11/25 BC pipe, no pipe, building ban, farm food, coast land, Capitol Lake hands

Western gull (Tom Grey/BirdNote)

Gull Identification
Black, white, gray... how do you sort them all out? The challenge of learning which gull is which brings to mind a crossword puzzle. Take in all the clues, and come up with the right answer. For identifying gulls, we recommend a good bird book, binoculars, perhaps a thermos of hot coffee, and maybe a chair. So which gull is this? Large gull, dark back, pink legs, seen in the West. This one is a Western Gull! (BirdNote)

Liberal government to make key decision on fate of Northern Gateway pipeline today
The federal cabinet will deliver its decision on the Enbridge-backed Northern Gateway pipeline today, after years of delays and false starts. But it will be days before the public knows the fate of the controversial project. The National Energy Board and the former Harper government signed off on the $7.9-billion project, and imposed 209 conditions. But the Federal Court overturned those approvals in June after it found Ottawa had not adequately consulted Indigenous people along the project's 1,177-kilometre route. Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr said in September the government will not appeal the court's ruling, meaning cabinet now has three options on the table: issue an extension and launch further consultations with Indigenous people, approve the project in defiance of the Federal Court, or reject the project outright. Carr said Thursday that while a decision has to be made by Friday to meet a self-imposed deadline, cabinet's move would be announced publicly later. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is attending la Francophonie summit in Madagascar, returning Monday. John Paul Tasker (CBC)

Pipeline opposition isn't really about climate change, Canada West Foundation finds
If you think opposition to pipelines is driven mainly by concerns over climate change, you're wrong, according to a new study from the Canada West Foundation and University of Ottawa. Their report, released Thursday, involved six case studies of major energy projects across the country that found similarities among the local opposition each encountered, whether it was an oil pipeline, a hydro dam or a wind farm…. Those factors include how safe a project is perceived to be, how necessary it is perceived to be, how the benefits would be distributed, how the local environment would be impacted, how the proponents communicate with the public and how much the community is involved in decision-making. (CBC)

Anger boils over as Whatcom County weighs ban on rural building 
Saying it needed more time to find solutions in light of a Supreme Court ruling, the County Council is considering a 6-month ban on new developments that depend on water from what are known as exempt wells. The proposed measure, as well as the county’s existing 60-day moratorium, came up Tuesday during the council’s meeting when property owners and real estate agents packed the council chambers. Angry and frustrated, they wanted the council to lift its existing temporary prohibition and not consider a new one, even as the county said it can’t, legally, ignore the Supreme Court’s ruling. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

No Farms, No Food
Most of us are familiar with the bumper sticker, “no farms, no food”, the rallying cry to protect farmland and nurture local, sustainably grown food. The cry has become increasingly relevant to farmers and farmland advocates on Seattle's urban fringe, 13 miles north of the Space Needle. They say current levels of development threaten their future. Martha Baskin takes us to the Sammamish Valley outside of Woodinville.  (Green Acre Radio)

Perils of Climate Change Could Swamp Coastal Real Estate
Real estate agents looking to sell coastal properties usually focus on one thing: how close the home is to the water’s edge. But buyers are increasingly asking instead how far back it is from the waterline. How many feet above sea level? Is it fortified against storm surges? Does it have emergency power and sump pumps? Rising sea levels are changing the way people think about waterfront real estate. Though demand remains strong and developers continue to build near the water in many coastal cities, homeowners across the nation are slowly growing wary of buying property in areas most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Ian Urbina reports. (NY Times)

More than 1,000 hold hands around Capitol Lake in the name of peace
More than 1,000 people lined up Wednesday afternoon around Capitol Lake to hold hands in a peaceful plea for community unity. Hands Around Capitol Lake was organized by a group called Stronger Together Thurston County and inspired by a similar gathering in Seattle, where nearly 4,000 people circled Green Lake last weekend to take a stand against racism, homophobia, misogyny and Islamophobia. Organizers of the Olympia event had hoped to draw about 2,000 people to form a complete 1.55-mile circle around Capitol Lake. The people of all ages who formed a human chain in the rain ended up covering a little more than two-thirds of the lake’s circumference. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  900 AM PST FRI NOV 25 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  
TODAY  SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 12 FT AT  14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT  E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 11 FT  AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT  SE WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING E 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
SAT NIGHT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN  SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11  SECONDS.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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