PULLMAN, Wash. – A more efficient U.S. Postal Service can increase voter turnout in all states regardless of their mail voting laws, according to a Washington State University study. WSU researcher Michael Ritter analyzed election data from 2012 through 2020, when the pandemic encouraged many more people than usual to vote by mail. He found […]
Washington State University
Posted inEnviro
Dry lightning can spark wildfires even under wetter conditions
VANCOUVER, Wash. August 14, 2023 – Dry lightning can still be disastrous even when conditions aren’t so dry, a study has found. These cloud-to-ground strikes during little to no rainfall were previously thought to pose wildfire danger only if occurring with less than 2.5 mm of rain in a day (about 0.10 inches). A Washington […]
Posted inUS
Fake news on Facebook increased 2020 election doubts
PULLMAN, Wash. March 30, 2023 — Facebook users were more likely to read fake news about the 2020 U.S. presidential election than users of Twitter and other social media websites, a Washington State University-led analysis found. The study in Government Information Quarterly indicates that fake news consumption and political alignment were the primary forces driving doubt about the […]
Posted inCalifornia
Air pollution from wildfires, rising heat affected 68% of US West in one day
VANCOUVER, Wash. January 6, 2021 – Large wildfires and severe heat events are happening more often at the same time, worsening air pollution across the western United States, a study led by Washington State University researchers has found. In 2020, more than 68% of the western U.S. – representing about 43 million people – were […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s reservoirs higher than previously expected
VANCOUVER, Wash. – A new study in Global Biogeochemical Cycles shows per-area greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s water reservoirs are around 29% higher than suggested by previous studies, but that practical measures could be taken to help reduce that impact. Much of the increase in emissions comes from previously unaccounted for methane degassing, a process where […]
Posted inCalifornia
Scientists look to public for clues to recover monarch butterflies
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. February 11, 2021 — Migratory western monarch has declined by more than 99% since the 1980’s. The Xerces Society, an international invertebrate conservation nonprofit, reported that the total number counted in 2020 was down to 1,914, a drop by more than 90% from the prior year — a count already below the […]
Posted inSci/Tech
More economic worries mean less caution about COVID‑19
VANCOUVER, Wash. November 9, 2020 – Workers experiencing job and financial insecurity are less likely to follow the CDC’s guidelines for COVID-19, such as physical distancing, limiting trips from home and washing hands, according to a Washington State University study. The researchers, who surveyed 745 workers in 43 states, also found that state unemployment benefits […]
Posted inLife
Centenarian study suggests living environment may be key to longevity
SPOKANE, Wash. June 17, 2020 — When it comes to living to the ripe old age of 100, good genes help but don’t tell the full story. Where you live has a significant impact on the likelihood that you will reach centenarian age, suggests a new study conducted by scientists at Washington State University’s Elson […]
Posted inEnviro
‘Near-unlivable’ heat for one-third of humans within 50 years if greenhouse gas emissions are not cut
May 4, 2020 – Areas of the planet home to one-third of humans will become as hot as the hottest parts of the Sahara within 50 years, unless greenhouse gas emissions fall, according to research by scientists from China, USA and Europe published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week. […]
Posted inSci/Tech
WSU researchers see health effects across generations from glyphosate weed killer
PULLMAN, Wash. April 23, 2019 – Washington State University researchers have found a variety of diseases and other health problems in the second- and third-generation offspring of rats exposed to glyphosate, the world’s most popular weed killer. In the first study of its kind, the researchers saw descendants of exposed rats developing prostate, kidney and ovarian […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Most teens report using marijuana less often after legalization
March 18, 2019 – Only one group of teenagers used marijuana more often after retail sales were legalized in Washington than they did before – high school seniors who work 11 or more hours per week, according to new research led by a WSU College of Nursing professor. Marijuana use went down significantly among 8th and 10th graders after […]
Posted inWorld
Environmentally friendly farming practices used by nearly 1/3 of world’s farms
PULLMAN, Wash. Aug. 27, 2018 – Nearly one-third of the world’s farms have adopted more environmentally friendly practices while continuing to be productive, according to a global assessment by 17 scientists in five countries. The researchers analyzed farms that use some form of “sustainable intensification,” a term for various practices, including organic farming, that use […]
Posted inUS
SCOTUS decision strikes another blow against democracy, voting rights
June 12, 2018 – The U.S. Supreme Court on June 11 upheld Ohio’s efforts to purge its voter rolls — a move that spreads voting discrimination across America, argued a constitutional law expert at Washington University in St. Louis. “The most disturbing, destructive trend in contemporary American politics has been conservatives’ multi-pronged effort to disenfranchise […]
Posted inEnviro
Salmon face double whammy from toxic stormwater
VANCOUVER, Wash. Feb. 12, 2018 – Washington State University researchers have found that salmon face a double whammy when they swim in the stormwater runoff of urban roadways. First, as scientists learned a couple years ago, toxic pollution in the water can kill them. WSU researchers have now determined that fish that survive polluted stormwater […]