Salish Sea News Week in Review July 21 2023

 

[NASA]

Aloha Moonwalk Friday!
On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans ever to land on the moon. About six-and-a-half hours later, Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. As he took his first step, Armstrong famously said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

After hiatus, intertribal canoe journey returns
For the first time since 2019, the intertribal canoe journey is returning to the Pacific Northwest and includes multiple stops along the North Olympic Peninsula as crews make their way to the Muckleshoot Indian Nation near Auburn.

Hundreds of dead young salmon and trout found in river
Hundreds of tiny silver salmon and trout fry have been discovered dead at the bottom of a canyon at the base of Skutz Falls on the Cowichan River system and the cause of the mass die-off is a mystery.

New regulations proposed for refinery safety
The state Department of Labor and Industries announced last month that it’s proposing changes to safety regulations for refineries. The regulations would affect two Anacortes refineries. The Labor and Industries news release announcing the proposal referenced previous explosions at the March Point refineries as part of the need for regulation changes.

We Knew Vancouver’s Ecosystem Was Damaged. The Truth Is So Much Worse
More than a century after colonization nearly eradicated key fish populations around Vancouver, British Columbia, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation is looking to the past to restore the ecosystem.

The 2023 wildfire season is now B.C.'s most destructive on record — and it's only mid-July
The 2023 wildfire season in British Columbia has officially surpassed the 2018 season as the most destructive ever recorded according to area burned. Statistics from the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) show wildfires have burned more than 13,900 square kilometres of land this year, breaking the record of just over 13,500 square kilometres set in 2018.

Tribes and farmers reduce carbon and find common ground through this dairy digester
Washington state is investing $22 million in dairy digesters, part of the 2023-2025 budget for the state's Climate Commitment Act. Based on a new report, they’re currently considered one of the most effective climate investments states can make. 

‘Are you kidding me?’: B.C. sanctions shooting, logging in endangered spotted owl habitat
Only one spotted owl remains in Canada’s wild. The B.C. government says it is committed to recovering the species, even as it approves new clearcuts and recreational shooting in a Fraser Valley wildlife area set aside for the owl. 

Big oil quietly walks back on climate pledges as global heat records tumble
Energy firms have made record profits by increasing production of oil and gas, far from their promises of rolling back emissions.

'A definite alarm bell': Cherry Point's herring population didn't spawn this year
Less than two decades after the federal government declined endangered species protections for Cherry Point’s herring, scientists can’t find evidence the colony spawned this year.

Drought conditions threatening B.C. salmon as river levels drop
B.C. is currently grappling with an extended drought which has left two-thirds of the province's water basins at drought Level 4 or Level 5. The provincial scale goes from zero to five. The Lower Mainland basin, which includes the Fraser Valley, is at Level 4, which means adverse impacts to ecosystems are likely.

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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