US acknowledges Northwest dams have devastated the region’s Native tribes

The U.S. government on Tuesday acknowledged, for the first time, the harmful role it has played over the past century in building and operating dams in the Pacific Northwest — dams that devastated Native American tribes by inundating their villages and decimating salmon runs while bringing electricity, irrigation and jobs to nearby communities.

Railway must pay WA tribe nearly $400M for trespassing with oil trains

BNSF Railway must pay nearly $400 million to a Native American tribe in Washington, after a judge found the company repeatedly ran 100-car trains carrying crude oil across the tribe’s reservation.

Worry over being 'disgusting' drives us to do too much laundry, study says

"There is a conflict between the desire to reduce one's washing to save the environment and the fear of being perceived as a disgusting person with unclean clothes," the author said.

WA summer crab season begins July 1; here's what to expect this year

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced summer crabbing season officially kicks off on July 1 in many marine areas around Puget Sound.

WA whale hunt on horizon as Makah Tribe clears last major hurdle

After a nearly two decade long battle, the Makah Tribe has cleared the largest hurdle blocking them from the continuation of it's traditional whale hunts.

Chile's Humboldt penguin could be facing extinction, experts warn

The Humboldt penguin population along the central coast of Chile has drastically declined, with scientists finding only one breeding pair this year compared to 842 last year, putting the species at risk of extinction according to experts.

Texas city tops list of dirtiest in the nation, study says

A recent survey named the "dirtiest" city in the U.S., and earning the top spot this year is none other than Houston, taking the crown from last year's dirtiest, Newark, New Jersey.

Sanitation breakthrough in Seattle could change the design of toilets

A new exhibit at the Discovery Center in Seattle highlights one of the first major sanitation breakthroughs in more than 250 years.

WA DNR predicting a tough fire season: How to minimize the fire danger surrounding your home

The heavy rain in the forecast for this weekend hasn’t washed away the elevated threat of wildfires in Washington State– we’re still in a drought, and the Department of Natural Resources says the burn risk is significant heading into the summer months.

How AI can help (and hurt) climate change

Artificial intelligence significantly impacts the climate crisis by consuming large amounts of energy and water for its data centers, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions, while also offering tools for climate management, such as improving climate models, optimizing energy use, and enhancing renewable energy efficiency.

PNW: Preserving our Climate
video

Hosted by FOX 13 Seattle's Matthew Smith and Meteorologist Abby Acone.

Heatwave in Mexico causes howler monkeys to drop dead from trees

Mexico is facing one of its harshest droughts, with temperatures hitting 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) on Monday, causing severe water shortages and leading to the deaths of at least 83 howler monkeys in Tabasco due to extreme heat and dehydration.

Fight over natural gas could be decided by new WA voter initiative

Let’s Go Washington and the Building Industry Association of Washington are behind Initiative 2066, which aims to push back on portions of a controversial decarbonization bill that narrowly passed the legislature this year.

Olympic marmot conservation plan: Could reintroducing wolves save the species?

Conservationists are advocating for the Olympic marmot, a beloved species found only in Washington state, to be added to the endangered species list. The Center for Biological Diversity attributes the subspecies’ decline to climate change and predation by coyotes.

2023 marks hottest summer in over 2,000 years in Northern Hemisphere, study finds

A recent study published in the journal Nature reveals alarming findings about the summer of 2023, asserting it as the hottest in the Northern Hemisphere in over 2,000 years.

Covington residents want answers about controversial proposal to build battery storage facility

Residents thought all the pushback stalled the project last year, but they recently came across an application to address wetlands on the proposed site that left many wondering what was going on.