Think Out Loud

Despite high wool prices, it’s difficult to sustain fiber production in the Pacific Northwest

If you're not well-versed in the natural fiber economy, Kristen Buchanan wants to help with that. Buchanan manages a small family farm in Southwest Washington, and she’s the co-founder of PNW Fiber Connect, an organization that wants to create a support network of different players in the regional fiber industry.   The organization aims to educate consumers and share resources from shepherds to mill owners to yarn stores. Buchanan wants consumers to make intentional choices about where their wool and textiles come from and hopes that the Pacific Northwest can one day sustain a more robust fiber economy.   Kirsten Holbo is a shepherd at Iron Water Ranch in Albany, Oregon. She’s been in the fiber industry since 1984 when her family took over Iron Water Ranch. She and Buchanan join us to share more about the current state of the wool industry in Oregon

How dredging has changed the Columbia River’s ecological, economic functions

THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS DREDGED THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER SINCE THE 1860S TO CREATE A DEEPER SHIPPING CHANNEL BETWEEN PORTLAND AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN.    THE AGENCY SAYS THE PRACTICE IS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE, BUT VERY FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON ITS ECOLOGICAL IMPACT. TRIBAL LEADERS SAY DREDGING HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECLINE OF LAMPREY, STEELHEAD AND OTHER CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT SPECIES THAT RELY ON THE COLUMBIA ESTUARY. MEANWHILE, HYDROPOWER DAMS HAVE CAUSED A PILEUP OF SEDIMENT IN THE MID-COLUMBIA, SLOWING THE RIVER’S FLOW AND RAISING WATER TEMPERATURES TO DANGEROUS LEVELS.

New president of Metro says Portland’s regional government must plan for the future, prioritize housing and jobs

Juan Carlos González [https://www.oregonmetro.gov/councilor/president] was elected president of Metro in May, and then appointed [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/02/juan-carlos-gonzalez-appointed-metro-president/] to serve out the remainder of the previous president’s term. He made history in 2018 becoming the youngest member and first Latino to serve on the Metro council. His priorities for the council are creating more affordable housing and jobs in the region. Metro has begun what it calls Future 50 [https://www.oregonmetro.gov/stories/metro-launches-future-50-project-create-50-year-vision-greater-portland-region], a planning process designed to shape the metro area through 2077. We sit down with González to hear more about his priorities and vision for the next 50 years.

Portland City Councilors discuss recently passed arts tax increase

IN LATE MAY, PORTLAND CITY COUNCILORS VOTED 7-5 TO INCREASE THE CITY’S ARTS TAX TO $50. THE TAX, WHICH PREVIOUSLY WAS A $35 FEE ON INDIVIDUALS MAKING MORE THAN $1,000 A YEAR GOES TOWARD FUNDING ART PROGRAMS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND NONPROFITS. THE PROPOSAL ALSO NOW EXEMPTS INDIVIDUALS MAKING LESS THAN $20,000 A YEAR, MEANING ROUGHLY 214,000 PORTLANDERS ARE NOW EXEMPT FROM PAYING.   CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT JAMIE DUNPHY INTRODUCED THE PROPOSAL AND VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT. COUNCILOR STEVE NOVICK VOTED AGAINST IT. WE’LL HEAR FROM BOTH COUNCILORS TO GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE TAX AND THE NEW PROPOSAL.

Illnesses from extreme heat events could double by 2040, Portland State University study predicts

IT’S BEEN NEARLY FIVE YEARS SINCE A DEADLY HEAT DOME [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-36289-3]GRIPPED THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. MANY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DIED — INCLUDING 69 IN MULTNOMAH COUNTY ALONE — FROM THE EXTREME HEAT EVENT THAT SENT THE TEMPERATURE SOARING TO 116 DEGREES IN PORTLAND AND BROKE OTHER TEMPERATURE RECORDS IN THE REGION.    AS CLIMATE CHANGE MAKES EXTREME HEAT EVENTS MORE FREQUENT AND LONGER-LASTING, A NEW PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY STUDY [https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GH001655] PREDICTS THAT HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES COULD DOUBLE BY 2040 ACROSS MORE THAN 50 OF THE LARGEST METRO AREAS IN THE U.S., INCLUDING SEATTLE AND PORTLAND. THE COST OF TREATING HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES IS ALSO EXPECTED TO DOUBLE, ACCORDING TO THE STUDY, LIKELY FURTHER STRAINING HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.    THE STUDY’S AUTHORS DEVELOPED A MODEL INTEGRATING MULTIPLE VARIABLES, INCLUDING DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT AGE, RACE AND HEALTH; CLIMATE DATA; VISITS TO HOSPITALS AND EMERGENCY ROOMS FOR HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES; AND ACCESS TO AIR-CONDITIONING OR OTHER COOLING INFRASTRUCTURE. THE STUDY REVEALS THAT CITIES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COULD BEAR AN ESPECIALLY HIGH PUBLIC HEALTH BURDEN WITH THEIR AGING POPULATIONS AND LACK OF COOLING INFRASTRUCTURE.   VIVEK SHANDAS IS A PROFESSOR OF EARTH, ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY AT PSU AND CO-AUTHOR OF THE STUDY. HE JOINS US TO SHARE MORE DETAILS.