Salish Sea News Week in Review January 28 2022

 

Aloha Lego Friday!
Lego bricks and other items are manufactured by the Lego Group, which is based in Billund, Denmark. It was in this city in 1932 that a carpenter by the name of Ole Kirk Christiansen began making wooden toys. Two years later, his company began being called "Lego," which came from leg godt, the Danish phrase meaning "play well." The company started making plastic toys in 1947, and interlocking bricks in 1949. Called "Automatic Binding Bricks," they were based on Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks. It was on today's date in 1958 that a patent for Lego bricks was applied for, which is why today is known as International LEGO Day, a day on which we celebrate all things Lego.

Firefighters hope Washington bill will help remove toxic chemicals from protective gear
Firefighters already are diagnosed with certain cancers at a higher rate than the rest of the population, according to a study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Fisheries Department bans bottom fishing in Howe Sound near glass sponge reefs
The federal government has now protected all identified sections of prehistoric and living glass-sponge reefs in Howe Sound. As of this week, trawling for shrimp and setting prawn and crab traps is banned in five sections of Howe Sound by commercial or recreational fishers.

Piece of state legislation has its detractors in Skagit County
With a state-level push to save salmon by planting trees along streams, angst is increasing among landowners and government representatives in farm-focused Skagit County.

Indigenous non-profit looks to buy Trans Mountain Pipeline 
A new Indigenous non-profit organization is seeking an ownership stake in the Trans Mountain Pipeline, saying its aim is to make sure communities along the pipeline's route receive its benefits directly. Nesika Services publicly launched Monday, calling itself a grassroots, community-led not-for-profit.

E.P.A. Chief Vows to ‘Do Better’ to Protect Poor Communities
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday will announce stepped-up enforcement and monitoring to help disadvantaged communities struggling with polluted air and water.

B.C. glaciers melting 7 times faster in past decade than previous years, UNBC study finds
Glaciers in British Columbia and Alberta have been melting an average of seven times faster over the past decade than in previous time periods, according to a new study from geologists at the University of Northern British Columbia.

New salmon farm proposals for B.C. coast raise questions about Ottawa’s promised 2025 phase-out
A raft of proposals to expand open-net pen salmon farms on the B.C. coast, including a plan for a new salmon farm off the north-east coast of Vancouver Island, is raising questions about whether fish farming will really be phased out in the province or whether companies will find ways, such as partnerships with First Nations, to circumvent federal Liberal government pledges to remove open-net pen salmon farms from B.C. waters by 2025.

Supreme Court tees up wetlands fight that could cuff EPA
The Supreme Court’s decision today to take a fresh look at the scope of the Clean Water Act could impair EPA’s ability to protect isolated wetlands and ephemeral and intermittent streams.

U.S. officials consider plan that would 'send' Nooksack River overflow into Canada
A plan devised by American officials that could lead to the creation of a “floodway” to allow the Nooksack River to spill into Canada during high water has many Abbotsford residents on edge.

Searching for the Future of Sunscreen
Scientists are sourcing new ultraviolet ray–blocking compounds from algae, seaweed, cyanobacteria, and other marine creatures with the hope of designing a more environmentally friendly sunscreen.

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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