12/10 King tide, methane, Victoria sewage, creosote removed, WA budget, native claims, Oso slide, tidal power

Supporting Climate Research with the NASA Earth Exchange
The NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) is an innovative platform that provides the Earth science community with key collaboration and knowledge-sharing capabilities…. To support NASA's goals in climate science research, the NEX science team and collaborators in the Climate Analytics Group have created a new, high-resolution climate dataset, the NASA Earth Exchange Downscaled Climate Projections (NEX-DCP30) and made it available to the community. (NASA)

Vancouver places 30,000 sandbags along waterfront as 'king tide' looms
Some 30,000 sandbags line a stretch of low-lying waterfront land in Vancouver, placed by city workers in a bid to protect local homes from an anticipated king tide. The task was completed by about 45 workers in advance of Wednesday’s forecasted weather event, which could coincide with the same type of high winds and heavy rains that have already cut power to thousands of residents across the south coast and flooded streets. Justin Smallbridge reports. (Canadian Press)

Warming Ocean May Be Triggering Mega Methane Leaks Off Northwest Coast
As the waters of the Pacific warm, methane that was trapped in crystalline form beneath the seabed is being released. And fast. New modeling suggests that 4 million tons of this potent greenhouse gas have escaped since 1970 from the ocean depths off Washington’s coast. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

View Royal site ‘ideal’ for sewage plant, investors say
Investors who own a 3.4-hectare waterfront site at Thetis Cove in View Royal have wasted no time in trying to reignite interest in their property for a regional sewage treatment plant. In a full-page ad in the Times Colonist Tuesday directed at Capital Regional District directors and concerned citizens, the ownership group touts the former Victoria Plywood mill site as “ideal for Victoria’s sewage treatment and biosolids energy centre.” The property at the end of Hallowell Road is zoned for residential development. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Toxic Creosote Pilings Removed From Thatcher Bay
Twenty-eight creosote pilings were recently removed from the waters of Thatcher Bay on Blakely Island to improve water quality for fish and other marine organisms…. The Blakely piling removal was just one component of extensive habitat restoration efforts conducted in Thatcher Bay and on its beaches by Friends of the San Juans, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group and the private landowner. (San Juan Islander)

Talk of taxes: Inslee to propose $1B in new revenue
Gov. Jay Inslee will propose a mix of spending cuts and at least $1 billion in new revenue next week when he releases his proposed budget, according to David Schumacher, director of the state Office of Financial Management. Jim Brunner and Joseph O'Sullivan report. (Seattle Times)

Native group lays claim to Stanley Park, Galiano and Saltspring Islands
Large pieces of Stanley Park, Galiano Island and Saltspring Island are being claimed by a small Indian band that has largely been ignored in British Columbia, although its main village once came under fire from the British Navy. In a notice of claim filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Chief Raymond Wilson and a group he identifies as the Hwlitsum First Nation seek the return of key lands and financial compensation for loss of access to what it claims as its traditional territory. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Study of timber harvest near Oso mudslide inconclusive
An investigation into a possible link between a 2005 timber harvest on the hill above the Steelhead Haven neighborhood and the deadly Oso mudslide in March has come up empty. The logging exceeded the approved size by an acre, but state officials could not determine if it complied with a permit to avoid the adjoining watershed of the landslide-prone area, according to the report released Tuesday by the state Department of Natural Resources. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

FERC upholds Admiralty Inlet tidal project; developer might resume
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has rejected challenges to the pilot hydrokinetic license of the 600-kW Admiralty Inlet Pilot tidal project and said licensee Snohomish County Public Utility District does not intend to surrender the license. Less than three months ago, Snohomish PUD said it would no longer pursue Admiralty Inlet because Department of Energy funding dried up, materials costs have increased, and various entities have mandated increasing amounts of studies and monitoring requirements for what was to be a pilot project in Washington's Puget Sound…. FERC said Snohomish rebutted challenges to the project's economic viability by noting its focus is testing new hydrokinetic technology and not economic value for power generation. (Hydroworld)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST WED DEC 10 2014
STORM WARNING IN EFFECT TODAY
 STORM WATCH FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 35 TO 50 KT. SEAS 18 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 16 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE EVENING.

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