Salish Sea News Week in Review November 15 2024

Aloha Little Red Wagon Friday!

Little Red Wagon Day celebrates little red toy wagons. Toy wagons, which are similar in structure to their larger counterparts, were invented in the late 19th century, and were originally made of wood. They have an open top, can usually comfortably seat one child, often have a pull handle in front, and are usually red. Famous brands include Red Rider, Northern Tool and Equipment, Lowe's, Cardinal, Speedway Express, and Radio Flyer, which is most associated with the little red wagon.

Site C dam reservoir now fully filled, generating power but flooding land loved by locals
Project will increase province's electricity supply by 8%, B.C. Hydro says.

Wildlife petition calls for new Vancouver Island coastal bird sanctuary
Conservationists want to connect Victoria Harbour and Shoal Harbour, creating a new Salish Sea migratory bird sanctuary.

For EPA chief, Trump picks former Congressman Lee Zeldin of New York
President-elect Donald Trump Monday said he will nominate former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York to serve as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Despite Biden’s promise to protect old forests, his administration keeps approving plans to cut them down
On Earth Day in 2022, President Joe Biden stood among cherry blossoms and towering Douglas firs in a Seattle park to declare the importance of big, old trees. But two years later, at a timber auction in a federal office in Roseburg, Oregon, this new day was nowhere to be seen.

The Other Side of the World’s Largest Dam Removal
Removing dams from the Klamath River in Northern California seems like a clear win for fish and rivers. Why do some locals hate it?

3 years, 2 deadly atmospheric rivers. Is B.C. ready for the next one?
On the heels of another destructive atmospheric river that left 5 people dead, we have to learn how to live with water.

Amid Earth's heat records, scientists report another bump upward in annual carbon emissions
Even as Earth sets new heat records, humanity this year is pumping 330 million tons (300 million metric tons) more carbon dioxide into the air by burning fossil fuels than it did last year.

Hereditary chiefs call for a fishing moratorium to safeguard herring stocks
Concerned by the disappearance of herring in their territories, hereditary chiefs are calling for closure of the West Coast’s last commercial herring fishery.

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 msato(at)salishseacom.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

 

Salish Sea News Week in Review November 8 2024

Aloha X-ray Friday
An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. X-rays were discovered in 1895 by the German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who named it X-radiation to signify an unknown type of radiation. X-rays can penetrate many solid substances such as construction materials and living tissue,[4] so X-ray radiography is widely used in medical diagnostics (e.g., checking for broken bones) and material science. (Wikipedia)

Billy's magic: Tribal leader’s fierce fight for fishing rights to be honored with a statue in Washington, D.C.
Who was Billy Frank, Jr.? Willie Frank III explains.

Washington governor OKs massive new wind farm and urges swift turbine approvals
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has approved a revised plan for a massive proposed wind farm after he rejected a sharply slimmed-down version earlier this year.

B.C. workers facing ban on open-net farming worry about job losses
Those who oppose open-net fish farms are frustrated by delays in phasing them out but the farms have generated wealth and jobs for a generation of people. Jamie Mah reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. ports lockout: Vancouver businesses already feeling the bite of labour dispute
The lockout has halted operations at more than a dozen terminals run by Maritime Employers Association members, leaving containers of goods behind picket lines.

Two southern residents missing, presumed dead in B.C. waters
Two southern resident killer whales are presumed dead after multiple sightings of two endangered pods failed to turn up a 30-year-old male and a calf. The news reduces the southern resident population to 72.

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 msato(at)salishseacom.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

Salish Sea News Week in Review November 1 2024

Aloha Vinegar Friday!

Vinegar is made by a fermentation process, which can go fast or slow, taking a few months or a year. Sugar in juice is converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and the alcohol combines with atmospheric oxygen to form acetic acid and water. The flavors and aromas of the different varieties of vinegar come from the organic acids and esters from the fruit or other source material. There are many varieties of vinegar, some being apple cider, red wine, white, balsamic, malt, beer, cane, coconut, rice, and sherry. The first vinegar was likely made from wine. 

Massive WA salmon recovery plan scrutinized with latest $100M project
The Washington State Department of Transportation is planning a giant salmon restoration project here that could require buying out a motel owner, tearing down the building and excavating the highway culvert beneath it, at a price tag of some $100 million.  Lawmakers and at least one tribal leader are asking whether projects like this make sense.

Metro Vancouver removes 50 tonnes of 'fatbergs' from Richmond, B.C., sewers
Every year, Metro Vancouver says it spends more than $2.7 million fixing grease damage in its sewer systems.

Slim majority for NDP after Elections B.C.'s final count, Eby forming government
The NDP has 47 seats, the Conservatives 44, and the Greens two pending automatic judicial recounts in Surrey-Guildford and Kelowna Centre ridings.

The massive Site C dam has begun generating power for B.C.'s electrical grid
Project will increase B.C.'s electricity supply by 8 per cent, B.C. Hydro says.

Marine Weather Forecasts Are Getting an AI Upgrade
Machine learning systems—powered by new data—are taking some of the guesswork out of maritime safety. 

Record 1.3 million cruise ship passengers arrived in Vancouver this year, port authority says
As the final cruise ship of the year sails away from the city Tuesday, the Port of Vancouver said a record number of tourists arrived in the city by cruise ship this year.

Atmospheric rivers could raise sea levels, drive flooding in B.C., says scientist
More powerful atmospheric rivers could lead to higher storm surges and flooding in the future, finds study.

Iowa AG leads multi-state opposition to court decision on Clean Water Act
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and 24 other states filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court Monday in support of the Port of Tacoma’s appeal of a U.S. circuit court decision that upheld a citizen’s ability to sue individuals for violating the Clean Water Act.

Everett initiative asks: Should the Snohomish River have legal rights?
Initiative 24-03 proposes legal standing to prevent environmental damage. Opponents say it’ll lead to unnecessary lawsuits.

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 msato(at)salishseacom.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

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 25 2024

Aloha Chocolate Friday!
Chocolate comes from the Theobroma cacao tree. The word "chocolate" itself comes from the Spanish, and it stems from the Aztec word xocolatl, which means "bitter water." The Aztecs pounded cacao beans and drank them without adding any sugar, and they thought that the beans came from the gods. Indeed, Theobroma means "food of the gods." Cocoa beans are about 50% "cocoa butter" and 50% "chocolate liquor." Hernando Cortés brought cocoa beans back to Spain, and a chocolate drink that included sugar became popular there right away.  The word "chocolate" first appeared in print, in England, in 1604.

Prince George, B.C., hydrogen project plans put on hold
An Australian-based minerals company is withdrawing from a project in Prince George, B.C., that would have been a key part of the province's plan to scale up production of hydrogen and reach net-zero emissions.

Oil tanker traffic surges in WA waters with Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion
The May opening of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion in British Columbia has led to a sevenfold increase in oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Juan de Fuca so far this year.

Salmon return to Klamath Basin in Oregon after more than a century
Wildlife officials this week documented salmon above the former J.C. Boyle Dam in Southern Oregon for the first time in more than a century. It happened less than a month after removal of four Klamath River dams was completed to restore fish passage.

A Radical Approach to Flooding in the UK: Give Land Back to the Sea
When a huge tract of land on the Somerset coast was deliberately flooded, the project was slammed as “ridiculous” by a local lawmaker. But the results have been transformative.

A look inside Puget Sound’s declining bull kelp beds
.... The kelp collects in bunches near the surface, the bed hugs the shoreline of the island and sways with the current. This is just one of the many beds watched closely by the Samish Indian Nation and mapped out yearly using aerial footage and GPS data to show just how fast bull kelp is disappearing throughout the San Juan Island archipelago.

More states ban PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals,’ in more products
Legislative momentum against PFAS has surged this year, as at least 11 states enacted laws to restrict the use of “forever chemicals” in everyday consumer products or professional firefighting foam.

If you like to watch: Klamath River reemerges after the removal of four dams
Video captures four Klamath River dam sites before and after a $500 million removal operation.

BC’s Legislature Hits Gender Parity
For the first time in the province, women will hold the majority of seats.

How is the world doing on climate change? Not great
It’s report card season for climate change. Each year, the United Nations takes stock of whether countries are on track to cut carbon emissions and limit global warming. The grade this year: needs more improvement than ever.

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 msato(at)salishseacom.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

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 18 2024

Aloha Moby Dick Friday!
The epic novel by Herman Melville was published on this day in 1851 as 'The Whale' in London and a month later as 'Moby Dick' in the United States.

Baby orca in L pod is ailing
The newest southern resident baby orca is ailing, and researchers dread a devastating blow to its first-time mom and the struggling population of orcas.

The U.S. gets a new national marine sanctuary, the first led by a tribe
More than 4,500 square miles of ocean will soon be protected by the federal government off the Central California coast, creating a new national marine sanctuary, which will be the third largest in the U.S.

Why the future of B.C.'s forests has become a huge election issue
The province's trees are connected to concerns about the economy, climate change and reconciliation.

Lack of salmon may not be the problem after all for endangered orcas, report suggests
A key assumption about dwindling numbers of southern resident killer whales pins the blame on a lack of salmon, but a study out of the University of British Columbia has found they have twice the number of chinook available in summer as their much healthier cousins, the northern residents.

Oregon's Land Board approves plan to put state forest in a carbon market
The decision, which officials said would fight climate change, makes Oregon the second state after Michigan to dedicate an entire state forest to storing harmful emissions while selling carbon credits for revenue.

Amazon announces nuclear power deals as tech giants scramble for more clean energy
Amazon today announced agreements supporting the construction of a next-generation nuclear power plant in its home state of Washington — marking the latest development in the tech-driven resurgence of nuclear energy.

B.C. election: where do the parties stand on key climate and conservation issues?
Here’s where the NDP, Conservatives and Greens stand on the carbon tax, LNG, old-growth forests and other key issues.

Road closed
The Mount Baker Highway road to Artist Point (HWY 542) is closed for the seasons of Wednesday morning.

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 msato at salishseacom.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

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 11 2024

Aloha Egg Day!
World Egg Day celebrates eggs and highlights their versatility and the benefits they bring to people of all ages. The day has a different theme each year, and celebrations are held in countries all around the world. Eggs are nutrient-rich, being high in protein as well as in 13 vitamins and minerals that the body needs, such as choline, vitamin B12, iron, and iodine. They improve brain function, support physical strength and the immune system, and aid with child development.

Endangered Southern Resident orcas return to Puget Sound
Whale researchers on Saturday spotted orcas that are part of the endangered Southern Resident pod. They’re back in Puget Sound, for the first time since April.

Have you considered the Canada Goose?
Giant Canada geese, so ubiquitous today in cities across the country, were once considered extinct. What can we learn from watching them up close?

Orca census shows declining population; researchers discuss risk of extinction
Three deaths and one birth among the southern resident killer whales have been documented over the past year.

What happens to shipping containers when they have been lost at sea?
More than 20,000 shipping containers have tumbled overboard in the last decade and a half.

Carbon dioxide pollution in the West could drop with expansion of electrical grid, report says
Planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution could dramatically drop in the West if a dozen electrical energy transmission projects currently proposed or being built are completed in the next five years, a new report found.

Are WA schools ready for earthquakes? We don't know
Seismic data helps prioritize building improvements and inform emergency planning. But the data is inconsistent, incomplete and difficult to access.

(Re)explaining Washington’s Climate Commitment Act
Understanding the cap-and-invest law that Washington Initiative 2117 would repeal.

Unravelling the complicated past of B.C.’s newest pipeline conflict
B.C. has until the end of November to decide if the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission line requires a new environmental assessment. 

Native bees are an important piece of the pie. Why aren’t we protecting them?
Our food security relies on a diversity of pollinators on Canadian farms. Honeybees get a lot of credit, but they’re pushing native species out.

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 msato at salishseacom.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

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 4 2024

Aloha Diversity Friday!
Taking place during Global Diversity Awareness Month, National Diversity Day is "a day to celebrate and embrace who we are, despite our differences, no matter what race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, or disability. A day to reflect on and learn about different cultures and ideologies. A day to vow acceptance and tolerance. A day to consciously address these areas at educational and religious institutions, as well as in the workplace and at home."

Oregon’s offshore lease sale canceled as bidders back out, governor raises concerns
Oregon’s upcoming floating offshore wind auction has been canceled because only one of the five companies eligible to bid was still interested. 

Why the Salish Sea's new baby orca surprised researchers
News of L90 becoming a mother is a bit of an "outlier," according to NOAA wildlife biologist Brad Hanson. At her age, it's likely that L90 has been pregnant several times before but lost those calves. "She's also a relatively small female. So to be honest, we had sort of written her off, if you will,” he said. 

Bycatch of nearly 20,000 Chinook salmon shuts down Alaska trawl fishery
Nearly 20,000 Chinook salmon were caught inadvertently as bycatch in the pollock fishery in the Gulf of Alaska, shutting it down early and sparking outrage among orca scientists and wild salmon advocates. Chinook salmon are the most prized food for endangered southern resident orcas that frequent the Salish Sea. 

The grid is insufficient for renewables. BPA has a $2 billion plan
The Bonneville Power Administration announced a plan to move ahead with more than $2 billion in multiple high-voltage transmission substation and line projects necessary to reinforce the transmission grid that connects the Pacific Northwest with the American Southwest and points east.

Litigation looms over latest round of Washington state timber sales
A group pressing to save older forests from logging is threatening to sue. School officials and others are raising alarm about lost revenue.

Sister seas on opposite shores face same foe: polluted runoff
For decades, Puget Sound and its East Coast counterpart, the Chesapeake Bay, have had federal, state, and local programs aimed at restoring them to ecological health. Yet America’s two biggest estuaries south of Alaska remain in poor health.

Canadians Are Still Paying for Trudeau’s Trans Mountain Pipeline
The federal government is the owner of the $34 billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX), yet charges oil companies less than half of the tolls required to recover the eye-watering capital costs owed to the Canadian taxpayer. According to a new report from the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD), this amounts to a subsidy to the fossil fuel sector of up to $18.8 billion, or $1,248 per Canadian household.

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 msato at salishseacom.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