Articles written by Don C. Brunell
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 53
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Lower Snake River dams' power hard to replace
Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray, both Democrats, issued a draft report which estimates that breaching the four lower Snake River dams and replacing their electricity and... — Updated 6/16/2022
Timber milling can foot bill to reduce wildfire
Thinning public woodlands to remove millions of dead trees is a way to generate much needed cash to reduce wildfire risks, improve forest health, and protect rural homeowners and... — Updated 5/12/2022
Laminated wood can reduce wildfire risk
Wood buildings are making a comeback in the Pacific Northwest thanks to new laminated timber products. Even very large buildings are now constructed with laminated beams and are suc... — Updated 5/5/2022
World's Fair highlighted electric vehicles
Seattle’s 1962 World’s Fair was awe-inspiring. It previewed developments that would improve our daily lives in the next millennium. While “Century 21” memories have faded, t... — Updated 4/28/2022
War in Ukraine needs flower power
Sunflowers are to Ukraine what tulips are to western Washington. During the blooming season, both are spectacular and represent the best in the people who cultivate and visit those... — Updated 4/14/2022
Price of gas fuels work from safety of home
With COVID-19 vaccines widely dispensed and masking requirements mostly lifted, will “work from home” end? Will workers return to downtown offices at pre-pandemic levels?... — Updated 4/7/2022
LNG can replace more Russian gas
There is an old saying: Don’t let the “perfect” be the “enemy” of the good! That is important to remember as we work our way out of the energy crisis exacerbated by... — Updated 3/24/2022
Ireland: Clean, greener and reopening
When St. Patrick’s Day rolls around March 17, the Irish have lots to celebrate. Ireland is still clean and green. Now, it is spending $15 million to bring visitors back. Irish... — Updated 2/24/2022
Broaden Snake River salmon review
Washington Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee announced in October, they’ll listen to diverse viewpoints with open minds to recover salmon and potentially breach the four... — Updated 2/17/2022
Drop the assault on natural gas
Last year, Gov. Jay Inslee attempted an end run around the legislature by banning natural gas in new homes and commercial buildings via the state’s building codes. It was a bad... — Updated 2/10/2022
Family owned businesses survive bad time
We are only a couple of weeks into 2022 and it is already shaping up to be another challenging year for America’s 5.5 million family businesses dealing with the coronavirus... — Updated 1/27/2022
Time to replace state's longterm care legislation
The first order of business when Washington state’s Legislature convenes in Olympia is replacing the state’s new long-term care law. It is fatally flawed. Gov. Jay Inslee and... — Updated 1/19/2022
Hydroelectric storage yields benefits
Increasing river flows to wash young salmon to sea works; however, once water goes down stream, it is gone. What if we could recycle it in key parts of the Columbia River system... — Updated 1/13/2022
Americans must return to work
In a U.S. Chamber of Commerce poll released in early December, the findings spell trouble for America’s employers – both private and public. It found that more than 60% of the... — Updated 12/16/2021
Ignoring debt is not an option
Remember the television ad where the auto mechanic looks viewers straight in the eye and says: “You can pay me now or pay me later!” The message: if you change your car’s oil... — Updated 12/2/2021
By George, McGovern was right
Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota was never a darling of conservatives; however, in his later years he shocked fellow Democrats by his outspoken backing for streamlining... — Updated 11/24/2021
Oil and water really can mix
There’s an old saying that oil and water don’t mix. That may be true, but apparently they coexist quite well. Traveling through Sweetwater in west Texas, you see an interesting... — Updated 11/17/2021
Honoring our fallen heroes goes beyond lowering flags to half-staff
Lowering our flags to half-staff seems to be an all too familiar sight these days. It is a solemn act that recognizes our fallen heroes, whether they be men and women in our armed... — Updated 11/11/2021
Japanese hydrogen model could work in-state
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were billed as the “Hydrogen Olympics” Then along came COVID and sporting events worldwide were put on hold. The summer games were delayed until 2021.... — Updated 9/2/2021
Clearing fuels from forests needed
Massive forest fires in western parts of our country are not only choking us with layers of thick smoke but are leaving behind millions of acres of scorched hillsides, ridges, and... — Updated 8/12/2021
Massive reforestation effort needed
Massive forest fires in the western parts of our country are not only choking us with layers of thick smoke, but are leaving behind millions of acres of scorched hillsides, ridges... — Updated 8/5/2021
Water has a greenhouse gas problem
In our zest to quickly switch from gas-powered to battery-operated vehicles and to convert our power grid to wind and solar generated electricity, the impacts of CO2 released from... — Updated 6/15/2021
Land is the wild card in Biden's green gamble
Shortly after President Biden took office, he issued the sweeping executive order to transition America to TOTAL—-100 percent—-renewable electricity by 2035—-15 short years... — Updated 6/10/2021
Unemployment insurance (FUTA) intended as a bridge between jobs
When Congress established the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) in 1935, it was intended to provide temporary and partial income replacement for workers who lost their jobs... — Updated 5/13/2021
Rethinking legislative natural gas bans
Sometimes being first isn’t good. Such is the case with legislation making Washington the only state to ban natural gas in new homes and commercial buildings. Thankfully, the legi... — Updated 4/29/2021
