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Earth Economics SRKW Report Cited by KOMO News Meteorologist, Abby Acone

 
 
 

Earth Economics SRKW Report Cited by KOMO News Meteorologist, Abby Acone

“The Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) is a flagship species, a cultural icon, and an economic driver for Washington State. ”
— The Whales in Our Waters

In early March a committee working to license whale watching companies to ensure orcas are protected will meet. The committee is designed in an effort to better regulate the industry and ensure that orcas are protected. The Southern Resident Killer Whale population has struggled to recover due to depleted Chinook salmon stocks, vessel-related noise and disturbance, and increasingly polluted waters put the orca population at risk of extinction, according to our report, The Whales in Our Waters.

“With a goal of preserving these killer whales, the state has directed the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to create rules for a new commercial whale-watching license,” according to the article. The Washington Fish and Wildlife is teaming up with other researchers, advocates and representatives of the whale-watching industry to develop the rules for this license. To see all the members of the Commercial Whale-Watching Licensing Program Advisory Committee, click here.

"The idea of this licensing program is to really make the industry a partner in conservation," said Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's Killer Whale Policy Lead Julie Watson.

 

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Polluted Rivers and Streams are a Growing Problem — with a Nature-Based Solution

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Polluted Rivers and Streams are a Growing Problem — with a Nature-Based Solution

 
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Polluted Rivers and Streams are a Growing Problem

55% of rivers and streams in the United States have poor water quality, as rated by the EPA. High levels of phosphorus, Nitrogen, and excessive sediment were found in 55% of rivers in the US. These polluted rivers and steam have major impacts on our ecosystems and communities. High levels and nitrogen and phosphorus harm aquatic ecosystems in a variety of ways, including promoting algae proliferation, which, in turn, reduces the level of oxygen in the water.

with a Nature-Based Solution

They are cost-effective methods of improving water quality through the removal of pollutants, such as fertilizer and manure runoff from agricultural land, stormwater runoff from cities, and wastewater overflow from sewer systems.

  • Riparian Stream Buffers

  • Wetlands

  • Detention Ponds

  • Bioretention Ponds

On farms and ranches, protecting installing vegetated buffer strips around streams and restoring wetlands can dramatically reduce nutrient pollutants in waterways.

How We’re Helping

Studying, valuing, and identifying funding streams for green infrastructure is one of Earth Economics’ focus areas. In the face of more extreme weather events, building resilient, sustainable infrastructure is critical to improving water quality and adapting to a changing climate. We have conducted a variety of studies and proposed a wide array of nature-based solutions to communities throughout the country, including:

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Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction

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Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction

 

Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction

High density urban areas are causing a complex localized heat trap called Urban Heat Islands (UHI). Dense urban areas absorb and trap heat due to impervious surfaces — like pavement and rooftops — that absorb solar radiation, buildings that block wind flow, pollution and smog that trap solar radiation, and low levels of vegetation and tree cover that restrict evapotransporation — which functions as natural air conditioning.

UHI has immense effects on urban health, and heightens risks of such illnesses as heat stroke and increases in respiratory illness. In New York City alone extreme heat is responsible for approximately 300 deaths a year, and that number is expected to rise in the coming decades. However there are solutions that can mitigate UHI, such as building urban greenspaces and constructing green roofs.

Our heat island research aims to quantify the monetary costs of urban heat islands, and identify the impact of green solutions — such as urban tree canopy and green roofs — in mitigating these costs. This work is part of ongoing research conducted by Earth Economics.

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"How is Climate Change Affecting Cities' Credit Scores?" Earth Economics sits down with KUOW

 
 
 

“How is Climate Change Affecting Cities’ Credit Scores?” Earth Economics sits down with Bill Radke on KUOW 94.9fm

“You’re probably aware that having too much credit card debt could damage your credit score. What about building your city too close to the water? Moody’s has started giving local governments credit ratings based on their financial exposure to climate change. Rowan Schmidt is program director at the Tacoma nonprofit Earth Economics.”
— The Record with Bill Radke

Earth Economics Program Director Rowan Schmidt had the pleasure of speaking with KUOW radio host Bill Radke about the potential impact of climate risk on the creditworthiness of Seattle and other cities and agencies around the nation.

Quick Fact: Municipal bonds used to finance 2/3 of local infrastructure in the United States, including water supply, wastewater, and schools. A government agency's credit score determines its interest rate for the bond, and climate resilience is becoming a factor in credit scores. So more climate resilient agencies may soon be rewarded with a lower cost of borrowing.

 

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Earth Economics cited in article, "In Peoria, Green Infrastructure as a Path to Social Equity."

 
 

EARTH ECONOMICS CITED in ARTICLE, In Peoria, Green Infrastructure As a Path to Social Equity

“In the summer of 2018, one of the country’s first stormwater farms opened in Peoria, Illinois. It was complete with 126 hybrid poplar trees, a 3,000-square-foot floriculture space and 100 agricultural planter beds — all designed to capture water runoff from a 1.55-acre area, to prevent an estimated 1.3 million gallons of stormwater from entering the city’s combined sewer system each year.”
— In Peoria, Green Infrastructure As a Path to Social Equity
 

In Fall of 2019 Earth Economics’ research team provided an analysis for The Well Farm Project on the economic contribution to the estimated value of nature-based solutions in Peoria, Illinois.

“We have a technical challenge we’re trying to solve, but our proposal is about how we use a solution to a technical challenge to address more adaptive challenges of social and economic inequality,” stated Anthony Corso, Peoria’s chief innovation officer. The city’s response was to begin implementing pilot projects, starting in 2017 and onward. “Another pilot — and the one that has earned the most attention — is the Well Farm at Voris Field, also on the South Side. The city partnered with Greenprint Partners, a green infrastructure “delivery partner,” to transform a vacant city-owned lot into a lush garden that captures stormwater runoff while growing harvestable timber and vegetables. An impact report by Earth Economics found the farm’s generated $2.8 million dollars in economic output in the county, 29 full-time equivalent jobs,and $1.5 dollars in economic activity in the county for every $1 invested.”

Through the analysis, it was also found that:

  • The Well Farm project will capture more than 3000 lbs of harmful air pollutants over the next 30 years, and save more than $8,000 in public health expenses. This is especially crucial because the Well Farm site is located in a neighborhood with some of the highest air pollution levels in the city.

  • The poplar trees on site will sequester more than 840 metric tons of CO2 over the next 30 years. Scaled across the city, these type of installations could sequester 42,000 metrics ton of CO2.

  • The site will capture 1.3 million gallons of stormwater per year, saving at least $197,340 in stormwater costs over the next 30 years. Scaled across the city these sites could capture more than 65 million gallons of stormwater annually and save nearly $10 million dollars in stormwater costs over the next 30 years.

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Earth Economic’s analysis on regenerative agriculture cited in online publications

 
 

Earth Economic’s analysis on regenerative agriculture cited in online publications

Earth Economics had the honor & opportunity to contribute to Agriculture Capital’s 2019 Impact Report: Regenerative Food The Value of Scale in the section, Regenerative Agriculture Builds Thriving Soil.

GlobalAgInvesting.com cited our contribution to the impact report in their October 2019 article, Agriculture Capital Releases 2019 Impact Report Demonstrating Positive Impact of its Regenerative Practices, stating, “Using data sourced during 2018, Tacoma, Washington-based Earth Economics completed a limited scope evaluation of key regenerative practices including cover cropping, no-till hedgerow planting, and natural area protection on three of Agriculture Capital’s farms, quantifying and projecting a net present value in ecosystem services totaling in the millions of dollars over the next decade in the form of soil health, water quality, and pest control.”

 

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Seattle Times Cites Earth Economics Whale Watching Study in Call for Public Opinion

 
 

Seattle Times Cites Earth Economics
Whale Watching Study in Call for Public Opinion

“Whale watching is big business, according to a 2019 study by Earth Economics. The study found whale watching participants who whale watch from boat-based tours or from terrestrial viewing points in San Juan County support over $216 million worth of economic activity in the Puget Sound region every year. This activity generates more than $12 million in state and local tax revenue annually and supports over 1,800 jobs, according to the study.”
— Seattle Times
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Earth Economics was cited Seattle Times article,
Federal government wants your opinion on whale-watching rules to protect orcas

Earth Economics’ research on the economic contribution the estimated value of whale watching in San Juan County, Washington. The analysis focuses on boat- and land-based whale watching in San Juan County, the heart of Washington’s whale watching economy, but calculates the benefits to the entire Puget Sound Region. The report, The Whales in Our Waters, estimates that threats to the recovery of the Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) population present an economic risk of $34 million in annual economic activity, $2.2 million in state and local tax revenue, and 330 jobs.

The Seattle Times article calls on public opinion to weigh in on current and potentially new whale watching regulations surrounding the SRKW population. Depleted Chinook salmon stocks, vessel-related noise and disturbance, and increasingly polluted waters continue to put challenges on the SRKW population. The SRKW is an endangered species with a current population of only 73.

 

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Earth Economics cited in Seattle Times article on the EPA

 
 

Earth Economics cited in Seattle Times article on the Environmental Protection Agency’s attack on Washingtons’ water-quality standards

“Puget Sound and its ecosystems contribute up to $83 billion to the regional economy each year. If we were to treat the Puget Sound basin as an economic asset, its value would be a minimum of $243 billion, according to Earth Economics, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Framed in this way, assets extend far beyond the fishing industry and include natural assets, such as wetlands, rivers and forests, and goods such as timber and water.”
— Hands Off EPA: Leave Washington's Water Quality Standards Alone
 

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