Salish Sea Communications: June 2023

Friday, June 30, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 30 2023

Aloha Asteroid Friday!
Asteroid Day, or International Asteroid Day, as it was sanctioned by the United Nations, is a day of awareness that inspires, engages, and educates the public about the importance of asteroids and the risks they pose to Earth. It was founded by astrophysicist and Queen guitarist Dr. Brian May, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, B612 Foundation President Danica Remy, and filmmaker Grig Richters. Asteroid Day takes place on June 30th because it was on that date in 1908 that the largest asteroid impact ever recorded took place, the Tunguska asteroid in Siberia, Russia, which destroyed a forest about the size of a city.

Southern resident killer whale pod welcomes new baby
A new calf was filmed with L Pod off Tofino last week with with members of the L77 matriline, but it isn’t immediately clear which whale is the mother.

The Pacific Northwest’s deadly 2021 heat wave fuels a new lawsuit against Big Oil
Two years after a freak heat wave obliterated temperature records across the Pacific Northwest, Multnomah County sued ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, and other fossil fuel companies, seeking to put them on trial for the role their products played in fueling the heat wave.

Wastewater fee study reveals hardship for low-income households
Low-income households may need financial help to address the impact of rising wastewater bills, according to a study published last month by the Puget Sound Institute.

PNW primed for wildfire as officials prepare for likely active season
Experts predict an above-normal potential for wildfire for most of Washington and parts of Idaho, Montana and Oregon. It’s the culmination of lots of available grassy fuels and hot and dry conditions expected through the summer months.

Scientists find worrisome lesions on endangered southern resident orcas
The peer-reviewed research published in the Public Library of Science on Wednesday suggests 99% of the orcas studied had photographic evidence of skin lesions.

Snoqualmie implements a first of its kind land protection tax
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe hopes to preserve the Snoqualmie Falls and other ancestral sites for future generations through a new 2 percent land protection tax. Leaders say it’s a model for other tribes working to reclaim their ancestral lands.

Members of Congress urge relocation of last captive orca taken from Puget Sound
U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. and Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif. and Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asking the federal agencies Thursday to relocate captive orca Tokitae, also known as Lolita or Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, because of the dangers posed by the Atlantic hurricane season.

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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Friday, June 23, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 23 2023

Aloha Typewriter Friday!
The first commercial typewriters were introduced in 1874,but did not become common in offices in the United States until after the mid-1880s. The typewriter quickly became an indispensable tool for practically all writing other than personal handwritten correspondence. It was widely used by professional writers, in offices, business correspondence in private homes, and by students preparing written assignments. Typewriters were a standard fixture in most offices up to the 1980s.

Shxw’ōwhámél First Nation official co-manager of Fraser River Debris Trap
The signing of a first of it’s kind agreement took place this weekend, between Shxw’ōwhámél First Nation and the B.C. government, that formally recognized Shxw’ōwhámél’s role in overseeing containment barriers on the Fraser River.

Forecasted El Niño Could Cost $3-Trillion in Losses Globally
Forecasters are predicting the formation of an El Niño later this summer, a natural weather phenomenon that fuels above-average global heat and more intense natural disasters in parts of the world.

The fallout of Fairy Creek
2 years after the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, Fairy Creek activists contend with the echoes of their actions.

Vancouver’s development destroyed Burrard Inlet. Tsleil-Waututh Nation is determined to save it
The inlet has slowly suffocated under the weight of the cities and industries built up around it. But it is resilient, and the nation sees what this once bountiful waterway could be again.

Summer Chinook fishing on premier WA rivers called off as salmon struggle
This year’s closure on the Snohomish, once a powerhouse among Puget Sound’s Chinook-bearing rivers, can be linked to 2015, when record low stream flows and a subsequent deluge devastated the habitat.

King salmon season back on in Alaska after federal appeals court lets fishery open July 1
A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday halted a lower court ruling that would have shut down southeast Alaska’s chinook salmon troll fishery for the summer to protect endangered orca whales that eat the fish.

WA gas prices now highest in U.S.; experts point to new climate legislation
Washington unseated California this week as the state with the most expensive gasoline. Prices here have been steadily climbing since January, reaching $4.91 per gallon of regular gas on average this week, surpassing the Golden State.

How First Nations Are Asserting Sovereignty Over Their Lands and Waters
Indigenous Marine Protected and Conserved Areas hold a key to food security and balancing ecological and economic priorities.

One of the Last Herring Roe Harvests on the Coast
The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation unilaterally declared Kitasu Bay a protected area in 2022. Now they wait for Canada to catch up.

Humpbacks return to Salish Sea with new calves
Poptart, a seven-year-old female that is back from the birthing grounds in Hawaii with her first calf, is attracting particular attention.

Friday, June 16, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 16 2023

Aloha Sea Turtle Friday!
World Sea Turtle Day honors and highlights the importance of sea turtles and recognizes sea turtle conservation and protection efforts around the world. It is held on the birthdate of noted sea turtle biologist Archie Carr, who founded the Sea Turtle Conservancy and helped create the community that works to protect sea turtles today.

Youth environmentalists bring Montana climate case to trial after 12 years, seeking to set precedent
Whether a constitutional right to a healthy, livable climate is protected by state law is at the center of a lawsuit going to trial Monday in Montana, where 16 young plaintiffs and their attorneys hope to set an important legal precedent.

Reforesting Western’s Future
The Miyawaki method is a reforestation technique where trees are densely planted in urban areas to create a diverse forest in a short period of time.

NOAA pledges $3 million for new marine life center in Port Angeles
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has dedicated $3 million toward the completion of a new Marine Discovery Center, which will replace the current Feiro Marine Life Center facility on Port Angeles City Pier and NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Discovery Center in the Port Angeles Wharf.

Indigenous communities in B.C., Alaska, declare state of emergency over Pacific salmon
A group of Indigenous communities from Alaska and B.C. has declared a state of emergency related to Pacific salmon populations, and says First Nations need to be more involved in managing traditional resources.

Another three bite the dust: Heat melts Mount Rainier glaciers
A warming climate has claimed three more glaciers in Washington state. These three were all on Mount Rainier, home to more ice than any American mountain south of Alaska.

Grieving Glaciers Past: The Artists of the Terminus Project
The Terminus project offers a new perspective to the conversation surrounding how climate change is rapidly manipulating landscapes.

Signs of recovery after world’s worst underwater pandemic
Researchers say they’re seeing signs of recovery in a species that fell victim to the world’s worst underwater pandemic: the ochre sea star, Pisaster ochraceus.

B.C. conservationists, labour unions, First Nations unite in opposition to marine terminal expansion
The group of those publicly opposing the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) in Delta, B.C., about 35 kilometres south of Vancouver, is growing and now includes two unions, the International Longshore & Warehouse Union of Canada and the B.C. General Employees' Union, along with a dozen conservation organizations.

Friday, June 9, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 9 2023

Aloha Donald Duck Friday!
Donald Duck's first appearance on screen was in the animated short film "The Wise Hen", on June 9, 1934. Although Donald's birthday is said to be on March 13th in the 1949 short film "Donald's Happy Birthday", Disney later decided that Donald's official birthday is June 9th, the day he first appeared in film. Thus, June 9th is Donald Duck Day. The character Donald Duck came about after Walt Disney heard Clarence Nash reciting "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in his "duck" voice, and Nash went on to voice Donald until 1984. Tony Anselmo started voicing Donald in 1985, and is still Donald's voice as of 2017. Donald's full name is Donald Fauntleroy Duck, and he is known for his sometimes temperamental personality, and is many times associated with his nephews Huey, Louie, and Dewey, and his girlfriend Daisy.

It’s going to be a hot, hot summer in B.C
Hot and dry in B.C. for June, July, August, says long range forecast from Environment Canada.

Skagit River dams license process moving forward
Seattle City Light committed to ensuring fish passage over all three dams in its final license application by building a five-mile-long road from Highway 20 down to Ross Dam and transforming a one-lane road into two lanes to bring in generators and other heavy equipment.

As Ocean Oxygen Levels Dip, Fish Face an Uncertain Future
Global warming not only increases ocean temperatures, it triggers a cascade of effects that are stripping the seas of oxygen.

To build a healthier Snohomish River, more log jams
About $2.8M in grants will help engineer log jams, tear down levees and promote salmon restoration at Bob Heirman Wildlife Preserve.

Industry, conservationists welcome Ottawa's delay on B.C. salmon farm transition plan
Both sides of British Columbia's contentious fish farm debate are welcoming Ottawa's move to delay a decision on a planned transition from open-net salmon farms in the province's coastal waters.

The Northwest is approaching 'peak dryness' much sooner than expected this year
Things are drying out in the Northwest sooner than normal. All the sunny days last month have added up to warmer soils and plants drying out more quickly. The driest part of the year usually hits in mid- or late-summer.

Marine Protected Areas, Explained
There’s nuance in how we protect our oceans. While the devil is in the details as to how their goals are met, marine protected areas are created and managed to achieve long-term conservation.

The Shipping Climate Crunch
The global shipping industry is at a turning point that will determine whether it helps or hurts efforts to meet climate change goals.

Washington’s second carbon auction sold pollution for over $500M
The Washington Department of Ecology announced this week that the May auction sold nearly 8.6 million 2023 allowances and another 2.5 million 2026 allowances. Each unit represents one metric ton of greenhouse gas emissions.

Friday, June 2, 2023

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 2 2023

Aloha Wear Orange Friday!
National Gun Violence Day, a nationwide movement that shows collective power, honors the lives lost on account of gun violence and those wounded by it. On January 29, 2013, a week after she had taken part in Barack Obama's second inaugural parade, Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15. In response to this tragedy, her friends wore orange and encouraged others to also do so, in an effort to raise awareness about gun violence and to fight for a future that is free of it. They first displayed their orange colors on June 2, 2015, on what would have been Hadiya's 18th birthday. National Gun Violence Awareness Day was born.

EPA announces Washington state's water quality standards fail to protect salmon and Puget Sound orcas
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took an unusual step today in issuing a determination that Washington State’s water quality standards for nine toxic pollutants fail to adequately protect fish and other aquatic life.

Microplastics are harming gut health of seabirds: study
Scientists involved in the study say the research also has implications for human health.

Provinces and territories commit to national biodiversity strategy — here’s what it means for nature
Five months after COP15, governments in Canada agree to work together to protect the country’s lands and waters, but progress is slow.

WA AG sues PFAS manufacturers, seeks money for cleanup of drinking water
The state attorney general’s office has filed a lawsuit against nearly two dozen manufacturers of so-called “forever chemicals,” asserting the companies knew about their risks to the environment and humans for decades but lied and kept that knowledge hidden from the government and public to protect their businesses.

B.C. government to provide additional $25M for marine restoration projects
This brings its total investment for the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund to about $50 million.

Washington’s Refinery Communities Just Got a Transition Boost
Over the next two years, Washington will devote a quarter-million dollars to analyzing the future of the state’s refineries, laying the groundwork for a clean energy transition that supports workers, safeguards communities, and protects the environment.

Oregon youths’ climate lawsuit against US government can proceed to trial, judge rules
A federal judge ruled on Thursday that a lawsuit brought by young Oregon-based climate activists can proceed to trial years after they first filed the lawsuit in an attempt to hold the nation’s leadership accountable for its role in climate change.