Salish Sea Communications

Friday, January 16, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 16 2026

Aloha Prohibition Friday
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. The amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified by the requisite number of states on January 16, 1919.

Knock, knock, who's there? UVic biologists identify unique sounds of 8 fish species
The researchers used an underwater microphone to eavesdrop on rockfish and other species near the community of Bamfield in Barkley Sound, on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island.

Billions at Stake in the Ocean as Trump Throttles Offshore Wind Farms
The Trump administration has repeatedly ordered work to stop on offshore wind farms along the East Coast, pushing at least two projects to the brink of collapse. Offshore wind developer prevails in court as Trump says the US ‘will not approve any windmills’ A federal judge ruled Monday that work on a major offshore wind farm for Rhode Island and Connecticut can resume, handing the industry at least a temporary victory.

Washington state pumps more tax dollars toward green jet fuel
Officials hope a new state-funded “accelerator” can tackle off-putting prices and other barriers to adoption of the fuel, which can reduce air travel emissions by 50-80%.

Study finds juvenile coho salmon at risk from deadly tire chemical
When it was first identified in 2020, the deadly tire chemical 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ) was seen mostly as a threat to adult coho salmon. Washington lawmakers to decide whether to ban a tire chemical shown to be toxic to salmon A new bill introduced to the Washington Legislature, now in session, would require tire manufacturers to reformulate the rubber in their tires to remove a chemical responsible for killing large numbers of coho salmon and other fish.

E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution
In a reversal, the agency plans to calculate only the cost to industry when setting pollution limits, and not the monetary value of saving human lives, documents show.

Court says Trump admin illegally blocked billions in clean energy grants to Democratic states
A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it canceled $7.6 billion in clean energy grants for projects in states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

The Narwhal Is Suing the RCMP. Stakes Are High for Journalism
The judge’s ruling could reinforce the right of journalists to report from inside police ‘exclusion zones.’

2025 among world's three hottest years on record, WMO says
Last year was among the planet's three warmest on record, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday, as EU scientists also confirmed average temperatures have now exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming for the longest since records began.

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)salish-current.org .Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Friday, January 9, 2026

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 9 2026

Aloha Apricot Friday!

The apricot (prunus armeniaca), a small, pitted fruit, is celebrated today with National Apricot Day. Apricots range in color from pale orange to dark saffron, often with a blush of pink or red, and have soft skin with a light fuzz, looking similar to small peaches. They have a short growing season and are delicate. They grow on small trees and have a sweet, tart flavor. There are several different varieties, with Blenheim being the most popular in the United States. Apricots are sometimes crossed with plums: apriums are 75% apricot and 25% plum, pluots are 75% plum and 25% apricot, and plumcots are half apricot and half plum.

Here’s how December’s floods will impact the environment
The floods that drenched western Washington and Oregon this month may be receding, but their environmental impact will reverberate for years, potentially affecting everything from returning salmon to oyster fisheries.

Nuclear power ventures heat up around Washington state
Washington is trying to become a hub for nuclear power. But instead of monster-size reactors, the state is now home to multiple ventures involving smaller reactors — all using technologies unheard of in the 1970s and 1980s.

$126M incentive program for zero-emission trucks nears launch in WA
Washington is close to opening a new incentive program for commercial fleet operators to transition trucks and other vehicles to models that run on electric or hydrogen power.

‘A new reality’: B.C. glacier collapse forces guides to confront risks of rapidly melting world
As glaciers in Western Canada retreat at an alarming rate, guides on the frontlines are not only witnessing the changes, but managing the hazards.

Drift logs destroying intertidal ecosystems in B.C., study finds
University of Victoria study found logs on the shores of B.C. are scraping away valuable food sources.
A new study by biologists at the University of Victoria has revealed why the simple back-and-forth motion of drift logs on B.C. beaches has destroyed critical ecosystems that keep the ocean healthy.

White House completes plan to curb bedrock environmental law
The Trump administration has finalized a plan to rescind regulations related to the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to consider a project’s possible environmental impacts before it is approved.

WA Dept. of Commerce corrects climate report data after error vastly overstates emission cuts
The department originally reported that 7.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced. The actual amount is around 78,000.

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 31 2025

Aloha Hogmanay!
Hogmanay is the Scottish new year celebration. Coinciding with New Year's Eve, it started during ancient pagan times, and may have stemmed from Norse and Gaelic observances—its roots may be in the Winter Solstice and Yule celebrations marked by the Norse, and it may have brought in customs of Samhain, a Gaelic celebration. The origin of the holiday's name is disputed, but it possibly comes from a Gaelic, Norse, or French root. There are many similar spellings and pronunciations of it.

Growler analysis report complete
The U.S. Navy has completed and submitted its Final Amended Analysis for the EA-18G “Growler” Airfield Operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Group warns about flooding impacts on gray whales
The nonprofit Orca Network is noting that the early arrival of gray whales occurred just as contaminated floodwaters flowed into the Salish Sea. Floodwaters can carry pollution and debris, causing concern for the arriving whales and their food.

Probe of WA Fish and Wildlife Commission to stretch into 2026
Gov. Bob Ferguson hired an investigator in June, but they didn’t get started until the agency director requested an inquiry two months later.

Northwest just finished warmest fall on record
Across the Northwest, a record warm fall and lack of snowpack going into the winter is putting more drought pressure on Oregon, Idaho, Washington and western Montana.

9.0 quake in BC would kill thousands and cost $128 billion, report foresees
A British Columbia government report foresees more than 3,400 fatalities and more than 10,000 injuries if an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 strikes off Vancouver Island.

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 26 2025

Aloha Kwanzaa!
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West, East, as well as Southeast Africa.

Thousands of baby bull kelp planted on new rock reef in North Vancouver
On a rainy December day, divers braved the currents of the Burrard Inlet to plant thousands of microscopic bull kelp onto a new underwater rock reef. The reef, which spans about 1,800 square metres, at the Lynn Creek Estuary in North Vancouver, was completed earlier this month in a partnership between Neptune Terminals and the University of B.C.

US House passes bill to remove gray wolf from Endangered Species Act list
The U.S. House on Thursday passed, 211-204, a bill to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf outside Alaska.

Washington wants to get rid of 'forever chemicals' in firefighting foam. So it’s shipping the foam to an incinerator in Utah
A new program from Washington’s Department of Ecology is helping get rid of firefighting foam that could be toxic. The foam contains what are commonly called “forever chemicals."

Snohomish County Council passes 3,000-acre rezoning plan
The area south of Everett is expected to grow from over 500,000 people to almost 750,000 by 2044.

Lawmakers seek answers about BP’s Olympic Pipeline leak in Snohomish County
Washington congressional lawmakers are seeking answers from oil giant BP following the Olympic Pipeline’s 2,300-gallon leak east of Everett in November, which caused an almost 2-week shutdown of the system and forced Gov. Bob Ferguson to issue a state emergency regarding travel disruptions at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The Road To Ruin
Hidden among the flurry of policy changes by the Trump Administration, the rescission of the Roadless Rule may have far consequences for our public lands.

Friday, December 19, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 19 2025

Aloha Evergreen Tree

The roots of the Christmas tree tradition go back to ancient pagan holidays. Pagans decorated their homes with evergreen branches during the Winter Solstice, to remind them that spring wasn't too far away. Some pagans worshipped trees as well. In ancient Rome, temples were decorated with evergreens during Saturnalia, a December holiday. Eventually, Christians began associating Christ's birth with the winter holidays and adopted the evergreen tree, which they saw as a symbol of eternal life.

B.C.’s failure to fund flood response ‘troublesome’ as atmospheric river strikes again
Rising waters closed highways and forced evacuations, prompting fresh criticism that the province has been too slow to invest in flood defences despite repeated warnings since 2021.

Environmental groups say permitting bill passed by US House guts clean water protections
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that Republicans say would reform the Clean Water Act and cut through regulatory burdens. The Act would redefine “navigable waters” – a term key to defining the waters that are protected by the Clean Water Act.

Lawsuit challenges Trump administration approval for Arctic Alaska oil exploration plan
Environmental and Native organizations on Thursday sued the Trump administration to try to overturn last month’s approval of an expansive oil-exploration program on the North Slope.

Feds defend response to flooding in B.C. after Abbotsford mayor slams inaction
The federal minister responsible for handling natural disasters defended her government in the wake of criticism about how it has responded to flooding in B.C.'s Fraser Valley.

Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report
Across the Northwest, a record warm fall and lack of snowpack going into the winter is putting more drought pressure on Oregon, Idaho, Washington and western Montana.

DOE orders WA coal plant to continue operating despite state ban
The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order Tuesday evening directing power generation company TransAlta to continue operating a coal plant in Centralia, despite a state law that requires utilities in Washington to stop using coal for power generation beginning next year.

Major conservation of B.C. forestry land totalling 45,000 hectares announced
The Nature Conservancy of Canada says it has reached an agreement with the federal and British Columbia governments as well as other private and public sector partners to conserve 45,000 hectares, or 450 square kilometres, of timberland in the province.

Trump targets premier U.S. weather and climate research center
The Trump administration said it will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, one of the world’s leading Earth science research institutions. Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, called the center “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country” and said that the federal government would be “breaking up” the institution.

Friday, December 12, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 12 2025

Aloha Poinsettia Friday!
Poinsettia is the beautiful red flowering plant that has come to be associated with Christmas. The plant is native to Mexico, where it was used by the Aztecs; its flowers were used to produce red dye, and its sap to treat fevers. Franciscan missionaries in Mexico used it in the 17th century as part of nativity processions, the first time it became associated with Christianity. Poinsettias take their name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist and the first Minister to Mexico, who sent cuttings of the plant back to his home in Charleston, South Carolina.

Is this the end of the Tacoma aroma? City finalizes vision for the Tideflats
After eight years of work, the city of Tacoma has finalized a long-term vision for the Tideflats that includes the end of the paper mill.

Large-scale solar farm in central WA gets green light from governor
Time is running short for the Carriger Solar project to qualify for key federal tax credits. If completed, it could provide enough power for 32,500 homes.

Why was 'incredible' giant cedar cut down, despite B.C.'s big-tree protection law?
The monumental cedar stood in what was one of the few intact or nearly intact old-growth valleys left on the island.

Federal judge throws out Trump order blocking development of wind energy
A federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, saying the effort to halt virtually all leasing of wind farms on federal lands and waters was “arbitrary and capricious” and violates U.S. law.

New orca calf spotted with K pod
A new orca calf was spotted in Puget Sound on Tuesday afternoon, which is the first calf born into the K pod in over three years, according to the Orca Conservancy.

Washington’s last coal power plant will transition to natural gas
The facility was set to close this year. A deal announced Tuesday will keep it producing electricity.

Is the Pacific Northwest ready for a wave of climate migration?
Climate migration is difficult to study, but some experts, like Abrahm Lustgarten, say a historic population shift has already begun, and Western Washington should start preparing now to become a “climate haven.”

Friday, December 5, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review December 5 2025

Aloha Prohibition Repeal Day
A national ban on alcohol in the U.S. first instituted in 1920 by the 18th amendment ended on this day in 1933 after the ratification of the 21st amendment.

BP’s Olympic Pipeline fully restarts after 2-week shutdown
BP’s Olympic Pipeline returned to full service on Saturday after a leak triggered a two-week shutdown. and leading Washington and Oregon’s governors to issue emergencies over the disruption of fuel. The company has recovered almost 2,300 gallons of oil and is continuing cleanup efforts.

Charity celebrates milestone as Vancouver Island marmots rebound to 427 in wild
The Marmot Recovery Foundation announced on its social media page that the population of the Vancouver Island species has reached a new high of 427 marmots. When its team first began releasing marmots to the wild in 2003, there were just 22 remaining.

Orcas stalk seabirds to hone hunting skills: researchers
Bigg’s orcas were observed stalking seabirds in Puget Sound last month, a behaviour that researchers believe wasn’t hunting, but a practice to help them sharpen their hunting skills — and a form of play.

Assembly of First Nations calls for withdrawal of Canada-Alberta pipeline deal
Assembly of First Nations chiefs voted unanimously on Tuesday to demand the withdrawal of a new pipeline deal between Canada and Alberta, while expressing full support for First Nations on the British Columbia coast that strongly oppose the initiative.

Trump administration rolls back fuel economy standards
The Trump administration has started the process of dramatically easing fuel economy requirements for new vehicles, part of the administration's broader pivot away from cleaner cars.

Conservation group to sue feds over lack of national wolf recovery plan
Conservation groups are gearing up to take the federal government to court to preserve the protected status of gray wolves across the country.

Tiny cup corals show accelerating ocean acidification in the Salish Sea
Ocean acidification is sometimes described as climate change’s evil twin. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions, causing the water to become more corrosive.