Courtney Flatt

Grant will expand use of ‘sensor fish’ in dams

Courtney Flatt — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:59:32 +0000

RICHLAND, Wash. – As salmon wind their way through dams on the Columbia River, a small percentage ultimately end up passing through turbines. A project that helps fish move more safely through turbines recently received a grant to expand its scope.

Electric vehicles could help store NW wind power

Courtney Flatt — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:35:45 +0000

RICHLAND, Wash. – As the Pacific Northwest begins to integrate more renewable energy, grid operators sometimes have trouble predicting the variability that comes with it. Researchers have found a way to use electric vehicles to help balance wind power’s inconsistency.

Pine white butterflies flit to new homes in Washington desert

Courtney Flatt — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:37:05 +0000

RICHLAND, Wash. – It's been 30 years since the last outbreak, but now white butterflies are flitting between pine trees across areas of eastern Oregon and Washington.

Grants awarded to improve hydropower generation in Wash.

Courtney Flatt — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:41:44 +0000

RICHLAND, Wash. – New projects in the Pacific Northwest may soon improve the efficiency and reduce costs of hydropower generation, thanks to a new round of federal spending announced today.

Two projects in Washington received grants to help improve hydropower generation.

Battelle researchers study efficient carbon capture

Courtney Flatt — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:06:28 +0000

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kplu/local-kplu-983563.mp3

RICHLAND, Wash. – Researchers recently received a grant to develop a better process to capture carbon dioxide that could save more than half of what coal-fired power plants now spend on the technology.

Roman artifact helps nuclear storage research

Courtney Flatt — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:40:39 +0000

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kplu/local-kplu-982302.mp3

Scientists are experimenting with 1,800-year-old glass to better understand how nuclear waste storage will hold up for millennia to come.

Northwest businesses seek new salmon policy

Courtney Flatt — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:59:45 +0000

Northwest business, fishing and food industry leaders are asking for a new approach to salmon policy. From Richland, Courtney Flatt has more.

A group of one thousand businesses is using a ruling recently issued by federal judge James Redden to call for a new look at salmon policy.

In a news conference, business owners and fishermen say they hope to bring key regional stakeholders to the table to restore all salmon runs to the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Spokane outdoor retailer Paul Fish says a healthy environment goes hand-in-hand with a healthy economy.

Catalyst may lead to more ethanol options

Courtney Flatt — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:48:45 +0000

Ethanol may soon have more uses than just as a fuel additive. Researchers have accidentally discovered an easier, more environmentally friendly biofuel catalyst.

Researchers hope a new catalyst called isobutene will lead to more ways to use ethanol –- from making rubber to solvents to aviation fuel.