Salish Sea News Week in Review February 10 2023

Aloha Umbrella Friday!
Umbrellas were used in ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, India, and the Middle East, as early as the fourth century BCE. The first recorded collapsible umbrella dates to 21 CE in China. The canopies of ancient umbrellas were built with different materials than those that are used today, being made of feathers, leaves, and leather; however, their shape was reminiscent of today's umbrellas. The term more associated with the sunshade umbrella is the parasol.

Woodfibre LNG project near Squamish, B.C., seeks amendments to environmental assessment
A liquefied natural gas project that would produce around two million tonnes of the fossil fuel a year near Squamish, B.C. — about 64 kilometres north of Vancouver — for export is seeking changes from Environment and Climate Change Canada over how it is required to monitor for marine mammals affected by underwater noise, such as pile driving, during construction.

By 2050, Washington might need to buy energy from other states
If Washington reaches its goal of weaning itself from fossil fuels and continues its drive to replace gas-powered cars with electric vehicles, we will need to start importing electricity by 2050, according to calculations by the Washington Department of Commerce.

‘A century in the making’: Canada adds federal protection to Indigenous-declared marine refuge
When the Mamalilikulla First Nation unilaterally declared an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area in their traditional territory in late 2021, it was as much to protect rare corals and sponges as reestablish connection to lands and waters from which the community had been forcefully removed. Now Canada is backing the nation, adding marine protections under federal law.

'A scientific sin': 16 Canadian salmon scientists claim DFO sea lice report was manipulated
16 scientists slam a recent DFO report that found salmon farms had an "insignificant" impact on wild salmon infestations — claiming the report's authors cherry-picked data, ignored scientific consensus and failed to consult with experts outside the department.

Pink sea urchins on the move, a sign of climate change
The pretty pink urchins that live in deep water off the coast of Vancouver Island are slowly but surely moving into shallower places as food sources and oxygen levels decline due to a warming ocean.

Big Oil walks back climate pledges as earnings show 2022 was their most profitable year ever
Financial results from the biggest energy companies in the world this week show that last year was their most profitable year ever, prompting many of them to scale back previous commitments to pivot more toward renewable energy.

Alberta is on a blitz to promote B.C.’s LNG industry. Critics say it’s time to ‘keep out’
Alberta’s energy war room campaign to promote the carbon-intensive LNG industry comes as B.C. admits it will miss emissions targets, even without accounting for new LNG.

‘We should avoid monitoring’: feds quietly backed off while Coastal GasLink pipeline work killed fish
For months, Fisheries and Oceans Canada wouldn’t say anything about its role in monitoring the Coastal GasLink pipeline and protecting fish habitat. Internal documents show the agency was keeping an eye on construction — until it wasn’t. 

Corps’ BP Cherry Point limit no limit at all, environmental groups say
Environmental groups are unhappy with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ January 23 modification to its 1996 permit that limits the volume of crude oil BP can handle at its Cherry Point facility. They say the ceiling would allow the oil company to double its shipping capacity.

First Nations, B.C. groups launch coalition to save Pacific salmon from extinction
First Nations Fisheries Council of B.C. is joining with the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the First Nations Summit and the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance to find solutions to collapsing salmon runs.

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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate


Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told