Salish Sea Communications: 2025

Friday, March 14, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review March 14 2025

Aloha Pi Day

Pi Day celebrates the pi symbol (π) and its importance to mathematics. The symbol is a Greek letter, and it is used in mathematics to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The first digits of this ratio are 3.14159, and the number continues infinitely without pattern. It has been calculated to over one trillion digits after the decimal point. Most calculations only need the first few digits. Even the spherical volume of the whole universe can be calculated by using just 39 digits after the decimal point. The symbol "π" was first used in 1706 by William Jones. It gained in popularity after being used by Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. The first large and official celebration of the day took place at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988.

Is this fish really disappearing from the Georgia Strait?
First Nations say herring are disappearing. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says they’re stable. So what’s really going on?

B.C. researcher mapping Vancouver Island spawning grounds from space
Swaths of Salish Sea turned teal by herring milt informs federal fisheries, First Nations.

Sixty years later: More than 100,000 tires from failed reef plan are coming out of Puget Sound
A plan to create artificial reefs in Puget Sound using automotive tires was created by Washington's Department of Natural Resources with the intention of attracting native reef fish in order to bolster recreational fishing opportunities across the state. However, the tire reef plan fell flat.

E.P.A. Plans to Close All Environmental Justice Offices
An internal memo directs the closure of offices designed to ease the heavy pollution faced by poor and minority communities. Lisa Friedman reports. (NY Times)

Trump administration to roll back many EPA regulations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will seek to undo more than 30 regulations, including some aimed at lowering carbon emissions and curbing pollution, as well as redefining what waters and wetlands the federal government can regulate.

U.S. pauses Columbia River Treaty talks as trade tensions grow, B.C. minister says
B.C.'s Energy Ministry says the United States has paused negotiations with Canada on the wide-reaching Columbia River Treaty that regulates everything from flood control and power generation to water supply and salmon restoration in the region.

China tariffs hit B.C. seafood sector struggling with U.S. tariffs
B.C. Seafood exporters had been bracing for China's retaliatory tariffs in Canada's trade dispute over Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum but the decision lands as another major hit.

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

Friday, March 7, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review March 7 2025

Aloha flapjack Friday
A flapjack (also known as a cereal bar, oat bar or oat slice) is a baked bar, cooked in a flat oven tin and cut into squares or rectangles, made from rolled oats, fat (typically butter), brown sugar and usually golden syrup. The North American granola bar is similar to a flapjack. The Oxford English Dictionary records the word "flapjack" being used as early as the beginning of the 16th century, although at this time it seems to have been a flat tart.

4.5 magnitude earthquake wakes up residents around western Washington
An earthquake struck in the waters surrounding the San Juan Islands early Monday morning. The 4.5 magnitude earthquake hit at 5:02 a.m. just off Deer Beach on Orcas Island, according to the United States Geologic Survey.

Trump Moves to Increase Logging in National Forests
The president wants to circumvent environmental regulations to expand timber production, something sought by homebuilders and the construction industry.

How Trump’s firing of Forest Service staff affects recreation in WA
The Trump administration’s February dismissal of 125 U.S. Forest Service personnel in Washington, coupled with a Biden administration decision not to hire seasonal employees, amounts to a double whammy for the Evergreen State’s trails.

U.S. tariffs on Canada set to take effect today. How will they affect B.C.?
The B.C. government has estimated that tariffs could lead to a cumulative loss of $69 billion in economic activity in the province between 2025 and 2028. It has also estimated that tariffs would result in 124,000 job losses by 2028, an annual decline in corporate profits of between $3.6 billion and $6.1 billion and a reduction in annual government revenue between $1.6 billion and $2.5 billion.

Documents reveal over 1,000 potential infractions left unchecked by B.C.’s energy regulator
Hidden records reveal a widespread pattern of lax enforcement of laws and regulations intended to protect the environment and communities.

Supreme Court strikes down EPA rules on discharge of water pollution
The justices ruled that the agency cannot impose generic prohibitions against violating water quality standards.

Climate, energy upheavals roil Northwest power market
Heat domes. Cold snaps. Winter storms — even as far away as Texas. Extreme weather events are roiling power markets and spiking power prices for energy providers and their customers.

Tariffs latest blow to newspaper industry; AI fears confirmed
Canada supplies most of the newsprint used in America and there’s no easy way for the U.S. to quickly replace its production. Hundreds of newspapers could close if the newsprint tariff continues for long.

Friday, February 28, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review February 28 2025

Aloha Skip the Straw Day
The Coral Keepers, a group of nine eighth grade students at Whitehall Middle School in Whitehall, Michigan, founded National Skip the Straw Day with their advisor, Susan Tate, in 2017, "to encourage Americans to give up the straw habit and help spread awareness about the damage caused by disposable plastics." National Skip the Straw Day encourages people to switch to renewable straws or to forgo straws altogether when drinking on the day—or on any day.

Trump wants B.C.’s water: Plausible or one big pipe dream?
The U.S. president has made inaccurate comments in the past that California’s drought could be solved by turning on a Canadian “faucet.”

Which US companies are pulling back on diversity initiatives?
Pepsi, Goldman Sachs, Google, Target, Meta Platforms, Amazon, McDonald's, Walmart, Ford, Lowe's, Harley-Davidson, Brown Foreman (Jack Daniels), John Deere, Tractor Supply.

Can this 'burnt toast'-like substance be a key tool in the fight against climate change?
Companies and countries are turning to biochar, and some people are making it in their own backyard.

Where the Savior Fish Still Swims
In an era of collapse, a fabled fish keeps coming back to Nisg̱a’a nation.

What climate change means for bird flu — and the soaring price of eggs
Extreme weather is shifting the migratory patterns of birds, increasing the chances of deadly avian flu outbreaks on farms.

Coastal Peregrine Falcons’ Mysterious Decline
In North America, coastal populations of the once-embattled bird are missing, and no one is quite sure why.

Oil major BP to slash renewable spending and double down on fossil fuels in strategy reset
British oil major BP on Wednesday announced plans to increase annual oil and gas investment to $10 billion through 2027 as part of a fundamental strategic reset.

EPA urges White House to strike down landmark climate finding
Trump officials are weighing whether to repeal the “endangerment finding,” which says that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare.

USDA rolls out $1B plan to fight bird flu after egg prices rise
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it plans to spend up to $1 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funds to try to reduce the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry.

Friday, February 21, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review February 21 2025

Aloha Peace Symbol Friday!

The peace symbol was designed on Feb. 21, 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist and a graduate of the Royal College of Arts for the British . He was a conscientious objector who had worked on a farm in Norfolk during the Second World War, and explained that the symbol incorporated the semaphore letters N(uclear) and D(isarmament).

Bonneville Power staff departures under President Trump raise concerns about Northwest electrical grid
Linemen, engineers among hundreds of staff to leave Bonneville Power Administration as Trump trims workforce.

Canada recognizes Aboriginal title over Haida Gwaii off B.C. in historic agreement
The federal government will recognize Aboriginal title over the archipelago of Haida Gwaii off British Columbia's northern coast in a historic agreement with the Haida First Nation.

The feds tried to hold the line in an invasive species battle — and lost. What’s next?
Riding Mountain National Park was the frontline of the westward invasion, but Parks Canada now says stopping zebra mussels at the park is ‘no longer an achievable option.’

A beloved forest reserve in King County is expanded
As one of his first official acts as commissioner of public lands, Dave Upthegrove on Feb. 4 led the state Board of Natural Resources in unanimous approval of the expansion of DNR’s West Tiger Mountain Natural Resources Conservation Area.

Trump’s job cuts lead to closed trails, staff shortages in WA
Federal workers in the Pacific Northwest who protect water and air quality and keep public lands open and clean are among the thousands fired without cause as President Donald Trump slashes jobs across the country.

Eby vows to cut ‘red tape’ for B.C. resource and energy projects — citing tariff threats
B.C. MLAs returned to the legislature today for a throne speech that centred the NDP’s push to speed up permits for LNG and other projects.

Scientists at U.S. weather forecasting agency ordered to get clearance before talking to Canadian counterparts
Former official says NOAA workforce could be halved, sending ripple effects around the world.

For 60 years, this Canada-U.S. treaty governed money, power and a river. With Trump's threats, what now?
Columbia River Treaty compensates Canada to manage waterway for U.S. hydropower, flood control.

Microsoft Says It Has Created a New State of Matter to Power Quantum Computers
Microsoft’s new “topological qubit” is not based on a solid, liquid or gas. It is another phase of matter that many experts did not think was possible.

Friday, February 14, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review February 14 2025

Aloha Fredrick Douglass Friday!

Frederick Douglass was a nineteenth-century abolitionist, writer, and orator, who was one of the most prominent African American leaders of his time. It is believed that Douglass was born on today's date, in 1818, although his exact birthdate is not known. In 1926, Carter G. Woodson created "Negro History Week," choosing the second week of February because it encompassed the birthdays of Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. This eventually became Black History Month, and celebrations of Frederick Douglass Day stemmed from this.

First Nations unite on the Peninsula to talk herring population restoration
First Nations and environmental organizations are gathering to discuss the restoration of the Salish Sea’s distinct herring populations on Feb. 13.

Trump Killed a Major Report on Nature. They’re Trying to Publish It Anyway.
The first full draft of the assessment, on the state of America’s land, water and wildlife, was weeks from completion. The project leader called the study “too important to die.”

NOAA Is Told to Make List of Climate-Related Grants, Setting Off Fears
Staff members search for spending on “climate science,” “climate crisis” and “pollution” as one of the world’s premier climate research agencies girds for cuts.

New strain of bird flu is detected in a Nevada dairy worker, CDC says
A dairy worker in Nevada was infected with a new type of bird flu that’s different from the version that has been spreading in U.S. herds since last year.

Most of the world’s big polluters just blew off a major climate deadline
Major polluters including China and the E.U. failed to submit their national emissions plans to the U.N., suggesting that the global climate framework is wobbling.

B.C. snowpack at 72% of normal as of Feb. 1 after 'extremely dry' January
Areas with below-normal snowpack show "early concerns" for drought conditions in the spring and summer.

Trump nominates oil and gas advocate to lead agency that manages federal land concentrated in the West
Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Colorado-based oil industry trade group Western Energy Alliance, was named Bureau of Land Management director, a position with wide influence over lands used for energy production, grazing, recreation and other purposes.

Associated Press barred from Oval Office for not using ‘Gulf of America’
Agency says its reporter wasn’t allowed into event in effort to ‘punish’ style guide on upholding use of Gulf of Mexico.

'The purge has begun.' Environmental justice workers locked out of EPA Seattle office
Nine Environmental Protection Agency employees in Seattle have been put on leave by the Trump Administration because they work on environmental justice.

Friday, February 7, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review February 7 2025

Aloha Periodic Table Day!
On this day in 1863, John Newlands published his periodic table of elements. His goal was to organize the elements in a way so that a more accurate prediction of chemical reactions could be made. Newlands' table contained 56 elements and was the first to introduce the law of octaves. February 7 is also the date before the birthday in 1834 of Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian inventor and chemist who is known as the "father" of the periodic table and is the scientist most associated with it. He found groups of elements that had similar properties, and arranged elements by their atomic weight and valence electrons, but also found exceptions to the patterns. He also predicted that elements must exist that were not yet known.

Environmentalists push for stronger old-growth protections in Northwest Forest Plan
Around a hundred community members showed up to the U.S. Forest Service office in Medford on Wednesday night for a public meeting about proposed amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan. Environmental activists held a rally outside the Forest Service office to push for stronger protections for old-growth ecosystems in the amendments.

Deep dive into the underwater forest of Washington
Amid debates on school closings and budget deficits, lawmakers in Olympia are also taking a deep dive on bull kelp. While it may not be the splashiest piece of legislation, this aquatic plant has an oversized role in our water, and its at risk of disappearing.

Metro Vancouver's population now exceeds 3 million, according to StatsCan
Based on current growth rates, Surrey could eclipse Vancouver in population by 2027.

American bald eagles are having a moment, ecologically and culturally
Along the long road from American icon to endangered species and back again, the bald eagle — the national bird of the United States, often seen against a clear blue sky — is having a moment.

Coal mine pollution: international inquiry details plan to investigate Canada, U.S. contamination
After decades of pollution from B.C. coal mines, an international inquiry is proposing to spotlight solutions to issues like selenium contamination.

$156M solar power grant for Washington in limbo after Trump order
Washington was locked out of about $150 million in federal funding for solar projects focused on low-income communities last week as the Trump administration paused clean energy grants.

Washington leaders offer more detail on federal funding blocked by Trump
The status of more than $50 million in federal grants to Washington’s Department of Ecology remained in doubt late Tuesday, halting projects on water quality, shoreline restoration and toxic site cleanup.

Climate vs. Salmon
The salmon of the Salish Sea, long revered as keystone species and cultural icons, are facing unprecedented challenges due to climate change. As warming temperatures and erratic weather patterns disrupt the salmon life cycle, the survival of this sacred fish hangs in the balance.

The US is freezing and La Nina usually eases warming. Earth just set another heat record anyway
The world warmed to yet another monthly heat record in January, despite an abnormally chilly United States, a cooling La Nina and predictions of a slightly less hot 2025, according to the European climate service Copernicus.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 31 2025

Aloha Scotch Tape Friday!
On this day in 1930, Scotch Cellulose Tape, which later became Scotch Transparent Tape. was first marketed. The Great Depression also was beginning, which did not seem like the best time to begin marketing a new product. But in an era when being thrifty was a necessity, Scotch tapes' wide range of applicability made it popular. As the company prospered and was one of the few that didn't lay off workers during the Great Depression, they continued to innovate. A dispenser with a cutter blade was marketed in 1932, and in 1939 the now popular snail-shaped handheld tape dispenser was created. Today many manufacturers make transparent adhesive tape, but most people call it "Scotch tape." It is believed that transparent tape is now used in 90 percent of homes.

How Tahlequah, her dead calf tell the story of climate change
The stories of salmon and orcas in the Pacific Northwest are linked. Their paths intermingle in a vast web of ecosystems and coevolved species.

How we can honor the orca Tahlequah’s grief
It would be easy to despair and feel powerless. But there are rays of hope we must not overlook. Here are five things to remember, and three ways you can help.

Storming the Sound Conference returns for its 26th year
About 175 people attended Friday the 26th iteration of a local environmental educators conference.

‘The whales are in crisis’: two federal ministers sued over delay in protecting B.C.’s orcas
Conservation groups are asking for an emergency order to protect killer whales following the death of another calf.

Washington legislators look to crack down on environmental crime
A bill before the Washington state Senate would make intentional water pollution, air pollution, and spilling of hazardous waste felonies. Under Washington state law, most environmental crimes are misdemeanors.

A handful of Canada’s at-risk species have made a comeback. Here’s what they can teach us
From peregrine falcons to humpback whales, a new study finds a crucial first step to recover an endangered species is to stop known harms.

B.C. extends deferral of logging in Fairy Creek amid reports of tree spiking
2021 deferral already extended to Feb. 1, 2025, now stretches to Sept. 30, 2026.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 23 2025

Aloha Apple Macintosh Friday!

The original Macintosh was launched on January 24, 1984, after Apple's "1984" advertisement during Super Bowl XVIII.

WA lawmakers look at making packaging producers pay for recycling
Democrats are back with a “streamlined” version of a bill that seeks to standardize the state’s recycling system and cut down on waste going into landfills.

Will new leaders kickstart (or doom) hopes for high-level Nooksack River talks?
Abbotsford's mayor says international talks are needed to resolve the US river's habit of flooding Sumas Prairie.

Donald Trump signals 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports could be coming Feb. 1
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested his administration could move ahead with with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports on Feb. 1. Kelly Geraldine Malone reports. (Canadian Press)

The Great Bear Rainforest is protected. So why is an abandoned industrial site leaching heavy metals?
Heiltsuk Nation has a vision to revitalize Namu, an ancient village and former vibrant cannery. According to B.C., it’s Crown land — so the nation is calling on the province to clean it up.

B.C. Premier David Eby asks Canadians to think carefully about spending money in U.S.
People should think carefully about spending money in a country that wants to do them economic harm, said Premier David Eby, calling the proposed U.S. tariffs a "deliberate economic attack" on B.C. families.

Canada’s plastics ban and the group that wants to scrap it
An industry coalition is challenging the ban on checkout bags, cutlery, takeout containers, (most) straws and more. But the federal government is fighting back, for now.

Friday, January 17, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 17 2025

Aloha Popeye the Sailor Day!
Popeye the Sailor is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar. The character first appeared on January 17, 1929, in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre. (Wikipedia)

Who Watches the Watchers?
The recent charging of prominent documentarians in British Columbia court is raising important questions about the ethics of wildlife videography.

Listening to the Smelt
By monitoring the embryos of a little-studied forage fish, scientists hope to track and minimize the damaging effects of pollution in important coastal habitats.

Federal Court rejects environmentalists' bid to halt B.C. port expansion
A Federal Court judge has thrown out a legal challenge by environmental groups that claimed allowing the expansion of a massive container facility on British Columbia's waterfront would threaten the survival of southern resident killer whales and salmon.

Underwater volcano off B.C. coast primed to erupt
The Axial Seamount is not expected to threaten human population centres but it could help scientists forecast the eruption of more dangerous volcanoes.

A look at the Washington Legislature’s 2025 environmental agenda
A plan to create a state watchdog for the oil industry was deferred, but bills on recycling, salmon and data centers could come under consideration.

Hydroelectric dams on Oregon’s Willamette River kill salmon. Congress says it’s time to consider shutting them down
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it could make hydroelectric dams on Oregon’s Willamette River safe for endangered salmon by building gigantic mechanical traps and hauling baby fish downstream in tanker trucks. This month, President Joe Biden signed legislation ordering the Corps to put its plans on hold and consider a simpler solution: Stop using the dams for electricity.

Friday, January 10, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 10 2025

Aloha Tintin Friday!
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of 24 comic albums created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series first appeared in French on 10 January 1929 in Le Petit Vingtième (The Little Twentieth), a youth supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle.

Biden to ban future offshore drilling across more than 600 million acres
With just two weeks left in his presidency, Joe Biden will prohibit future oil and gas drilling off the entire East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the remaining portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea.

Biden creates 2 new national monuments, setting a conservation record
President Biden is creating two new national monuments in California on Tuesday, preserving the lands from development and setting a record for the most land and waters conserved by any president

Battery energy storage system approved for industrial land west of Mount Vernon
A private energy company has received a special use permit to construct a 200-megawatt lithium-ion battery energy storage system, or BESS, on industrial land west of Mount Vernon.

How can B.C. meet its hydrogen goals?
The provincial and federal governments both hope the element can offer a low-emissions alternative to fossil fuels, and have made significant investments in hydrogen production in B.C. But producing low-emissions hydrogen requires a significant amount of renewable power — power that at the moment officials say B.C. cannot offer on an industrial scale.

What is Justin Trudeau’s environmental legacy?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s climate-conscious government bought Canada an oil pipeline while ushering in significant environmental laws. Justin Trudeau's legacy gets mixed reviews from First Nations in B.C.

The Skagit Opens Up For Fish

In April 2023, Seattle City Light, the utility that owns and operates the dams, committed to ensuring safe passage for fish around their structures. But with the specifics unclear, scientists and indigenous peoples are asking: Will the type of fish passage that comes from the utility be enough?

WA bans commercial net-pen fish farming
Commercial net-pen aquaculture is history in Washington. The state Board of Natural Resources on Tuesday adopted a rule banning the industry.

Majority of voters have a negative outlook on Washington’s future
Across political lines, Cascade PBS/Elway Poll respondents feel pessimistic about the state, citing the tax system, budget shortfall and housing costs.

Friday, January 3, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review January 3 2025

Happy Birthday, J.R.R.!
Born on this day in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is perhaps best known for writing The Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which became some of the most enduring books of the twentieth century.

Bird flu scrambled Western Washington egg market for the holidays, and good luck finding eggnog
If you’ve visited your neighborhood grocery store in Western Washington over the holiday season, you might have noticed the variety of eggs was lacking, as well as higher prices for the options that remained.

The E.P.A. Promotes Toxic Fertilizer. 3M Told It of Risks Years Ago.
The agency obtained research from 3M in 2003 revealing that sewage sludge, the raw material for the fertilizer, carried toxic “forever chemicals.”

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
We started Hakai Magazine over 10 years ago because the ocean and its coastlines needed a voice.

Newborn southern resident orca calf confirmed, another feared dead
Excitement over a newborn southern resident orca calf that was spotted with the population's J pod earlier this week has been muted by news that another calf has died. The newly observed calf has been designated J62.

Famous orca mother carrying body of another dead calf in act of grief: researchers
Tahlequah, or J35, has now lost 2 of her 4 documented calves, according to researchers.

New law requires boaters to stay 1,000 yards away from Southern Resident orcas
Starting January 1, boaters in Washington waters must stay 1,000 yards away from SRKW at all times, which is approximately a half-nautical mile.

Extension granted on process to relicense Skagit River dams
The yearslong process to relicense the three Skagit River dams has gotten longer after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agreed to a five-month extension.

Road salt kills fertilized coho salmon eggs, say UBC researchers
The UBC data suggests salting roads at current levels in November or December is likely dangerous to coho and chum salmon.