Salish Sea Communications

Friday, September 22, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 22, 2023

This landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled
with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby,
young, star-forming region called NGC 3324
in the Carina Nebula. [NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI]

Aloha Astronomy Friday!Astronomy Day takes astronomy out of lofty places and brings it to the people. It provides a means of interaction between the general public and astronomy enthusiasts, groups, and professionals, and provides information, resources, and encouragement related to astronomy. Doug Berger started it in 1973 while president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California. Astronomy Day has expanded over the years. Now more than a dozen astronomical organizations cosponsor it, and events and festivities related to astronomy are held all around the world.

What is the Trans Mountain pipeline — and why should I care?
New roadblocks, ballooning costs, legal actions and its impact on endangered species — we explain the timeline and lingering mysteries behind this contentious Canadian pipeline project.

Lawsuit against Washington cap-and-trade program set for hearing
The first legal showdown over Washington’s cap-and-trade program, which went into effect in January, will be Sept. 22 in Thurston County Superior Court.

‘Marred by litter’: Millions of pounds of trash soil Washington roads and state lands
Washington has a litter problem. Nearly 38 million pounds of garbage and other debris were strewn across roads, rest areas and state lands last year, according to a new Department of Ecology-commissioned study.

Blazes spread in center of Olympic National Park
Large helicopters were requested this week to fight fires in Olympic National Park as blazes chew up acreage in the interior of the park.

Heat pumps key to WA, coalition’s plan to end building emissions
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee vowed this week to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from new buildings, in large part by rapidly expanding the installation of heat pumps. Inslee is joined in that promise by 24 other governors representing states that belong to the Climate Alliance (of which the Washington governor is a founding member). In all, the governors agreed to install 20 million new heat pumps across their states by 2030.

Wanted: 20,000 Young Americans to Fight Climate Change
President Biden intends to use executive authority to train and employ thousands of young people in jobs to fight global warming. The American Climate Corps, as the White House has named the organization, would provide young people with skills to work in wind and solar production, disaster preparedness and land conservation.

‘Treated like machines’: wildfire fighters describe a mental health crisis on the frontlines
Extreme working conditions, low pay and high turnover are leading to a crisis exacerbated by more intense wildfires. Eighteen firefighters tell their stories of the mental toll — from burnout to PTSD to the loss of peers to suicide.

Biden administration promises $200 million to help reintroduce salmon in Columbia River
The Biden administration agreed Thursday to spend more than $200 million to fully fund Native tribes’ plans to reintroduce salmon in the Upper Columbia River Basin — more than 80 years after construction of the Grand Coulee Dam rendered the fish extinct in parts of Washington, Idaho and British Columbia.

These news clips are a selection of weekday clips collected in Salish Sea News and Weather which is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe at no cost to the weekday news clips, send your name and email to mikesato772 at gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Friday, September 15, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review September15 2023

ʻŌhiʻa (National Park Service)

Aloha ʻŌhiʻa Friday!
ʻŌhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha, is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaiʻi. It is a member of the diverse Metrosideros genus, which are widespread over the southwest Pacific. It is the state tree of Hawai‘i. (Wikipedia)

How the humpback whale made a massive comeback in the Salish Sea
hey are big. They are beautiful. And they are back. The return of the humpback whale to greater numbers than observed in decades is part of a larger revival of marine mammals in the Salish Sea.

Humpback whales find their voice
During the fall months, the Salish Sea comes alive with “whups,” “moans,” “growls” and an assorted variety of “creaks,” “trumpets,” “buzzes” and other humpback whale vocalizations.

About a decade after an outbreak of disease, researchers find mixed results for sea stars
Almost a decade after a massive outbreak of sea star wasting syndrome, researchers are working to measure sea star populations. Derek Smith, Shannon Point lab manager and a research assistant professor in the marine and coastal science program, said sea star numbers are still low compared to the pre-2014 numbers.

‘Frustrating as hell’: advocates say old-growth still being cut years after protections promised
The province promised to implement more than a dozen recommendations made by an independent review. Some worry change for the old forests home to at-risk species hasn’t come fast enough.

Walking Among Vancouver’s Urban Giants
Most of the city’s old growth was cleared long ago. But not in Stanley Park.

Biodegradable Fishing Gear Isn’t Good Enough
Lower efficiency makes the eco-friendly nets and ropes fall short. That’s a trade-off we might have to accept.

Tracing the sticky history of slug races
The annual racing of slugs on Bowen Island, B.C., highlights life in the slow lane and the importance of this small, slimy species. Francesca Fionda reports. (The Narwhal)

Friday, September 8, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 8 2023

Aloha Star Trek Friday!
Star Trek Day celebrates the premiere of Star Trek: The Original Series, but more broadly speaking, it celebrates everything in the Star Trek universe. Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry. What became known as the Star Trek: The Original Series debuted on September 8, 1966, and ran for three seasons on NBC. (Although, Canadian viewers actually saw it on September 6th.) Set in the twenty-third century, it followed the Starship USS Enterprise, captained by James T. Kirk, who was played by William Shatner. Star Trek gained a cult following and Trekkies were born.

'Light of hope': B.C. researchers say some fish surviving heat waves better than once thought
A new study has found bottom-dwelling fish — including flounder, halibut, rockfish, and all five Pacific salmon species — are defying expectations in the face of heat waves.

Gulf Islands’ water woes an ominous omen for the rest of B.C.
Southern Gulf Islanders have always known their water is a precious commodity as their supply depends on the deep, broken-rock aquifers that supply most of it. In the second straight year of severe drought, worries are creeping in.

Judge: Growler flights continue
U.S. District Judge Richard Jones has ruled that jet training flights over Whidbey Island can continue because of national security even as he ordered the Navy to redo its environmental impact statement concerning the impacts of noise and emissions on the area.

Pumped storage hydropower is the greenest renewable energy technology, study says
Researchers with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory said closed-loop pumped storage hydropower will have a lower carbon footprint throughout the lifecycle of the technology, from construction to decommissioning, than other renewable energy storage technologies like lithium-ion batteries.

Out of the smokestack, into the state budget
Washington’s cap-and-trade auctions are pulling in money faster than expected, spurring new ideas for spending, along with calls to rework the program to ease costs for consumers.

A company was forced to reduce logging in Haida Gwaii’s old-growth forests. Now they’re suing for $75M
The Haida Gwaii Management Council’s decision to protect ancient trees meant Teal-Jones could no longer log them. Now, the B.C. Supreme Court will decide who pays when conservation cuts into corporate profit.

The Biden administration is ending drilling leases in ANWR, at least for now
The Biden administration is canceling the only seven oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The leases were originally issued by the Trump administration.

Gitanyow celebrates the return of salmon as B.C. inches toward recognizing the nation’s protected area
Two years after the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs declared 54,000 hectares of land and water off-limits to industry, the provincial government still hasn’t officially acknowledged the Meziadin Indigenous Protected Area.

Friday, September 1, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 1 2023

Aloha National Food Bank Friday!
National Food Bank Day was created in 2017, to commemorate fifty years since the founding of St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, the first food bank in the world, and to "recognize the outstanding contributions of food banks around the country". St. Mary's was founded by John ven Hengel in 1967, and its mission is to "alleviate hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency, collaboration, advocacy and education."

Celebrating the life of Tokitae the orca on San Juan Island
More than 300 people gathered Sunday at a park in the heart of the home waters of the southern resident orcas to pay tribute to the life of Tokitae.

The quest for an ancient colossus, in the wild rainforest of B.C.
Experts worry B.C.’s giant trees could be the last of their kind as climate change jeopardizes their ability to survive the centuries to come.

Pink salmon are having a great 2023 return in Puget Sound
The 2023 pink salmon run is forecast to be about four million returning to Puget Sound, around the 10-year average.

Province of B.C. says it's spent $585M so far this year fighting wildfires
The B.C. government has spent more than half a billion dollars so far this year fighting a historically bad wildfire season, and that number is expected to continue to rise in the coming weeks as hundreds of blazes continue to burn.

30 years after Clayoquot Sound, old growth logging continues unabated, says B.C. conservation group
The Sierra Club of B.C. says the logging of large old trees in verdant, bio-diverse forests on Vancouver Island has continued mostly unabated in the 30 years since one of the biggest acts of civil disobedience in Canada.

New flame retardants found in breast milk years after similar chemicals were banned
In the early 2000s, researchers tested breast milk samples from U.S. mothers and found high levels of toxic compounds used as a common flame retardant in household items. This summer, scientists detected a new set of similar flame retardants in the breast milk of 50 U.S. women.

Native nations on front lines of climate change share knowledge and find support at intensive camps
People from at least 28 tribes and intertribal organizations attended this year’s camp in Port Angeles, Washington, and more than 70 tribes have taken part in similar camps organized by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians at other sites across the U.S. since 2016.

The EPA removes federal protections for most of the country's wetlands
The EPA and Department of the Army announced a final rule amending the definition of protected "waters of the United States" in light of the decision in Sackett v. EPA in May, which narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act and the agency's power to regulate waterways and wetlands.

BC Hydro apologizes for $128 million Site C dam data error
Over three years, undisclosed employees quietly handed out $558 million in direct-award contracts, including $92 million to engineering firm SNC Lavalin.

Trump-era rule change allowing the logging of old-growth forests violates laws, judge says
A federal judge has found that a Trump-era rule change that allowed for the logging of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest violates several laws.

Study directly links greenhouse gas emissions with polar bear decline, UW professor says
Polar bears and their cubs will starve faster in the coming decades as greenhouse gas emissions hasten the decline of Arctic ice, scientists found in a new study.

Friday, August 25, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 25 2023

Aloha National Dog Day! (Aug. 26)
National Dog Day was founded in 2004 by Colleen Paige. National Dog Day is for all dogs, both purebred and mixed, and the mission of the day is to raise awareness about the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year, as well as to acknowledge the role dogs have played to keep us safe and bring us comfort. Dogs work with law enforcement, are eyes for the blind, and help the disabled, and they enrich our lives in a myriad of ways.

Lolita the orca, captive for more than a half-century, dies at Miami Seaquarium
Lolita, an orca whale held captive for more than a half-century, died Friday at the Miami Seaquarium as caregivers prepared to move her from the theme park in the near future. Following Tokitae's sudden death, Northwest tribes call for repatriation of orca's remains Tokitae, the orca who died suddenly last week before her scheduled return to the Pacific Northwest, has been sent to the University of Georgia for an autopsy.

With TikTok and Lawsuits, Gen Z Takes on Climate Change
With active lawsuits in five states, TikTok videos that mix humor and outrage, and marches in the streets, it’s a movement that is seeking to shape policy, sway elections and shift a narrative that its proponents say too often emphasizes climate catastrophes instead of the need to make the planet healthier and cleaner.

Are WA forests worth more as carbon sponges or timber harvests?
‘Working forests’ like state-run Tiger Mountain retain greenhouse gases — but logging is deeply entrenched in Northwest economies.

Calls to close fishing in Cowichan River as ‘dead zone’ forms
The Sept. 1 fishing opening on the Cowichan River should be cancelled because the river is in a “catastrophic” state due to a perfect storm of factors such as high-water temperatures and drought, say advocates.

Century-old paper mill once famous for wafting ‘Aroma of Tacoma’ to close
A Tacoma paper mill is closing its doors next month, ending operations at a site that, over 94 years of operation, became a local legend for all the rottenest-smelling reasons.

Life’s a Beach — Until You Get E. coli
Understanding the closure of popular BC swim spots. And how to enjoy the water safely.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch cleanup team hauls in 55 tonnes of plastic waste
A fishing expedition of sorts that brought in a mother lode of plastic from the area of the ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been delivered to Ogden Point in Victoria for recycling and disposal. The 55-tonne haul was collected in a six-week operation by the Ocean Cleanup project, a Dutch non-profit trying to rid the world's oceans of plastic.

Squabbling Over the Last Fish
The Skeena steelhead is prized by anglers and a major economic boost. But its survival is threatened.

Years After the Blob, the Pacific Still Doesn’t Look the Same
The 2014–2016 marine heatwave transformed the ecosystem of the northeast Pacific. Some of those changes seem here to stay.

Friday, August 18, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 18 2023

Aloha Helium Friday!
Helium was discovered onAugust 18 and October 20, 1868 by Pierre Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer. Despite being the second most abundant element in the observable universe, helium is relatively rare on Earth, the product of the radioactive decay of elements like uranium. (American Physical Society)

Researchers examine eelgrass wasting disease in Padilla Bay
Labyrinthula zosterae, the pathogen that causes eelgrass wasting disease, is what is known as a marine slime protist. Protists are mostly simple organisms that are not plants or animals or fungi.

Judge sides with youth in Montana climate change trial, finds two laws unconstitutional
Judge says failure to consider emissions, climate impacts violates state constitution.

Bird flu outbreak stokes fears for Washington’s wild birds
A new strain of avian flu has killed dozens of birds on a small Puget Sound island. Cases have turned up elsewhere as well. Officials are trying to better understand the disease’s spread.

‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Everywhere. What Are They Doing to Us?
PFAS lurk in so much of what we eat, drink and use. Scientists are only beginning to understand how they’re impacting our health — and what to do about them.

Extra cap-and-trade auction may net $62M for Washington
A special auction of pollution allowances on Aug. 9 likely generated $62.5 million for Washington, revenue that the state can funnel into programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

Biden administration proposes $106 million for Western salmon and steelhead recovery
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is recommending sending $106 million to 16 salmon and steelhead recovery efforts in five Western states, the federal agency said Thursday.

Friday, August 11, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 11 2023

World Elephant's Day (August 12)
World Elephant's Day is a day to express concern, share knowledge, and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants; it is a day to honor elephants, spread awareness about the critical threats they face, and to support solutions to help ensure their survival.

80% of B.C. rivers face high to extreme drought
Persistent dry and hot weather pushed Metro Vancouver to enact Level 2 watering restrictions Friday for the first time since 2015.

Billions spent on hatcheries, habitat fails to help native Columbia River salmon, study finds
Decades of data show that despite billions in taxpayer investment, salmon and steelhead hatchery programs and restoration projects in the Columbia River Basin have failed to support or boost native fish populations and in fact are contributing to their decline.

Group petitions to dump Washington’s new carbon-pricing system
Advocacy organization Let’s Go Washington is gathering signatures on a petition to ask the Washington Legislature to repeal the state’s new carbon pricing system. Conservatives are saying the new program is causing Washington to have the highest gasoline prices in the nation.

Two new baby orcas with no deaths over the past year could make for a remarkable census
This year’s census for the Southern Resident killer whales apparently will document two new calves but no deaths for the 12-month period ending July 1.

Marine heat wave off Pacific coast could prove dangerous for wildlife
A marine heat wave that's been raising the temperatures of waters off the Pacific coast for weeks has experts worried about the health of marine life.

Canada to sell pipeline stake to Indigenous groups through special vehicle
Canada plans to sell a stake in the Trans Mountain oil pipeline to Indigenous groups through a special purpose vehicle that will allow individual communities to buy into the enterprise. The government will provide the groups with access to capital so they don’t have to risk any of their own money to participate.

Cases dropped against 146 Fairy Creek protesters over RCMP's failure to read full injunction at arrests
Prosecutors in B.C. have withdrawn cases against nearly 150 protesters who were arrested for participating in a blockade around old-growth logging on Vancouver Island after a judge this year found Mounties did not read the full text of a court order to the group.

State proposes tighter safety regulations for refinery workers years after tragedy
Regulations proposed by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries in June would update the 1992 “Process Safety Management” guidelines for thousands of workers at Washington’s five refineries, including the BP and Phillips 66 refineries at Cherry Point.

Canada, U.S. negotiate future of Columbia River in Seattle this week
For 60 years, the Columbia River Treaty has guided how water from British Columbia flows downstream in Washington and Oregon, for flood control and hydropower. Parts of that agreement expire next year.