Our Pacific Northwest:Hanford Reveals it's in Over its Head

Our Pacific Northwest

Hanford Reveals It's In Over its Head

Last Friday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee informed local and national press a nuclear tank at the Hanford Nuclear Plant is leaking radioactive waste. This week the Seattle Times has reported a $13.4 billion treatment plant for the site scheduled to be finished in 2019 may not reach the deadline due to “serious, unresolved engineering challenges.” The treatment plant would properly treat contaminated water and store 56 million gallons of radioactive waste at the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site. According to the report, federal and state government officials have agreed to begin test phases by 2019 with the plant being fully operational by 2022. But the project has hit financial and political snags, particularly if the automatic federal spending cuts are initiated next month. The report also stated although construction of the treatment plant is over halfway finished, 80 percent of the actual engineering is completed. Efforts are being made by the Energy Department and local contractors to pump the waste out of the tanks into double-shelled tanks, offering better protection. This is unsettling news for both man and creature in our Pacific Northwest, as the contamination threatens some of the most critical watersheds in the region.

Photo Via Dirty Clean PNW



Our Pacific Northwest: Cain to Commence Giant's 2013 Campaign

Our Pacific Northwest

Cain to Commence Giants' 2013 Campaign
 

Photo Via SF Examiner

The Oakland Tribune reported today the Giants will send right-hander Matt Cain to the mound on Opening Day, April 1st in Los Angeles. The young southern man is coming off his best and most magical season last year. The 28-year-old registered a career high 16 wins (including a perfect game last June), 193 strike-outs, started the All-Star game, locked down a 2.79 ERA, and helped the Giant’s clinch a second World Series in three years. Cain will likely face the young left-hander and former Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw on Opening Day, who picked up 14 wins, 229 strikeouts, and a 2.53 ERA in 2012. With Tim Lincecum's performance fading the last couple seasons, these newly minted pitching rivals may not only decide this year’s Cy Young winner, but may ultimately decide the outcome of a contentious divisional race between notorious rivals. The Giants have gelled into a team which feeds off its chemistry in the clutch, but it will be interesting to see if the Dodgers can do the same with a loaded lineup after last season's blockbuster deal. Debatably making their regular season series the hottest ticket in baseball.

Our Pacific Northwest: An Unexpected Face Makes His Case For Citizenship

Our Pacific Northwest

An Unexpected Face Makes His Case For Citizenship

Photo via San Jose Mercury News

Among the millions of undocumented immigrants in this country are the faces of friends and colleagues we’d never expect, as was the case for the UC Berkeley Math Club. The San Jose Mercury News has reported today that Terrence Park, math club president and bio-statistics student at UC Berkeley, came out to his fellow students about being an undocumented citizen. According to the report, Park arrived in California with his family from South Korea at the age of 10 on temporary visas, which expired. His coming out is part of “The Dream is Now” campaign, an advocacy group captained by Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs. The report mentioned Park is one of dozens of students around the state and being video tapped in order to persuade Americans to develop a pathway to citizenship. Park told the Mercury News if the Dream Act passes, he plans on continuing his graduate education at either Brown or Yale University. Empirical commends Terrence for his pioneering courage, and for revealing one of the millions of faces of the undocumented in our Pacific Northwest.

A Week in Our Pacific Northwest

Portland State Reaches for World Record

Cause for Concern for the King?

Shell's Rigs Set Sail for Asia

Newts Renew Their Love in Berkeley

Our Pacific Northwest: Newts Renew Their Love in Berkeley

Our Pacific Northwest

Newts Renew Their Love in Berkeley

 

There is plenty of love in the air this Valentine’s Day, and homo sapiens aren’t the only ones feeling it. The Oakland Tribune has reported this week the newts of UC Berkeley’s Botanical Garden have returned, keeping their prompt annual schedule for mating season. According to the report, these newts return to the pools on the Berkeley campus yearly to reproduce in the same pools they were conceived in. The Botanical Garden’s website states the pools are home to two different species of newt, the Taricha torosa (California newt) and the Taricha granulosa (rough-skin newt). In a report filed by the Contra Costa Times, the newts were first spotted in 1964 by a zoology undergrad and have been an attraction to students, professors, and amphibian enthusiasts ever since. Empirical wishes you and your special newt a happy Valentine’s Day . If you don’t have one keep your head up and keep swimming, they may be only be just a pond away.

 

 

 

Our Pacific Northwest: Shell's Rigs Set Sail for Asia

Our Pacific Northwest

Shell's Rigs Set Sail for Asia

Last month, Empirical brought to light a story circulated by the Associated Press stating the Department of the Interior will review Shell Oil’s 2012 offshore drilling exploits in Alaskan waters. Today, the Anchorage Daily News has reported Shell will tow its two drills used in 2012 to Asia for repair and further inspection. The report speculated the move by Shell indicates major work on the rigs may be necessary, and casts doubts on whether the oil mogul will be able to resume its drilling before season’s end. The AP report last month laid out several problems Shell encountered with its drills last year, including a drill barge which ran aground New Year’s Eve, a drill ship which was found to have numerous safety violations, and an oil barge which did not gain certification before the start of last year’s drilling season. According to the Daily News' report, Shell invested almost $5 billion in leases, oil spill response equipment, and infrastructure. But environmentalists in the region claim the risks are too high and call for all offshore drilling to cease.

Photo Via Anchorage Daily News

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Our Pacific Northwest: Cause for Concern for the King?

Our Pacific Northwest

Cause for Concern for the King?

Photo Via El Emergente

The collective breaths of Mariner’s fans will be held today as Felix Hernandez reports to spring training for a much anticipated physical, according to ESPN. The three time All-Star and 2010 Cy Young winner has been working with the front office over a seven year, $175 million dollar deal. What’s been postponing the announcement? According to the report, a concern has risen over the condition of Hernandez’s elbow which is credited for impeding the contract's progress. Despite this setback, the report indicated Hernandez has exhibited a normal throwing motion in pre-training workouts. Last year Hernandez finished 5th in earned runs in the AL (3.06), registered 223 strike-outs, 21 quality starts, and helped the Mariners finish in the top-ten in team ERA in all Major League Baseball. The young pitching sensation only picked up 13 wins last season, largely due to a Seattle offense which struggled to give him more wins. If the Mariners wish to find success this season and stay competitive with a loaded Angel squad, a surging Athletics ball club, and a still-potent Rangers team, they need Hernandez healthy for this season and many seasons to come.

Our Pacific Northwest: Portland State Reaches for World Record

Our Pacific Northwest

Portland State Reaches for World Record

The Oregonian reported yesterday Portland State University is working on what may end up being, when finished, the tallest barometer in the world. When completed the barometer will stand 46’6’’, beating the previous world record by over six feet, according to the report. Barometers are used by weather forecasters to measure the “weight” of the air. When the air pressure is high, it typically indicates nice weather. But when the barometer drops, it indicates a storm system is likely on its way. What else makes the Maseeh College Barometer at PSU unique is its shift from the industry’s standard. Typically a glass tube which helps operate the barometer is filled with the highly toxic mercury. But because of its digital capabilities, the barometer at PSU will use water instead. Empirical would like to congratulate the staff and graduate students of Portland State on their eventual accomplishment, further proving our Pacific Northwest is never afraid to push scientific boundaries.

 



Photo Via The Oregonian

Our Pacific Northwest: Region's Deadliest Predator Endangered

Our Pacific Northwest

Region's Deadliest Predator Endangered


In the same week wolverines in our Pacific Northwest received consideration for more protection,  the most feared and misunderstood creatures in our waters will temporarily receive the same consideration. The San Francisco Chronicle reported this week the California Fish and Game commission unanimously voted to advance the Great White Shark’s candidacy to the list of endangered species. According to the report, the commission will conduct a one-year review of the species in which the species will be carefully examined and receive temporary protection. The review was prompted by the findings of two recent studies on the species whose range in the Pacific reaches from Mexico to Hawaii and Alaska. The studies found the number of female Great Whites mature enough to reproduce was estimated to be less than 100, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Not only will the sharks receive more protection during the year-long review, but it also includes a ban on incidental catches by net fisherman, according to the Chronicle. The review exemplifies our Pacific Northwest's progressive commitment to protecting all of our region’s creatures, no matter how feared or beloved they may be.

Photo Via National Geographic







A Week in Our Pacific Northwest

Wolverines Struggle to Weather Climate Change

UW Aims to Restore Sight to the Blind

Tsunami Debris Continue to Invade PNW

Portland's Urban Forest Ranked Amongst Top in the Nation



Our Pacific Northwest: Portland's Urban Forest Ranked Amongst Top in the Nation

Our Pacific Northwest

Portland's Urban Forest Ranked Amongst Top in the Nation

The Oregonian has reported today the American Forests Report has ranked Portland, Oregon among the top 10 cities for urban forests in the nation. Portland, along with the other top cities, stood out among the 50 most populated cities for its civic engagement in maintaining the urban forest, accessibility to the public, documented knowledge about its urban forest, and its management plans and activities. Infamously known as “Stumptown” in its early history for its over-logged landscape, the report stated Portland now has 1.4 million total trees (1.2 million in parks and roughly 240,000 on the city streets). In 2004 the city set a goal of 33 percent of its surface area to be covered in urban forest; today it is estimated to be at 30 percent according to the report. Empirical magazine would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the city of Portland for its top-ten finish, and for its tremendous dedication in restoring a captivating landscape in our Pacific Northwest.

Photo Via Discover Sherwood Living



Our Pacific Nothwest: Tsunami Debris Continue to Invade PNW

Our Pacific Northwest

Tsunami Debris Continue to Invade PNW

Picture Via NPR



Last month, Empirical brought to light a Seattle Times report about scientists discovering a dock which landed on the shores of Olympic National Park believed to be floating remains of the calamitous earthquake which devastated Japan in 2011. Today, NPR has reported Alaskan beaches are also receiving debris from the tsunami, creating a headache for environmentalists in the region. According to the report, the debris spans across roughly 80 miles of Alaskan coastline, turning pristine coast into eye sores and creating hazards for wildlife. Among the debris are refrigerators, pieces of foam, and containers of kerosene, petroleum, and other chemicals. Cleanup efforts are stymied because funding for the clean up was recently re-directed to the bill for Hurricane Sandy relief, according to NPR. The debris lacks the immediate impact of other ecological disasters the region has endured in the past, but if the remains are neglected, it will eventually have a detrimental impact on one of the most sensitive regions of our Pacific Northwest.

Our Pacific Northwest: UW Aims to Restore Sight to the Blind

Our Pacific Northwest

UW Aims to Restore Sight to the Blind

NWCN  reported this week findings made by a research team at the University of Washington last year will be published in the July 26, 2013 issue of Neuron journal. According to the report, medical researchers at UW, with the help of fellow researchers at the University of California and the University of Munich, discovered a chemical which temporarily restores partial vision to blind mice. The researchers are now determined to develop an enhanced version with the goal of helping humans with degenerative blindness improve or even restore their sight. Although the chemical didn’t have a permanent effect on the mice, the report indicated the researchers hope it will someday grant those suffering from blindness an alternative to other procedures like gene or stem cell therapies which permanently alters the iris. Although the researchers have a long road ahead, they are on the right track of potentially curing degenerative blindness as well as retinitis pigmentosa, the most common form of inherited blindness.

Photo Via UW Medicine



Our Pacific Northwest

Our Pacific Northwest

Wolverines Struggle to Weather Climate Change

This week federal wildlife officials will begin considering placing wolverines under protection of the Endangered Species Act according to a report by The Columbian. According to the report, there are roughly 200 to 300 wolverines remaining in the contiguous United States, surviving in small pockets in Washington, Wyoming, Idaho, the Northern Rockies and larger populations in Alaska and Canada. Although these tenacious 40-pound creatures fear no apex predators, their species has declined over the years due to a drop in heavy snow falls. The heavy snow is critical for wolverine mothers to build sufficient dens for their newborns. Many environmentalists within the region are pointing to the effects of climate change as the leading cause of the wolverine’s demise. Despite this dire news, the report did indicate there is still time to save the species by introducing them to the tall peaks of the Rockies in Colorado. Only time will tell if more efforts will be made to save a unique species in our Pacific Northwest.

 

Photo Via The Nature of Travel

 

To learn more about climate change, read Fiddling While Rome Burns

 

 

Our Pacific Northwest: Estuary Decreed Sanctuary

Our Pacific Northwest

Estuary Decreed Sanctuary

 Photo Via San Francisco Bay Book

The Oakland Tribune announced today the San Francisco Bay estuary has officially been included to an international list of protected wetlands. The move was part of an agreement under a 1971 treaty signed by 163 countries with the aim of limiting development which would destroy ecologically critical waterways. According to the Tribune report, the San Francisco Bay estuary is the largest on the US Pacific coast, containing 77 percent of California’s surviving wetlands and a refuge to over 1,000 species. If you wish to learn more about the estuary itself, you can visit their site at http://www.sfei.org/. The addition of this estuary makes it the nation’s 35th wetland of significant importance, and protects an ecological gem of our Pacific Northwest.

A Week in Our Pacific Northwest

Dupre is Down from Denali, But Not Out

Crocket Owner Fined for Tarnishing Frontier

Ticketmaster Helps Make a Fan's Super Dreams Come True 

 Second Hand Store Makes First Rate Discovery

Our Pacific Northwest; Second Hand Store Makes First Rate Discovery

Our Pacific Northwest

Second Hand Store Makes First Rate Discovery

Some of us find hidden gems when we venture into a second-hand store, but employees at a Goodwill store in Seattle found a true treasure. The Seattle Pi reported yesterday the employees found an antique vest made by Native Americans centuries ago. According to the report, the employees found the tribal vest in a trunk which was donated over six years ago. Based on the design and the beading, members of the Burke Museum of Natural History in  Seattle believe the vest is originally made by the Blackfoot tribe, who once defended their homeland in the Black Hills of South Dakota in a notorious rebellion against the United States government in the 19th century. The report went on to state the vest was likely sold at train stations after the rebellion, and its estimated value today is $5,000. Despite the temptation to cash it in, the vest will become a permanent feature of the Burke Museum. This piece of Native American History will now be appreciated through the ages in our Pacific Northwest.

Photo Via Seattle Pi



Our Pacific Northwest: Crocket Owner Fined for Tarnishing Frontier

Our Pacific Northwest

Crocket Owner Fined for Tarnishing Frontier

Photo via The Columbian

The Columbian reported yesterday the owner of the Davy Crocket, an oil barge which caused a massive oil spill in the Columbia River in 2011, has been fined $405,000 by the Washington State Department of Ecology. According to the article, the Davy Crocket was purchased by Principle Metals LLC in 2010 before the company’s owner decided to scrap the ship with thousands of gallons of oil still on board. The vessel, which formerly served in World War II, eventually lost its battle against time and began to leak oil into the Columbia River. Efforts to clean the spill took 10 months and, according to the report, cost taxpayers more than $22 million. Although this amount initially seems shorthanded, it does not include bills the Coast Guard and other agencies will likely foot Principle Metals with in the coming months. Bret Simpson, the owner of the barge during the spill, has pleaded guilty to two criminal violations, and will be sentenced sometime in March. The damage caused by the spill will impact the river for years to come, but it is satisfying none the less that justice will be served for those who neglected the precious ecology of our Pacific Northwest.

Our Pacific Northwest: Dupre is Down from Denali, But Not Out

Our Pacific Northwest

 Dupre is Down from Denali, But Not Out

Photo via Anchorage Daily News

The Anchorage Daily News reported yesterday Lonnie Dupre of Minnesota has returned to base camp after his third attempt to become the first human being to conquer Mt. McKinley, North America’s tallest peak at 20,320, in the dead of winter by himself. According to the article, the 51-year-old reached 17,200 feet Thursday before stopping to build a protective snow cave. Dupre intended to use Saturday as a day of scheduled recuperation, but instead spent even more energy fortifying his cave from the -35 degree temperature. Dupre spent 19 days on the mountain before radioing his base camp he would be climbing back down in fear of succumbing to the unforgiving elements. The report went on to state Dupre spent a week at 14,200 before turning back last year, and additional seven days at 17,200 again in 2011 before giving in. Though 16 people have conquered McKinley in between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, a time when daylight is a rare luxury, Dupre is trying to be the first human to accomplish this feat alone. Empirical would like to commend Dupre on his courage to not only attempt this dangerous feat, but also not letting vanity lead him to disaster. We wish him the best of luck and health in any future pursuits of reaching the top the most menacing winter peak in our Pacific Northwest



Photo via Flickr

Our Pacific Northwest: Ramps to Nowhere Will Be No More

Our Pacific Northwest

Ramps to Nowhere Will Be No More

Northwest News reported yesterday that the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle will soon be undergoing some tremendous changes. With a combined effort of the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Arboretum and Botanical Garden Committee, the infamous “ramps to nowhere” built within the arboretum in the 1960's will finally be torn down. The freeway project was halted five decades ago due to resistance from local citizens and environmentalists. Along with the dismantling of these giant concrete and rebar structures, an additional $20 million of improvements will be made to the arboretum, which is home to 10,000 species of plants and animals. According to the report, improvements to what many consider one of Seattle’s greatest gems include a new trail system which will loop through the park, as well as restoring creek beds and improving botanical features. The project announced in a press conference yesterday is long-awaited vindication for those who first fought to preserve a majestic landmark of our Pacific Northwest.



Photo via Madison Park Blogger

Our Pacific Northwest: Ducks of a Feather Football Together

Our Pacific Northwest

Ducks of a Feather Football Together

For the first time in over 70 years, Oregon football will once again be led by a native son. Earlier this week, the University of Oregon held a press conference for homegrown Mark Helfrich, who’s taking the helm of the Ducks with Chip Kelly migrating to the NFL. In a report filed by the Register-Guard, Helfrich and the University agreed to a five-year contract with an annual base of $1.8 million, roughly the same amount Kelly made his first season as head coach of the Ducks in 2009. Helfrich attended Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, Ore., where he excelled on the football field. He went on to play college ball at Southern Oregon where, according to the report, he led the NAIA in total offense as a sophomore. Helfrich eventually became a graduate assistant at Oregon in 1997, and then spent a few stints at Boise State, Arizona State, and Colorado before coming home to become the Duck’s Offensive Coordinator and quarterbacks coach, which he’s held since 2009. The report also noted Helfrich will become the 32nd head coach in Duck football history and the first native Oregonian since John Warren in 1942. Helfrich appeared to be the University’s obvious choice, who promised to “attack, in all phases,” a program mantra since the Kelly era began.

Photo via freep.com





Our Pacific Northwest

Our Pacific Northwest

 

Stanford Makes Big Steps Towards Aiding Those With HIV

A week after their Berkeley counterparts announced a prototype for artificial leaves with the potential to produce clean fuel; The San Francisco Chronicle reported today Stanford scientists have created a technique to genetically engineer immune cells in order to make them more resistant to HIV. It has not been tested on people yet, but the article indicated if the technique proved successful in human trials, it can provide a less rigorous choice to the lifetime of medication those infected with HIV cope with. According to the article, the latest regimen of HIV drugs focuses on two particular receptor genes in T-cells, which is how the HIV virus infiltrates the body, eventually leading to AIDS and a crippling of the immune system. The technique developed by the scientists at Stanford greatly strengthens these receptor genes, making the continuous intake of expensive HIV drugs unnecessary. Scientists hope to begin human trials within the next five years. This indicates a small step for those suffering from this terrible disease, with hopes of living a more fulfilling life due to the help of some of the brightest minds in our Pacific Northwest. 

 

 

Our Pacific Northwest

Our Pacific Northwest

Remembering Gordon Lee Rowan

After days of uncertainty, it has been confirmed three of the thirty-eight workers killed during a terrorist takeover of a BP gas plant in Algeria last week where Americans, one of which being Gordon Lee Rowan of Sumpter, Oregon. In a report filed by The Oregonian, Rowan was in charge of the fracking program for the station's natural gas and oil production. Rowan was raised near the Snake River and after graduating high school in 1973 completed a petroleum engineering program at the University of Oklahoma. After serving in the military, Rowan made a home in Phoenix, Ariz., but traveled around the world to conduct his work. The report went on to state Rowan’s wife died nearly five years ago, but is survived by two grown sons who are also engineers. Rowan was likely going to retire at the end of March. Empirical would like to take this opportunity to give our condolences to the friends and family of Gordon Lee Rowan who will remember him as a wonderful man and a native son of our Pacific Northwest.

 

Photo via CBS News