3/19 Hummer, Earth Hour Capital, coal port, Davy Crockett, Liberty Bay, tsunami debris, suing PSE, Pt Angeles shore, Joel Sartore, Wendell Tangborn

PHOTO: Eric Pittman

Jennifer Duncan first noticed the green and white speckled bird at her feeder about 10 days ago. Eric Pittman, who has been lecturing on hummingbirds for five years, identified the bird as a piebald Anna’s hummingbird. The term “piebald” refers to a leucistic abnormality, similar to albinism, which prevents pigment from being properly deposited on a bird’s feathers. Amy Smart reports. A rare hummingbird has been spotted in North Saanich

The city of Vancouver has won a victory in its bid to become the greenest city in the world after being crowned the Global Earth Hour Capital 2013 by the World Wildlife Fund. The city was given the award at a ceremony Tuesday in Malmo, Sweden, beating five other finalists including cities in India, Italy, the U.S., Sweden and Norway, according to a news release from the city of Vancouver. The Global Earth Hour Capital award recognizes a city taking serious action to address climate change, the release said. Vancouver crowned Earth Hour capital by World Wildlife Fund


Supporters of a coal port near Bellingham want to keep the focus on what they see as the main issues: More jobs and revenue for local governments. Floyd McKay reports in three parts on what the major players want. Coal Wars: Export backers push jobs, try to limit environmental review

When Bret A. Simpson heard the hulking old barge Davy Crockett was for sale several years ago, “he saw the steel and he saw dollar signs,” said assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Oesterle. Simpson, of Ellensburg, figured he could scrap the 400-foot former Navy ship and walk off with a tidy sum. (I)n the midst of his ragtag scrapping operation, the Davy Crockett began spilling oil into the Columbia River. On Monday, Simpson was sentenced to four months in federal prison plus a period of home detention, community service and supervised release for violations of the Clean Water Act. The mess cost $22 million in federal funds to clean up. It was the first time in Washington that a boat owner was sent to federal prison in such a case. Maureen O'Hagan reports. Ship owner gets more than he bargained for: prison time

The South Fork of Dogfish Creek, along with Big Scandia, Bjorgen and Lemolo creeks, have been listed as priority streams for cleanup under a new water-quality plan for Liberty Bay. The plan, issued by the Washington Department of Ecology, supports ongoing efforts to clean up bacterial pollution in Liberty Bay — including pollution identification and correction projects by the Kitsap Public Health District. Ecology will hold a public meeting on the cleanup plan Thursday in the Poulsbo Fire Department’s community room, 911 Liberty Bay Road. An open house will begin at 6:15 p.m., followed by a short film at 6:40 p.m. and a discussion at 7 p.m. Chris Dunagan reports. Liberty Bay cleanup plan under review  

When Karla Robison dreams, she puts a Styrofoam densifier, glass-crusher and wood-chipper at the top of her wish list. Robison, Ucluelet’s environmental and emergency services manager, co-ordinates the tsunami debris regional working group, made up of communities from the west coast of Vancouver Island, First Nations and local agencies. Judith Lavoie reports. Tsunami cleanup continues on coast

Why is the state’s largest electric utility with a reputation for clean energy burning coal for 20% of its power supply? The Sierra Club and Montana Environmental Information Center are asking the same thing. The two are seeking a court order requiring Puget Sound Energy and other owners to install modern pollution controls at the Colstrip Generating Facility in eastern Montana. The coal plant is one of the biggest greenhouse gas polluters in the West. Martha Baskin reports. Puget Sound Energy’s Green Reputation Gets A Black Eye: Sierra Club Sues Utility Over Ownership in Coal-Fired Power Plant

The state Department of Ecology (Ecology) is seeking public comment on the city of Port Angeles’ recently updated shoreline master program. The proposed updated shoreline master program combines local plans for future development and preservation with new development ordinances and related permitting requirements. Ecology will accept public comment on Port Angeles’s proposed shoreline program through April 11. Ecology Seeks Public Comments on Port Angeles’ Shoreline Program

It’s hard to find a job title that sums up Joel Sartore. Officially, he’s been a freelance photographer for National Geographic for two decades. But he’s also a lobbyist for endangered species, a traveler, speaker, teacher, author of at least four books and conservationist. Stacia Glenn reports. National Geographic photographer says work is race to document species 'before they no longer exist'

Wendell Tangborn thinks he has invented a better mousetrap. He's still waiting for the scientific world to beat a path to his door. Sitting in a cramped home office overlooking the (rising) waters of Puget Sound, Tangborn talks about his plan to monitor 200 glaciers around the world to see whether or not — and, if so, how quickly — they're melting away. People often cite the waxing or waning of glaciers to prove that the earth is or is not getting warmer. But according to Tangborn, no one is looking systematically at a large number of glaciers so that trends become obvious and the glaciers which are behaving contrary to the trends can be seen clearly as outliers. Dan Chasan reports. Tracking glaciers the Tangborn way

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 19 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
SE WIND RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT. COMBINED SEAS BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 9 SECONDS. RAIN.

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