EcoNews Report

Researchers in the Journal Science report that a chemical in car tires, 6PPD-quinone, is a likely coho salmon killer. The chemical, used as a preservative in tires, was found to kill juvenile salmon in lab tests that replicated concentrations often found in nature. Warner Chabot, executive director of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, joins Gang Green to talk about the research and what California can do to protect its endangered salmon. 

Read the report!

A ubiquitous tire rubber–derived chemical induces acute mortality in coho salmon

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Big, radical, wild ideas. On this week’s episode of the EcoNews Report, Gang Green shares their big ideas for how to save the planet.

Geothermal power could be the low-carbon energy source of the future, utilizing the planet’s hot core to turn turbines. 

Green hydrogen could replace fossil fuels to power airplanes and to store excess energy produced by wind farms and other renewable energy sources when there isn’t a grid demand. 

Direct air capture to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas levels back to a sustainable level. 

What are your big ideas to save the planet? Share them to [email protected] and maybe we will feature them on a future show!

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Highway 101 through Eureka is one of California’s most dangerous stretches of road. Structurally, the road is bad for non-vehicular users: it is wide, fast, and crosswalks are too spaced too far apart, to name a few problems. Local agencies and advocates are looking for ways to make Broadway safer for people walking and biking. 

What do wetlands, contaminated soil, and traffic congestion have to do with it? Listen to find out.

REQUIRED READING:

• Eureka May Propose New Roads Through Wetlands to Improve Broadway Corridor; Opponents Say Plans Aren’t Feasible
• The Eureka Broadway Corridor Plan

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On this week’s episode, Gang Green talks about the 2020 general election and what it means for local and federal environmental issues. Locally, Gang Green is excited about environmental scientist Scott Bauer making it to the Eureka City Council and the passage of Arcata’s Measure A, which will fund parks, greenspace protection and wetland restoration.

On the federal side, President-elect Joe Biden and the Democrats may have a surprisingly easy road to undo damage wrought by Trump on federal environmental laws, although a (likely) divided government will make a positive legislative agenda more difficult.

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Much has been made of how Justice Amy Coney Barrett will rule on questions of abortion and healthcare, but what about her stance on the Chevron deference? If you don’t know what that is, you are not alone. On this week’s EcoNews Report, Gang Green goes legal nerd and dives into the bedrock of our federal administrative state. We promise this isn’t boring.

Required reading:

• My Word: Will Justice Barrett kill the modern administrative state?
• Will Confirming Judge Barrett be the Death of Chevron Deference?
• Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation could revive this hidden doctrine — and derail climate action

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New Zealand mudsnails are small--about the size of a peppercorn--but they can be a BIG problem for watersheds where they are found. On this week's EcoNews Report, the Green Gang sits down with Darren Ward, Associate Professor of Fisheries Biology at Humboldt State University, and Jacob Pounds, environmental scientist at the Blue Lake Rancheria, to learn about new infestations in the Mad River and how you can prevent the spread of these snails and other aquatic invaders.

Remember, always decontaminate your gear, particularly when traveling between watersheds. Use one of the following methods: Freeze your gear for a minimum of 4 hours to kill all mudsnails. Freezer temperatures should be at 26°F (-3°C) or below. Soak gear in a bath of hot water (at least 120°F, 46°C) for 10 minutes. Or use an approved decontamination product. 

For more info:

• Darren Ward's video: March of the Mudsnails at warp speed (50x).
• How to Prevent the Spread of New Zealand Mudsnails through Field Gear, OR Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
• New Zealand Mudsnail species profile, CA Dept. of FIsh & Wildlife

If you observe this species in California, please report your sighting to the CDFW Invasive Species Program, or email [email protected].

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Washington is a mess. With the Feds failing to lead on climate change, is there any hope for our planet? On this week’s EcoNews, Gang Green dives into what it would take to translate the principles and values of the Green New Deal - you know, the thing that your crazy uncle says will ban hamburgers - into local legislation. 

Special thanks to Colin Fiske, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities and Katy Gurin of 350 Humboldt for joining the show.

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On this week’s EcoNews Report, the Green Gang interviews fire ecologist Lenya Quinn-Davidson about this year’s record fire season and what people can do to reduce fire risk on their properties. (Did you know it can be as easy as cleaning out your gutters?)

More Info:

• Humboldt County Prescribed Burn Association
• California Prescribed Burn Association

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On this week’s show, we hear from the award-winning California artist-naturalist Obi Kaufmann about his latest book, The Forests of California: A California Field Atlas.

Like his two previous best sellers, The California Field Atlas and The State of Water: Understanding California’s Most Precious Resource, The Forests of California explores the Golden State’s wild places in an attempt to center those of us fortunate enough to live here. The book is a collection of hundreds of watercolor paintings and maps, woven together with philosophy and lyrical naturalism to present a story of the forests of our past, present and future.

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This week, we are joined by Jacobs Pounds of Blue Lake Rancheria Environmental Department, who recently detected toxic algae in the Mad River from Blue Lake to Arcata. Anatoxins are powerful neurotoxins produced by blue-green algae when populations explode or "bloom" during unusually warm, low-flow conditions. These toxins have been detected in other local rivers and across the West, but never before in the Mad River. With limited testing due to high costs, it's best to avoid freshwater with visible algae mats, since these toxins have led to dog deaths and could be harmful to people, especially children. 

To learn more, visit the Blue Lake Rancheria's Facebook page.

For more info on toxic algae, visit the CA Harmful Algae Blooms website.

There you will see the HAB Incidents Report Map with the latest test results throughout the state, including No Swimming advisories for Big Lagoon, Stone Lagoon, and much of the Klamath River. 

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