Salish Sea News Week in Review December 17, 2021

Aloha Simpson Family Friday!
On this day in 1989, the first episode of The Simpsons aired. The popular American animated series directed by Matt Groening is set in the fictional town of Springfield and it follows the life of the Simpson family. (The rest is history.)

Archaeologists Have Unearthed Exciting Secrets on Haida Gwaii
Archaeological excavations have revealed the oldest domestic dog remains ever reported in the Americas, roughly 11,000-year-old stone tools, and the tantalizing signs of far more to come.

What killed millions of honey bees at this Everett farm?
In the summer, a beekeeper lost 240 hives on Ebey Island. An investigation found they died from pesticides, but whose?

Road to Recovery: How a Victoria company became the first carbon neutral whale watching business in Canada
Eagle Wing Tours prides itself on being the first — and still the only — carbon-neutral whale watching company in Canada.

Jay Inslee, Washington lawmakers propose electric vehicle rebates and other climate initiatives ahead of legislative session
Gov. Jay Inslee Monday rolled out his latest plans to fight climate change, including an idea to spend $100 million annually to fund rebates for people buying electric vehicles.

Seagrass wasting disease is fueled by climate change
Seagrass is suffering from a wasting disease across the Pacific Northwest, and climate change is driving the destructive outbreak, according to a new study from Cornell University.

Washington state’s next ferry officially has a name 
The next Washington state ferry will bear the name Wishkah when it sails in 2024.

Natural gas furnaces, water heaters in crosshairs of some Northwest policymakers
Fossil fuel use in buildings looks to be the next frontier for climate activists at the state and local level. There's a convergence of activity in the Pacific Northwest aimed at phasing out natural gas furnaces and water heaters.

Cascadia’s Chance for a Zero-Carbon Future: What We Learned
Lessons from a year of reporting on climate solutions for the bioregion spanning BC, Washington and Oregon.

Gov. Inslee unveils new $187 million plan for Washington salmon recovery
Gov. Jay Inslee wants to invest $187 million in salmon recovery as part of his 2022 budget and policy proposals.

Federal magistrate finds flaws in Navy environmental study of Growler jet impacts
A U.S. federal magistrate has found that the Navy in an environmental impact statement “turned a blind” eye to data that did not support the goal of increasing Growler jet operations from an air station at Whidbey Island.

21-day TMX shutdown a warning of how vulnerable the fuel supply is to climate change disasters
After the longest shutdown in its 70-year history, the Trans Mountain pipeline restarted Sunday, but won't be at full capacity or pressure until January, according to engineers.

Swinomish Tribe wants to resurrect U.S. clam gardening
With climate change threatening culturally important foods, a Puget Sound tribe pushes to build the country's first clam garden of the modern era.

Federal government announces closure of most Pacific herring fisheries
Most commercial fisheries for Pacific herring on the West Coast have been closed with the exception of harvests by First Nations for food and ceremonial purposes.

Washington launches program to cut underwater noise in Puget Sound
Quiet Sound plans to work with the Northwest shipping industry to make it easier for marine creatures to navigate, find food and communicate.

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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