Friday, April 17, 2020

Salish Sea News Week in Review April 17 2020

Aloha Bat Friday!
There are at least 900 species of bats, and some experts say there are close to 1,200. This means that bats make up between a fifth and a quarter of the world's mammal population. Many bats hibernate during the winter, meaning that April 17 is a fitting time for Bat Appreciation Day, as many are waking up around this time of year. Others that live in the Northern Hemisphere migrate south for the winter. In general, bats like to live in warmer areas near the equator. Some bats can eat 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour, and can consume their body weight in insects in a night! Bats have also historically been important because of their droppings, called guano. Guano is an excellent fertilizer, and once was a very important commodity.


50 years ago, the global Earth Day movement was born — and so was WWU’s Huxley College, both shaping national environmental conversation
On April 22, 1970, environmentalists marching on the first Earth Day shook the nation out of what had become a long, pollution-riddled slumber — the ugly byproduct of the Industrial Age.

E.P.A. Weakens Controls on Mercury
The Trump administration on Thursday  weakened regulations on the release of mercury and other toxic metals from oil and coal-fired power plants, another step toward rolling back health protections in the middle of a pandemic.

EPA charts path to suspend hazardous waste cleanup amid coronavirus
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday announced that the cleanup of hazardous waste sites and other pollution spills may be slowed or paused during the coronavirus outbreak.

Cooke Aquaculture applies to modify permits for steelhead farming in Puget Sound
Cooke Aquaculture wants to use its fish farming pens off the southern coast of Bainbridge Island to raise rainbow trout.

2020 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Register now for the 2020 virtual Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. Digital program opening April 20; Virtual Conference April 21-22.

EPA to leave pollution standards unchanged, against recommendations of its own scientists
The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Tuesday a proposal to retain, without changes, standards for particulate matter pollution, going against the recommendations of the agency's own scientists.

Vancouver Aquarium losing millions, could close permanently
The Vancouver Aquarium will close permanently within two months unless it receives immediate financial support.

Expanding Canada’s Biggest Port Will Be a Blow to Wildlife
The long-awaited federal assessment of the contentious Terminal 2 expansion of the Roberts Bank shipping terminal, 30 kilometers south of Vancouver, British Columbia, is finally ready, and it cites a daunting list of problems, including the potential for serious harm to the region’s killer whales and salmon.

Federal judge cancels Keystone pipeline permit
A federal judge has canceled a key permit for the construction of the controversial Keystone pipeline, stating it was issued without proper assessment of the project's environmental impact.



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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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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