The Accountability Issue
Accountability — Spring ‘26
Dear Reader,
The news does not exist inside of a vacuum. As journalists, our job is to figure out the history behind the issue and speak to not only those impacted by it, but those responsible. This may seem like an easy question to answer. When a new law is passed or a policy is changed, simply look for the name signed at the bottom.
The reality is that the news is never this straight forward. Even a simple law has a chain of events preceding it that changed its course. When it comes to environmental news, this chain complicates even further. Every home on the lake shapes the way we determine its management and every advancement in technology alters a family’s legacy.
There is never one lone finger to point for accountability. The burden may rest heavier on some, but we can all find ways to fix the situations we’ve found ourselves in — Earth is all of our homes, after all.
Happy reading,
Tori Lehman
Editor-in-Chief
Please share any comments, questions, concerns or corrections with us by emailing planet@wwu.edu
Losing the Life Line of Logging
The Harkness family’s story amidst the quiet decline of Washington State loggers
Sustaining the Subsoil
A microscopic world exists under our feet, and farmers are finding new ways to protect it
The Lost Giant of the Salish Sea
Despite rebounding in other oceans, basking shark populations remain a rarity in the Pacific Northwest
The Cost of The Cloud
In rural Washington, the promise of tech-driven prosperity is running dry, one data center at a time
A New Home for Nesting Herons
An estuary restoration project creates unexpected habitat for herons in Little Squalicum Park
Feeling the Burn
In the face of worsening fire conditions, the federal administration is gutting wildfire mitigation and research across the nation.
Mapping the Sounds of Silence
A local soundmapping project works to document noise pollution in the Bellingham Arboretum
The Debate Over Development
As Bellingham plans for a growing city, environmental groups raise concerns over water quality
The Lingering Legacy of Creosote
The contaminant that was once pivotal to Eagle Harbor now poses a community challenge
Broadening the Bank
Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Expansion is encroaching on Western Sandpipers’ Habitat