Bellamy Pailthorp

Vacationers wanting to fly from the Seattle area to destinations such as Hawaii and Phoenix may soon have another option. The Federal Aviation Administration has approved commercial flights out of Paine Field, near Everett. It’s a proposal that’s been in the works for years.

Despite concern from some neighbors about noise and other environmental factors, the FAA issued a “finding of no significant impacts” for the proposal to allow commercial flights from Snohomish County airport.

Vacationers wanting to fly from the Seattle area to destinations such as Hawaii and Phoenix may soon have another option. The Federal Aviation Administration has approved commercial flights out of Paine Field, near Everett. It’s a proposal that’s been in the works for years.

Seattleites care about the climate. So much, in fact, that the Ford Motor Company chose to target consumers in the Pacific Northwest with an event celebrating the sustainable elements of its latest car designs.

And it’s not just about the tailpipe emissions. It’s about the interface of food and car parts.         

SEATTLE (AP) — Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed an executive order directing state officials to work on the problem of ocean acidification.

Did you get stuck in traffic during the Thanksgiving weekend? Or: worry about your kids getting dicey rides home from holiday parties?

Those are two reasons you might be interested in a relatively new,
alternative form of transportation: ridesharing.

It's really just a new spin on hitchhiking. Only, when you add in cell phones with an app to download, it’s quicker and more convenient to find the right ride.

Though they say it’s better than any Republican alternative, many activists have been disappointed in the environmental policies of the Obama administration.

Now that the election’s over, we caught up with one of the state’s most prominent environmental thinkers to get his take on what’s in store for the next four years.

You may have heard about some issues with the large concrete pontoons being built for the new 520 bridge across Lake Washington. Several of them sprung leaks and cracks after the cement set in Aberdeen.

But the state Department of Transportation says drivers don’t need to worry; the situation is under control.

Click the "play" icon below to see video of State Construction Engineer Jeff Carpenter describing how pontoon cracks are being patched to ensure they will last 75 years, as stipulated in the design plan:

Their loss is our gain. That’s one way some folks are looking at the
failure of the Port of Kingston’s passenger-only ferry service.

The last sailing of the shuttle between downtown Seattle and Kingston was
September 28th.

In Skagit County, a decades-old fight over water rights has come to a
head.

County Commissioners are walking away from an agreement they say
was originally intended to allocate water permits fairly, while
protecting endangered salmon. But now they say that agreement has
caused nothing but lawsuits, so they’re seeking mediation instead.

A small oil spill this week in Port Angeles turned out to be a lot less severe than originally feared.  Clean-up crews are still working to get sticky residue out of the the harbor. But the incident shows how preparedness can pay off.

Washington state put laws in place six years ago that did just what they were intended to do early Wednesday morning, according to the Department of Ecology.

Democrat Jay Inslee is still ahead in the race for Washington governor. The tally now stands at 51% for the former Congressman.

Inslee says he’s waiting for a call from his opponent, Attorney General Rob McKenna, before he’ll declare victory. But, that didn’t stop him from holding a press conference Wednesday to talk about his transition team.

Washington voters have approved the recreational use of marijuana. Many questions remain about how this will work, since it’s still a federal crime to use pot. But the state agency that will regulate the industry is getting into gear.

The law making it legal to possess up to an ounce of pot takes effect one month after Election Day, on Dec. 6. And the state liquor board has a year after that to write the rules that will oversee marijuana production and sales.

This election is the first one in which Washington voters can only vote by mail. For those who are running late or want to save a stamp, there are official drop boxes, which are staffed by elections workers. They’re open till 8pm tonight. King County has eight locations.

KPLU  went to the one outside the public library in Ballard, to find out why voters there waited till the very last few hours to get their ballots in.

The City of Seattle continues to build its case against huge new coal
trains that would rumble through town if an export terminal is built
in Bellingham.

The Mayor of Seattle has released a new study that ups the pressure on
the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Ecology, who are
responsible for the environmental impact study of the proposed
terminal at Cherry Point.

It’s Halloween – a time when black cats and bats are demonized or depicted as scary. But bats are actually one of the most unique mammals on the planet. Scientists say they’re vital to the health of our ecosystem.

So today, KPLU environment reporter Bellamy Pailthorp met with a woman who has taken it upon herself to re-habilitate as many injured bats as she can find.