Salish Sea News Week in Review: April 26 2019

from The Birds of America

Aloha Audubon Friday!
John James Audubon (born Jean Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his extensive studies documenting all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats. His major work, a color-plate book entitled The Birds of America (1827–1839), is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. Audubon identified 25 new species.


Washington State Passes Law Requiring 100% Clean Energy by 2045
Washington state’s Senate on Monday gave the final vote of approval to a law requiring 100 percent clean energy by 2045, joining three other states — New Mexico, California and Hawaii — with similar legislation on the books.

Duckabush restoration promises major benefits for five species of salmon
An ecosystem-restoration project that would replace two bridges across the Duckabush River and restore a 38-acre estuary on the west side of Hood Canal has moved into the design phase with funding from state and federal governments.

Community solar comes to Snohomish County
Solar power can feel out of reach. Upfront costs are usually considerable and you need a sunny roof or open space where you can put the panels. Community solar projects make it more accessible, by allowing ratepayers to buy shares in an installation that’s financed and operated by a group of investors. Now, Snohomish County PUD is getting in on the game — in a big way.

‘State of the Air' report gives failing grades to Washington for sooty particulate pollution
Warmer weather and wildfire smoke are causing more air pollution in Washington. Three metropolitan areas in the state have the worst air pollution in the nation. They made the top-15 list for particle pollution in this year’s “State of the Air” report from the American Lung Association, which looks at both particle pollution and ozone.

Glaciers ‘deflating’ with Cascades snowpack 28% below normal
Glaciers in the North Cascades could shrink for the seventh year in a row. That’s because snowpack, which acts as a shield against hot summer days, has been lower than normal this winter, according to recent measurements taken at six sites in the region. 

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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Salish Sea News Week in Review April 19, 2019

Aloha National Garlic Friday!
Garlic is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran, and has long been a common seasoning worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of human consumption and use. (Wikipedia)


Northwest orcas to get expanded habitat protection, feds say
The federal government says that by October it will propose expanded habitat protections off Washington, Oregon and California for Pacific Northwest orcas. (Associated Press)


Federal government extends deadline to make Trans Mountain decision to June 18
The federal government is delaying a decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project to June 18. Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi says the extended deadline will give the government more time to complete its consultations with Indigenous groups. (Canadian Press)


It’s not just pipelines: Sea ports could see marine traffic reviews after Ottawa’s directive on $2B Vancouver terminal
In an echo of the criticisms that stalled the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, opponents of a $2-billion container terminal near Vancouver are calling on the federal government to delay hearings on the project, arguing regulators have failed to account for the environmental effects of increased tanker traffic that would result from the development. Jesse Snyder reports. (Vancouver Sun)


Gov. Jay Inslee's orca-recovery agenda advancing, but billion-dollar funding yet to be seen
Gov. Jay Inslee’s orca agenda is advancing in the Washington state Legislature, but with the budget yet to be decided how much of the governor’s billion-dollar-bold ambition will be accomplished is yet to be seen. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)


2019 salmon seasons set
State and tribal fishery co-managers reached an agreement Monday, setting the general salmon fishing seasons for the remainder of 2019. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)


Fraser River chinook fishery closed through most of the summer
Commercial and recreational fisheries for Fraser River chinook will be closed for much of the summer, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Tuesday Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Hey, seals and sea lions! Quit eating so much endangered orca food... or else.
"This is that classic mix of the predators being a protected species and the prey being a protected species," said Nate Pamplin, policy director for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "We don't know the level of consumption in terms of whether or not humans should intervene." Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)



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, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow @savepugetsound

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Salish Sea News Week in Review, April 12, 2019

Here's a week's end selection of some news items collected in this past week's Salish Sea News and Weather, a weekday compilation provided as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Aloha Big Wind Friday!
A windmill is a mill that converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Centuries ago, windmills usually were used to mill grain, pump water, or both. There are windmills that convert the rotational energy directly into heat. (Wikipedia) ~Wind doesn't blow; it's sucked. Bucky Fuller~


Black hole! The big, Big BIG news this week was far, far away from the Salish Sea: NPR's Bill Chappel (and many other news outlets) told about our first look at a black hole Watch: Earth Gets Its First Look At A Black Hole  The scientific work was done by teams of many but special recognition went to Katie Bouman, a 29-year-old computer scientist who helped develop the algorithm that created the first-ever image of a black hole.  Katie Bouman: The woman behind the first black hole image And, with the world’s first image of a black hole made with the help of two Hawaii telescopes, astronomers say it was only right to give it a Hawaiian name: Powehi a name sourced from the Kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation chant.


BC Big Pipe. Alberta premier Rachel Notley might be right that approval for the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline will get approval in May B.C. Green leader agrees Trans Mountain pipeline approval could come as soon as May  Meanwhile, President Trump in Texas acts to speed up construction of oil and gas pipelines by getting rid of “state-level abuse of water-quality certifications.” Trump's order would make it harder to block pipelines, and projects such as Longview coal-export terminal

Oil to China. At the same time twinning moves to approval, David Carrigg reports that the First crude oil shipment of the year bound for China has left Vancouver. In an earlier article this week, Carrigg reported that "This followed a record year for China, where it bought 6.56 million barrels of crude (12 tanker loads), or almost one-third of all the crude shipped out of B.C. in 2018. According to Port of Vancouver records, China imported crude from B.C. every year between 2008 and 2018, except 2016 and 2017."


Save the shoreline. Stories about why alterations to the shoreline harm fish and whales have been told many times but Eilis O'Neill tells it again and what lawmakers are doing about it this session. Tougher rules aim to save salmon habitat for the good of Puget Sound orcas Late Thursday, Amy Carey of SoundAction posted that the Washington House and Senate had both approved seawall legislation and the measure is being sent to the governor for his signature. Stay tuned for details.


No whale watch ban. Despite a three-year moratorium on commercial whale watching being a top recommendation of the Orca Task Force, the Legislature won’t ban orca-watching boats in Puget Sound
 

Go shellfish. After years of closure due to pollution, Portage Bay has been declared clean enough from April 1 to June 30 for the Lummi Nation to harvest shellfish on about 800 acres These shellfish beds were closed because of fecal pollution. But there’s ‘big change.’  


Victoria flushed. Megan Thomas at CBC reports that the Greater Victoria's sewage treatment system could be at least $10M over budget Construction is on time but the cost is expected to rise from the original $765 million estimate.


Have a good weekend. Be safe. Have fun. Stay involved.
 

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told