Washington State stretches from the rainy Pacific coast to high desert plateaus, with a culture shaped by Indigenous nations, tech innovation, and deep environmental commitments. This archive tracks progress stories from across the state — clean energy, public health, conservation, and community wins.
Dozens of Native nations and tribal institutions in the United States have designed climate change plans that include formal strategies and initiatives to increase the resiliency of their communities.
The city of Seattle has passed a new wage scale for Uber and Lyft drivers, including a $16.39 minimum wage, to ensure their wages match those of other minimum wage workers in the city.
Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), a 100% farmer owned hop supplier for the brewing industry, has announced their latest solar panel installation for a total of 3,706 solar panels, the largest rooftop solar array in Washington state.
The Seattle-based coffee chain said a breakfast sandwich made with imitation sausage from Redwood City, California-based Impossible Foods is now available at a majority of its U.S. restaurants.
Amazon will launch a $2 billion venture capital fund to back companies developing “sustainable and decarbonizing technologies.” The fund is a part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge wherein the company committed to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement by 2040.
Advocacy groups like the ACLU have long raised significant privacy concerns regarding facial recognition. Researchers like Joy Buolamwini, Timnit Gebru, and Deborah Raji have demonstrated that these technologies can come with built-in racial and gender biases.
The all-electric Cessna Grand Caravan 208B successfully completed its first test flight—and it is being hailed as a significant milestone in disrupting the transportation industry and accelerating the electric aviation revolution.
The Stay Healthy Streets initiative started in April to provide more space for residents to get out of the house and exercise while maintaining social distancing. Mayor Durkan now says that the closures are permanent.
Starbucks is piloting cups that are just like the company’s normal cups, but the plastic lining has been replaced with a compostable liner, making the cups recyclable and compostable.
Supporters say the ban is needed to combat homelessness. They note evictions disproportionately affect women and people of color, and people can die without shelter.
