Quinault Indian Nation plans relocation to combat flooding

The Quinault Indian Nation in Washington State is relocating Taholah village to higher ground to mitigate flood risks exacerbated by climate change.

Mark Trahant and Stewart Huntington report for ICT.

In short:

Taholah is currently vulnerable to frequent flooding from storm surges and rising sea levels, prompting the relocation initiative.
The new village will be situated about a half-mile uphill, incorporating sustainable and resilient building practices.
Financial challenges remain, with projected housing costs between $350,000 and $400,000, potentially unaffordable for many tribal members.

Key quote:

"It's almost like a geyser shooting through the rocks."

— Ryan Hendricks, tribal council member, Quinault Indian Nation

Why this matters:

As the planet warms, many locations once thought ideal for settlement are becoming untenable. The Quinault Indian Nation’s decision to relocate is a reminder of the adaptability and resilience of Indigenous communities, yet it also raises important questions about the responsibility of governmental and international bodies in supporting vulnerable populations in the face of climate change.

The trickle of climate-related migration is already upon us: The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimates that 1.68 million Americans were internally displaced by disasters in 2017.

ictnews.org

TransAlta head office building in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Credit: Jeff Whyte Photography/BigStock Photo ID: 449639657

The tab to keep a Pacific Northwest coal plant on standby keeps rising. Who will pay?

Electric utilities across the Pacific Northwest are fuming that their customers might be saddled with the costs of a coal-burning power plant that isn’t producing any power.The messy dispute stems from the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to sustain the American coal industry.

Read the Full Article on

washingtonstatestandard.com

Quinault Indian Nation plans relocation to combat flooding

Carbon captured

‘Kind of miracle solution’: How Paris is harnessing the Seine to replace air-con

Indigenous cultural practices are a climate solution, report finds

The ‘guerrilla solar’ era has arrived, and here’s what to know

Solar has a PR problem. Could ‘Got Milk?’ help?

The tab to keep a Pacific Northwest coal plant on standby keeps rising. Who will pay?

EU countries are bailing out fossil fuels instead of funding the green transition, Greenpeace warns

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.