Articles written by Don C. Brunell
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Building Washington's future electricity supply around hydropower
Although New Zealand and Washington are located a half-a-world apart, they have lots in common—-beautiful seashores, majestic mountains, crystal clear streams and lakes; and, vibrant salmon and...
Unemployment insurance 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 through no fault of...
Rethinking natural gas bans in Washington state
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 legislators ended their session in Olympia and left that bad idea on the...
North American ports remain closed to large cruise ships
While European cities are welcoming large cruise ships again, many of the same ship owners are canceling calls to North American seaports because of continued stringent COVID restrictions. In March 20...
Keeping America's semiconductor edge is paramount
Surprisingly, there is something U.S. Presidents agree upon — America’s economic and national security hinge upon maintaining our technology edge in semiconductors. Those tiny computer chips are...
TVW is an antidote for dwindling trust in media
America’s media is suffering from a truth deficit leaving many to wonder where to go for honest, reliable and accurate information. Unfortunately, it is not the mainstream or social media. Last...
Austin's tax incentives and friendliness is working
These days the mere mention of tax incentives for factories touches off a major firestorm in Seattle and you’d better be looking for an expeditious way out of town. Not so in Austin where major...
Hydrogen gaining momentum as a possible replacement fuel for trucks
In the coming decade, European Union leaders are investing heavily in hydrogen fuel research, believing it is a key to eliminating CO2 discharges from vehicles. One new technology is called pyrolysis. It is hoped the technology will allow Europeans...
Removing Snake River dams is unwise
Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson’s $33 billion plan to remove the lower Snake River dams is unwise. However, if he pushes it, he needs include the impact of breaching dams in his home state which completely shutoff salmon and steelhead migration....
Super Expensive, Super Perplexing
Why would any company spend $5.5 million for a 30-second Super Bowl ad that leaves viewers perplexed as some glitzy and abstract commercials did? After production costs are tacked on, you’d think...
Work from home here to stay
With COVID-19 vaccines being widely dispensed, will an end to this pandemic halt “work from home?” Will workers return to downtown offices at pre-pandemic levels? However, it is not an either/or...
Bracing for bigger changes
Now that vaccines are available, we hope our lives will return to the way they were before the coronavirus pandemic blanketed the globe. That is not likely to occur. Last March our booming economy...
Wildfires were "Big Polluters" in 2020
While the coronavirus and its devastating effects on people and economies worldwide were unfortunately the top 2020 stories, the massive impact of western wildfires can’t be ignored. It was...
Despite COVID Wreaths Placed Across America
Christmas is an especially difficult time for anyone grieving for lost loved ones. Try adding a crippling killer virus into that mix. That is the tragic reality of 2020. Even though the traditional...
Big hurdles removed for wind energy
Would you believe in the future when a cement truck shows up to pour your foundation or patio, the mixture will likely contain ground-up wind turbine blades? As a part of new agreement between GE...
E-Waste Reduction Requires Innovative Approaches
One of the biggest challenges of the 21st Century is dealing with the progress of the 20th Century — especially old computers, monitors, cellular phones and televisions. These appliances depend on...
Military diversity something to be thankful for
Diversity in the ranks has been the lifeline of our military, but it wasn’t always that way. We ought to be thankful for all of the men and women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds who put their...
Coronavirus spurring air cargo growth
It’s no secret that airlines and airplane manufacturers have been clobbered by the coronavirus pandemic. Particularly hard hit are international flights traditionally flown by jumbo jets. Borders ar...
Military Diversity's Lifeline
Diversity in the ranks has been the lifeline of our all-volunteer military, but it wasn’t always that way. As we celebrate Veterans Day, we ought to be thankful for all of the men and women from a v...
Defunding police departments is a bad idea
A couple of years ago, a major regional medical clinic leader announced his support for a local tax hike to beef up the city’s police force and provide cops with better training and capabilities....
RVs in the work-from-home economy
People have changed their travel preferences to minimize their COVID-19 exposure. Travel trailers and motorhomes are iconic symbols of campgrounds in our “great outdoors.” Meanwhile, outdoor recre...
President uses rare order to break China's hammerlock on critical metals
To the average American, China’s control of the world production, processing technology and stockpile of critical metals is not their concern. However, to our military and high-tech leaders, it is...
Coronavirus Compounds Recycling Calamity
Like other nations, China is struggling with the deadly Covid-19 virus and suffocating under mountains of trash its residents generate each day. Wuhan hospitals generated six times as much medical...
Time to Revisit Managing our Forests
Not only is the world in the grasp of the COVID-19 pandemic, but America’s western wildlands are burning up as well. Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters California has a dual crises: the massive...
Will fall further chill restaurant recovery?
Sunny summer weather helped restaurant owners and workers recover after they were broadsided by the coronavirus pandemic last March. However, as fall morphs into winter and diners are forced back...
