Recent Stories with tag oregon

Waves pound a beach and structure between Depot Bay and Boiler Bay on the Oregon Coast. (Photo by Erica Harris, Oregon State University)

Twenty years ago, a big winter storm might generate 25-foot waves offshore of the Pacific Northwest. Scientists pegged 33 feet as the maximum in a 100-year storm. But the intervening years--and a strong El Niño weather pattern--brought 33-foot waves...and then some (see photos here). Now researchers at OSU believe that the maximum wave height in a 100-year event is 46 feet (or as much as 55, depending on how you measure).

The largest wave increase, in fact, centers on the Washington coast, down to northern Oregon, says Science Daily. Wave height has grown about four inches per year, for a total of about ten feet over the past three decades.

"Possible causes might be changes in storm tracks, higher winds, more intense winter storms, or other factors," Ruggiero said. "These probably are related to global warming, but could also be involved with periodic climate fluctuations such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and our wave records are sufficiently short that we can't be certain yet. But what is clear is the waves are getting larger."

The change is a boon to storm watchers and shutterbugs, but the mundane result is coastal erosion that occurs two to three times faster than normal. That, in conjunction with the ongoing sea level rise from climate change, argues the NPI Advocate, means real money, as coastal development is damaged and roads wash away....

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Visiting family in Portland over the weekend, I got to witness firsthand the difference between how Oregon and Washington are handling their budget crises in the midst of a recession. On Tuesday, Jan. 26, Oregon voters look set to approve ballot Measures 66 and 67, reasonable tax increases on wealthy individuals and businesses, to help fund their budget shortfall and support crucial public services.

Measure 66 raises the state income tax (Oregon has an income tax but no sales tax) 1.8 percent on individuals making over $125,000, and households making over $250,000. The measure also lowers taxes on the unemployed by exempting the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits. Measure 67 raises the minimum business tax for the first time since 1931, from $10 to $150, and adds a 1.3 percent tax on corporate profits over $250,000. The measures are public referendums on bills passed by the legislature last year, and pollsters show both passing....

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