11/5 Vote, climate change, oil train, Whale Whisperer, orcas in winter, ocean plastic

Last day to vote if you live in Washington: your ballot must be postmarked with today’s date or in a ballot drop box by 8 PM.

What Climate Change Means For Northwest’s Rivers, Coasts and Forests
Northwest residents from Idaho farmers to Puget Sound tribes will be impacted by climate change, according to a new report written by scientists at Oregon State University and the University of Washington. The report was issued Monday. It’s based on models that predict average temperatures in the Northwest will rise over the next fifty years. Amelia Templeton reports.

The high stakes of oil-by-rail
Despite the cancellation of a high-stakes meeting between the premiers of BC and Alberta Tuesday, the option of transporting oil from Alberta to the coast by rail remains a hot topic. But a recent slew of derailments and crashes involving rail cars carrying oil and petroleum products, including a fiery explosion in Alberta last month involving a train bound for Metro Vancouver, is raising concerns about a potential human or environmental disaster in BC. Larry Pynn and Gordon Hoekstra report.

Whale Whisperer Don Pachico Mayoral is Gone
Carl Safina remembers: "Don Pachico Mayoral, the first man to make physical contact and develop friendly relationships with some of the gray whales of Baja, Mexico, is gone. A stroke took him on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. He was 72."

Event: Killer Whales in Winter - Recent Findings about Range, Diet and Behaviors
Where do the southern resident orcas go during the winter? What do they eat? And how will that information help move this endangered population towards recovery? The Whale Trail presents NOAA Fisheries ecologist Brad Hansen in a discussion about the innovative research techniques that are being deployed to answer these and other key questions. Tuesday, November 12, 7-9 PM, C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave SW. $5 suggested donation, kids free. Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com

If you like to watch: Alaska fishermen rescue Orca whale stuck on rock
Two fishermen came to the rescue when they saw an Orca whale get stranded on a rock. The incident happened on Sept. 30 in Klakas Inlet on Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska. Jason Vonick and Nick Segal said the whale was trying to catch a seal when it got stuck on the rocks at low tide. The two posted videos on YouTube showing their efforts to keep the whale cool and calm by splashing water on its back and fins. Susan Wyatt reports.

Drowning the oceans in plastic
You've probably seen the images of dolphins caught in abandoned monofilament fishing nets, or of vast areas of plastic trash floating in remote waters of the Pacific, or of sea turtles consuming plastic bags that look remarkably like one of their favorite foods: jellyfish. Or perhaps, after a rainstorm, you've walked on a beach that resembled a landfill. Some 20 million tons of plastic pollution enters the oceans each year, and it's devastating the marine environment. Plastic litter is also costly. On the West Coast alone, according to a recent EPA study, the cost of cleaning up marine litter comes to more than $13 per person per year. And because plastic typically does not degrade in the ocean, today's pollution will be a problem for many generations to come. Mark Gold and Cara Horowitz report.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE NOV 5 2013
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 15 SECONDS. A
 CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
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