more wisely working on my story or catching up on sleep when I was in class learning about percents. I realize this information is important to some class members who may not have known how to calculate certain equations but if I would have known ahead of time I might not have come to class that day and came to class instead on another day that I missed. I do realize that attendance needs to be required because we went over a lot of important information in class but I think we, as students, should be aware what we are doing each day in class so that we can plan accordingly.
In class today we talked a little bit about the grading process and transparency. Throughout the semester I didn't feel the small assignments were being graded as much as the final product. The entire time I was working toward the finished product and not so much sweating the smaller steps along the way, which I now realize play a crucial role in my grade. I understand grading in such a course cannot be entirely objective but I guess I agree with Lindsey that there could have been a little more transparency and discussion in terms of the grading process. Not until Tuesday on the last day of class did I have any idea of where I stood as far as grades, I would have been fine with whatever grade I got, well maybe not any grade, but I would have liked to know that grade, or at least some measure of my standing in the class, a little sooner and more frequently.
The book. I purchased the book fully expecting not to read it this semester and I didn't, probably a self fulfilling prophecy. This was fine with me though. First, it wasn't a required text, I chose to buy it so I can't be mad about being forced to buy it and not using it. Second, I think it will be useful in the future and fully intend to read it, or parts of it in the future.
Overall I think the class was a good experience. I have never worked on a long term project like this before. The closest I have come was about two weeks of work I put into covering the unionization of academic student employees last semester. I liked our overall theme and I liked my section. I think the project came together pretty well after some kinks and I look forward to
getting it online at The Spokesman-Review.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wildfire making the news
I was browsing a recent issue of National Geographic recently and came across an article about wildfire in California. I can't remember a lot about the article but since then it seems I have notices quite a few stories about wildfire. Many of these do not focus on climate change or the things I directly address in my article but instead look at other interesting aspects of wildfire that bring attention to, and get people talking about, the broader issue.
One story I saw from the Associated press looked at a specific wildfire that burned 12 houses in Spokane, Wash. last summer. This was interesting to me because I originally planned to use that same fire as an introduction to my story but was unable to get in contact with any of the residents who lost their houses in the fire.
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press Writer
SPOKANE, Wash. —
A wildfire that destroyed 12 homes in the Spokane area last summer was caused by an illegal recreational fire that was not fully extinguished, and then was fanned by raging winds, state Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland said Tuesday
The state's findings will be turned over to the state attorney general's office and to the Spokane County prosecutor's office. Those agencies will decide if any charges or claims are brought against the people involved in starting the fire, Sutherland said.
Sutherland said the fire cost at least $3 million to fight and caused as much as $50 million in property damage.
"This thing could have been a hell of a lot worse than it was," Sutherland said, pointing to recent destructive fires in California. "This was a very, very scary fire,"...
Another article, this one out of California looked at recent telephone scams that take advantage of people after fires. The callers claim to be collecting money for firefighters yet the government says they do not use such a system to collect money for firefighters.
"The state's findings will be turned over to the state attorney general's office and to the Spokane County prosecutor's office. Those agencies will decide if any charges or claims are brought against the people involved in starting the fire, Sutherland said.
Sutherland said the fire cost at least $3 million to fight and caused as much as $50 million in property damage.
"This thing could have been a hell of a lot worse than it was," Sutherland said, pointing to recent destructive fires in California. "This was a very, very scary fire,'"...
This was intersting to me because I had never heard of these scams.
In addition to these stories there have been a great deal of articles about current or recent California wildfires that have burned late in the season. In my article I wrote about one of the major effects of climate change, this being longer fire seasons. It would be interesting to take a look at all of these California wildfire stories and see if there is anything about how late in the season these fires are buring and if there has been an increase in late fire season fires in Californian in recent years?
One story I saw from the Associated press looked at a specific wildfire that burned 12 houses in Spokane, Wash. last summer. This was interesting to me because I originally planned to use that same fire as an introduction to my story but was unable to get in contact with any of the residents who lost their houses in the fire.
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press Writer
SPOKANE, Wash. —
A wildfire that destroyed 12 homes in the Spokane area last summer was caused by an illegal recreational fire that was not fully extinguished, and then was fanned by raging winds, state Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland said Tuesday
The state's findings will be turned over to the state attorney general's office and to the Spokane County prosecutor's office. Those agencies will decide if any charges or claims are brought against the people involved in starting the fire, Sutherland said.
Sutherland said the fire cost at least $3 million to fight and caused as much as $50 million in property damage.
"This thing could have been a hell of a lot worse than it was," Sutherland said, pointing to recent destructive fires in California. "This was a very, very scary fire,"...
Another article, this one out of California looked at recent telephone scams that take advantage of people after fires. The callers claim to be collecting money for firefighters yet the government says they do not use such a system to collect money for firefighters.
"The state's findings will be turned over to the state attorney general's office and to the Spokane County prosecutor's office. Those agencies will decide if any charges or claims are brought against the people involved in starting the fire, Sutherland said.
Sutherland said the fire cost at least $3 million to fight and caused as much as $50 million in property damage.
"This thing could have been a hell of a lot worse than it was," Sutherland said, pointing to recent destructive fires in California. "This was a very, very scary fire,'"...
This was intersting to me because I had never heard of these scams.
In addition to these stories there have been a great deal of articles about current or recent California wildfires that have burned late in the season. In my article I wrote about one of the major effects of climate change, this being longer fire seasons. It would be interesting to take a look at all of these California wildfire stories and see if there is anything about how late in the season these fires are buring and if there has been an increase in late fire season fires in Californian in recent years?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Final draft preparation
As per Ben's reminder I decided I might do an update on the progress of my story.
Yesterday I spent a good deal of time tracking down some additional sources, and some I hadn't been able to contact when I did my first round of interviews prior to completing my rough draft.
Yesterday I spoke to two different gentlemen who lost houses in the Flannigan Creek Fire in 2003 on Moscow Mountain. The first was a forestry professor at the University of Idaho and was very helpful, I also talked to his adult son briefly who was there during the fire and I plan on calling him again this afternoon for a more extensive interview. The family of the first source rebuilt on the same property. The other source was his neighbor who was out of town when his house burned. He and his wife moved and created an all concrete and steel house. I think it is an interesting contrast, the way the two chose to handle life after the fire.
I also spoke Steven Running, a forestry professor at the University of Montana who is Nobel Laureate for his work on climate change models used in the movie "An Inconvenient Truth."
He provided me with some good information and further confirmation that climate change is currently effecting forest fires and will continue to do so according to climate change models.
Tomorrow I plan on speaking with a researcher at the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group. I don't expect to learn anything new but I think I expect I will further confirm the information I already have and hopefully pin down some real numbers about climate change predictions in the Northwest.
My plans to visit the site of a wildfire fell through. I see little point in making the trip if I am unable to get someone with knowledge of the fire and burnsite recovery to go there with me. Until yesterday I was still planning to visit the site but I think the story of the two families who lost their houses in a fire is much more compelling and has a greater value to my story.
Yesterday I spent a good deal of time tracking down some additional sources, and some I hadn't been able to contact when I did my first round of interviews prior to completing my rough draft.
Yesterday I spoke to two different gentlemen who lost houses in the Flannigan Creek Fire in 2003 on Moscow Mountain. The first was a forestry professor at the University of Idaho and was very helpful, I also talked to his adult son briefly who was there during the fire and I plan on calling him again this afternoon for a more extensive interview. The family of the first source rebuilt on the same property. The other source was his neighbor who was out of town when his house burned. He and his wife moved and created an all concrete and steel house. I think it is an interesting contrast, the way the two chose to handle life after the fire.
I also spoke Steven Running, a forestry professor at the University of Montana who is Nobel Laureate for his work on climate change models used in the movie "An Inconvenient Truth."
He provided me with some good information and further confirmation that climate change is currently effecting forest fires and will continue to do so according to climate change models.
Tomorrow I plan on speaking with a researcher at the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group. I don't expect to learn anything new but I think I expect I will further confirm the information I already have and hopefully pin down some real numbers about climate change predictions in the Northwest.
My plans to visit the site of a wildfire fell through. I see little point in making the trip if I am unable to get someone with knowledge of the fire and burnsite recovery to go there with me. Until yesterday I was still planning to visit the site but I think the story of the two families who lost their houses in a fire is much more compelling and has a greater value to my story.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Back to work
My blog is looking pretty sparse as of late, especially after removing the post with the first draft of my story. My research since that deleted post has also slowed due to a busy schedule but will resume in full force tomorrow at 2 p.m. when I will speak with Penelope Morgan, professor of forest resources at the University of Idaho.
After reading the Seattle Times series "Failing Our Sound by Warren Cornwall I was reinvigorated (a word?) with a desire to continue work on my story after the one week hiatus. The series provided me with some new ideas for structure and also led me to a few questions for Cornwall. In the series I perceived a bias toward environmentalism and against those who stand in the way of environmental reform.
When I asked Cornwall this in class during the audio conference he explained. He said he doesn't like to use the word objectivity because journalists can rarely be objective. He prefers to explain it as fair reporting looking at the facts and reporting the truth. A reporter does not always have to give equal time to both sides, he said, if one of those sides is clearly a minority and likely or provably wrong. He gave an example of how global warming doubters were given equal time and it only emboldened them and painted an unfair picture of the real situation. I had been struggling with a similar issue, whether or not to give lines to one scientist who believed increasing wildfire was not due to climate change when all others I had talked to did not share that opinion. To solve this issue I plan on continuing to interview experts on the subject and ask all of them where they stand. I will present both ideas but likely focus on the one that seems to be proven true based on interviews and data research. I will not discount the idea of the lone researcher though just because, at present, others do not share his opinion.
In my interview with Morgan I plan on asking her where she falls on this issue a well as speaking to her about regional data and the effects of climate change on wildfire in Idaho, if she believes there are any. I also hope to find out a nearby location of a wildfire that I can visit.
After reading the Seattle Times series "Failing Our Sound by Warren Cornwall I was reinvigorated (a word?) with a desire to continue work on my story after the one week hiatus. The series provided me with some new ideas for structure and also led me to a few questions for Cornwall. In the series I perceived a bias toward environmentalism and against those who stand in the way of environmental reform.
When I asked Cornwall this in class during the audio conference he explained. He said he doesn't like to use the word objectivity because journalists can rarely be objective. He prefers to explain it as fair reporting looking at the facts and reporting the truth. A reporter does not always have to give equal time to both sides, he said, if one of those sides is clearly a minority and likely or provably wrong. He gave an example of how global warming doubters were given equal time and it only emboldened them and painted an unfair picture of the real situation. I had been struggling with a similar issue, whether or not to give lines to one scientist who believed increasing wildfire was not due to climate change when all others I had talked to did not share that opinion. To solve this issue I plan on continuing to interview experts on the subject and ask all of them where they stand. I will present both ideas but likely focus on the one that seems to be proven true based on interviews and data research. I will not discount the idea of the lone researcher though just because, at present, others do not share his opinion.
In my interview with Morgan I plan on asking her where she falls on this issue a well as speaking to her about regional data and the effects of climate change on wildfire in Idaho, if she believes there are any. I also hope to find out a nearby location of a wildfire that I can visit.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
A brief outline
Outline:
Story, human interest side.
Climate change, drier? Warmer? Snow pack?
What have we seen?
What will we see?
Wildfires
What have we seen?
This fires this past summer, refer back to personal story.
What will we see?
Quick review of findings, what is being done.
Story, human interest side.
Climate change, drier? Warmer? Snow pack?
What have we seen?
What will we see?
Wildfires
What have we seen?
This fires this past summer, refer back to personal story.
What will we see?
Quick review of findings, what is being done.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Online records assignment
1) Who are the plaintiffs in Whitman County civil case no. 08-2-00181-2?
The Sierra CLub, Scott Cornelius, CELP
2) How many WSU sites are on the Department of Ecology's most recent hazardous sites list?
Five.
3) Who is the Washington state public records coordinator for nuclear waste?
Lynn Noah
4) Who owns tax parcel no. 35093.2006 in Spokane County
Avista Utilities
5) What landmark borders the property to the east?
The Spokane River
6) How many well logs are registered for Chevron in Whitman County?
There are 56
7) Who received the most amount of money in federal farm subsidies in WHitman County in 2006?
Wheatlife
8) Using the EPA's EnviroFacts database, identify the number of hazardous waste sites that are part of Superfund in Shoshone County, Idaho.
12
9) Which agency manages HazDat and what does it track?
Agency and Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The agency tracks and manages the release of hazardous substances from Superfund sites.
10) Where can we find the Five-Year Review for the Bunker Hill Superfund site?
Call 800-424-4372. ext. 2709 or Visit the EPA Region 10 website at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/cleanup.nsf/bh/five+year+reviews
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Story proposal round two
My topic is fairly broad but could be expanded further or sharpened to fit space constraints, as such I believe I could write anywhere from 600-2000 words.
Having yet to do any interviews it is difficult to begin writing my section of our combined piece on climate change. Even so I have an idea of the direction I would like to go and some of the sources I hope to find.
After speaking with Addy Hatch and mulling over my options I have come up with a solid story idea, and a focus for that story. My nut graph might look something like this:
As they pulled from their driveway, their car packed with possessions John and Jane Doe said they knew it might be the last time they ever saw their dream home. They spent the night in a temporary shelter with other Spokane Valley residents who had been forced to evacuate by a 1000 acre wildfire that threatened their properties. Some of those residents would be able to return home a few days later.
The Doe's and 12 other families whose houses were destroyed by the (name of fire) fire would not be so lucky. Wildfires are on the rise in Eastern Washington, and in the last (supporting fact, number of wildfires in past years, number of acres burned etc.).
Some examples of fires last summer that caused damage in the Inland Northwest.
"♦ The Badger complex fire north of Wenatchee, two fires burning 13,000 acres in primarily grass, wheat and sagebrush. Paul Norman, information officer for the Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, Ore., said the fire - the Browns Canyon fire and the Badger Mountain fire - was threatening 60 homes on Saturday. Norman said an evacuation order had been issued for the residents of the homes. Norman said the two fires had burned a total of 13,000 acres. The 4,200-acre Browns Canyon fire was 70 percent contained and the 8,800-acre Badger Mountain fire was 50 percent contained on Saturday, Norman said.
♦ The Cayuse fire 14 miles east of Okanogan that had burned 1,500 acres in timber, grass and sagebrush. There were 287 firefighters, aided by four helicopters, battling the blaze on Saturday, Norman said.
♦ Three fires - the French Valley, the Abaham Canyon and the Doyle Complex blazes - that had burned 900 acres along the Kettle River on Saturday. They were 15 percent contained and it was being fought by 292 firefighters, Norman said."
The information provided above came from an article on KomoNews.com http://www.komonews.com/news/local/24717604.html
After addressing a brief history of wildfire in the region I would attempt to pick out some trends. I would speak with experts on forestry, wildfires, and climate change. Some of these contacts could likely come in the form of professors, researchers and faculty at Eastern Washington University, the University of Idaho, and the University of Washington.
I would also like to talk to firefighters who have first hand experience fighting these fires. I think it would be good to get perspectives from the front lines of these fires. Although they might not have a great deal of technical expertise they would be able to help interpret some of the information and provide another human side in looking at this issue.
As I mentioned in my last blog entry: "In doing this I would like to address some questions: Are wildfires increasing in Washington? If so why are they increasing? What are the economic impacts of wildfires? Is there a family with a story about how their house was burned? What are the environmental impacts of wildfires? What will happen with this issue in the future? How is rainfall tied in and how will this change as we experience further climatic change?"
A couple sources of information in the form of academic journals I have found so far include:
Understory vegetation response to thinning and burning restoration treatments in dry conifer forests of the eastern Cascades, USA from Forest ecology and management. 255, no. 8-9 (2008 May): p. 3130-3140.
Atmospheric, climatic, and ecological controls on extreme wildfire years in the northwestern United States. Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America. 15, (2005 Feb.): p. 154-174.Some other articles I have found that relate to this subject.
Below are some additional articles I found, nutgraphs for these articles are included to prove their relevance to the subject. Not all of these articles deal with wildfires in the Inland Northwest but all deal with the correlation between wildfire and climate change.
The Washington Post
September 27, 2007 Thursday Regional Edition
The Climate Change Peril That Insurers See
BYLINE: John Morrison and Alex Sink
SECTION: EDITORIAL COPY; Pg. A25
LENGTH: 872 words
Montana is burning again. This summer, some of the nation's worst wildfires incinerated homes, barns and fences, killing livestock and forcing families to evacuate. Wildfires have increased fourfold since the 1980s, and they are bigger and harder to contain because of earlier-arriving springs and hotter, bone-dry summers. Last year's fires broke records; this year could be worse. As courageous firefighters beat back the flames, insurance companies continue to pay out billions for wildfire losses across the West.
The Washington Times
March 23, 2008 Sunday
Wildfire warming effects
BYLINE: By Thomas M. Bonnicksen, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
SECTION: COMMENTARY; B04
LENGTH: 707 words
California has gained an international reputation for its efforts to fight global warming - but the progress the state makes is often undone right here at home.The catastrophic and unnatural forest fires that ravage California each year don't resemble the historic fires that took place in these forests for millennia. Frequent lightning and Indian-set fires that burned along the ground, igniting only scattered small groups of trees, kept forests open and healthy, and resistant to catastrophic fires.Some people argue we have to live with fire. On the contrary, an industrialized world can't live with fire. We would have to move out of our forests to be safe and get out of our cars to eliminate tailpipe emissions to make up for the greenhouse gases that wildfires emit into the atmosphere.That isn't realistic, so the only solution is to fight global warming and protect our communities and forests by reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires.
Northwest Construction
February 1, 2007
State Study Shows Global Warming Changing NW Economy; A recent State of Washington study shows how global warming is bringing economic challenges and opportunities.
BYLINE: Staff
SECTION: Green Building News; Pg. 7 Vol. 10 No. 2
LENGTH: 186 wordsClimate change is already affecting Washington's economy, according to a study requested by the departments of Ecology and Community Trade and Economic Development. A team of scientists and economists evaluated climate change in producing the state report. The study warns that economic effects are likely to grow in the Pacific Northwest as temperatures increase. A warming Pacific Northwest, extreme weather, reduced snow pack and sea level rise are four major ways climate change is disrupting Washington's economy, environment and communities. Key evidence of climate change effects in Washington include: retreating glaciers, decreasing snow pack, lower summer stream flows, more wildfires, and rising sea levels.
Christian Science Monitor
November 1, 2007, Thursday
Nation must adapt to greater wildfire risk
BYLINE: Peter N. Spotts Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
SECTION: FEATURES, CURRENTS; Pg. 13
LENGTH: 1376 words
Droughts, floods, severe storms, and sea-level rise often get the lion's share of attention in the litany of projected effects from global warming. But October's disastrous wildfires in California - part of one of the most intense fire seasons in the United States in nearly 50 years - are likely to raise the profile of such events, even if a firm link between the state's fires and climate change has yet to be made.
Having yet to do any interviews it is difficult to begin writing my section of our combined piece on climate change. Even so I have an idea of the direction I would like to go and some of the sources I hope to find.
After speaking with Addy Hatch and mulling over my options I have come up with a solid story idea, and a focus for that story. My nut graph might look something like this:
As they pulled from their driveway, their car packed with possessions John and Jane Doe said they knew it might be the last time they ever saw their dream home. They spent the night in a temporary shelter with other Spokane Valley residents who had been forced to evacuate by a 1000 acre wildfire that threatened their properties. Some of those residents would be able to return home a few days later.
The Doe's and 12 other families whose houses were destroyed by the (name of fire) fire would not be so lucky. Wildfires are on the rise in Eastern Washington, and in the last (supporting fact, number of wildfires in past years, number of acres burned etc.).
Some examples of fires last summer that caused damage in the Inland Northwest.
"♦ The Badger complex fire north of Wenatchee, two fires burning 13,000 acres in primarily grass, wheat and sagebrush. Paul Norman, information officer for the Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, Ore., said the fire - the Browns Canyon fire and the Badger Mountain fire - was threatening 60 homes on Saturday. Norman said an evacuation order had been issued for the residents of the homes. Norman said the two fires had burned a total of 13,000 acres. The 4,200-acre Browns Canyon fire was 70 percent contained and the 8,800-acre Badger Mountain fire was 50 percent contained on Saturday, Norman said.
♦ The Cayuse fire 14 miles east of Okanogan that had burned 1,500 acres in timber, grass and sagebrush. There were 287 firefighters, aided by four helicopters, battling the blaze on Saturday, Norman said.
♦ Three fires - the French Valley, the Abaham Canyon and the Doyle Complex blazes - that had burned 900 acres along the Kettle River on Saturday. They were 15 percent contained and it was being fought by 292 firefighters, Norman said."
The information provided above came from an article on KomoNews.com http://www.komonews.com/news/local/24717604.html
After addressing a brief history of wildfire in the region I would attempt to pick out some trends. I would speak with experts on forestry, wildfires, and climate change. Some of these contacts could likely come in the form of professors, researchers and faculty at Eastern Washington University, the University of Idaho, and the University of Washington.
I would also like to talk to firefighters who have first hand experience fighting these fires. I think it would be good to get perspectives from the front lines of these fires. Although they might not have a great deal of technical expertise they would be able to help interpret some of the information and provide another human side in looking at this issue.
As I mentioned in my last blog entry: "In doing this I would like to address some questions: Are wildfires increasing in Washington? If so why are they increasing? What are the economic impacts of wildfires? Is there a family with a story about how their house was burned? What are the environmental impacts of wildfires? What will happen with this issue in the future? How is rainfall tied in and how will this change as we experience further climatic change?"
A couple sources of information in the form of academic journals I have found so far include:
Understory vegetation response to thinning and burning restoration treatments in dry conifer forests of the eastern Cascades, USA from Forest ecology and management. 255, no. 8-9 (2008 May): p. 3130-3140.
Atmospheric, climatic, and ecological controls on extreme wildfire years in the northwestern United States. Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America. 15, (2005 Feb.): p. 154-174.Some other articles I have found that relate to this subject.
Below are some additional articles I found, nutgraphs for these articles are included to prove their relevance to the subject. Not all of these articles deal with wildfires in the Inland Northwest but all deal with the correlation between wildfire and climate change.
The Washington Post
September 27, 2007 Thursday Regional Edition
The Climate Change Peril That Insurers See
BYLINE: John Morrison and Alex Sink
SECTION: EDITORIAL COPY; Pg. A25
LENGTH: 872 words
Montana is burning again. This summer, some of the nation's worst wildfires incinerated homes, barns and fences, killing livestock and forcing families to evacuate. Wildfires have increased fourfold since the 1980s, and they are bigger and harder to contain because of earlier-arriving springs and hotter, bone-dry summers. Last year's fires broke records; this year could be worse. As courageous firefighters beat back the flames, insurance companies continue to pay out billions for wildfire losses across the West.
The Washington Times
March 23, 2008 Sunday
Wildfire warming effects
BYLINE: By Thomas M. Bonnicksen, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
SECTION: COMMENTARY; B04
LENGTH: 707 words
California has gained an international reputation for its efforts to fight global warming - but the progress the state makes is often undone right here at home.The catastrophic and unnatural forest fires that ravage California each year don't resemble the historic fires that took place in these forests for millennia. Frequent lightning and Indian-set fires that burned along the ground, igniting only scattered small groups of trees, kept forests open and healthy, and resistant to catastrophic fires.Some people argue we have to live with fire. On the contrary, an industrialized world can't live with fire. We would have to move out of our forests to be safe and get out of our cars to eliminate tailpipe emissions to make up for the greenhouse gases that wildfires emit into the atmosphere.That isn't realistic, so the only solution is to fight global warming and protect our communities and forests by reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires.
Northwest Construction
February 1, 2007
State Study Shows Global Warming Changing NW Economy; A recent State of Washington study shows how global warming is bringing economic challenges and opportunities.
BYLINE: Staff
SECTION: Green Building News; Pg. 7 Vol. 10 No. 2
LENGTH: 186 wordsClimate change is already affecting Washington's economy, according to a study requested by the departments of Ecology and Community Trade and Economic Development. A team of scientists and economists evaluated climate change in producing the state report. The study warns that economic effects are likely to grow in the Pacific Northwest as temperatures increase. A warming Pacific Northwest, extreme weather, reduced snow pack and sea level rise are four major ways climate change is disrupting Washington's economy, environment and communities. Key evidence of climate change effects in Washington include: retreating glaciers, decreasing snow pack, lower summer stream flows, more wildfires, and rising sea levels.
Christian Science Monitor
November 1, 2007, Thursday
Nation must adapt to greater wildfire risk
BYLINE: Peter N. Spotts Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
SECTION: FEATURES, CURRENTS; Pg. 13
LENGTH: 1376 words
Droughts, floods, severe storms, and sea-level rise often get the lion's share of attention in the litany of projected effects from global warming. But October's disastrous wildfires in California - part of one of the most intense fire seasons in the United States in nearly 50 years - are likely to raise the profile of such events, even if a firm link between the state's fires and climate change has yet to be made.
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