5/8 Jaeger, WA clean energy, EU climate, Oly Mtn snow pack, Growler suit, food chain study, BC gas price

Parasitic jaeger [Glenn Bartley]

Parasitic jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
At sea, the parasitic jaeger does much of its foraging by chasing other birds and forcing them to drop their catch then dipping down in flight to catch fish at the surface. On breeding grounds, it also hovers and swoops down to catch prey, and feeds while walking. Its diet ncludes fish, birds, rodents. Diet at sea and at coastal nesting areas is mostly fish stolen from other birds. On land, also eats many birds and their eggs, rodents, insects, berries. Less dependent on lemmings and other rodents than the other jaegers. (Audubon Field Guide)

Inslee signs bills bringing Washington state closer to zero-carbon electricity
Gov. Jay Inslee signed a package of bills Tuesday to combat climate change headlined by legislation to rid Washington’s electric grid of fossil-fuel-generated power by 2045, a move that makes the state a leader in the national clean-power movement. Other parts of the green agenda now embedded in state law create new conservation standards for energy use in large new buildings, require new efficiency standards for appliances and phase out “super pollutant” hydrofluorocarbons used as refrigerants.... Even with these bills’ passage, Washington still is projected to fall short of the emission targets set by state law. Hal Bernton and Jim Brunner report. (Seattle Times) See also: Jay Inslee hopes new clean-energy laws will recharge his presidential bid  Melissa Santos reports. (Crosscut)

Proposal to spend 25% of EU budget on climate change
Eight European countries have called for an ambitious strategy to tackle climate change – and to spend a quarter of the entire EU budget on fighting it. The joint statement says the EU should have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 "at the latest". It was signed by France, Belgium, Denmark, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. The group says their plan can "go hand in hand with prosperity" and "set an example for other countries to follow." (BBC)

Olympic Mountain snowpack melting fast
Olympic Mountain snowpack has slipped well below normal and will melt rapidly as temperatures climb this week, a water supply specialist said. Snowpack was 72 percent of normal Tuesday as measured at two snow telemetry sites operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Normal is defined as the median snowpack from 1981 to 2010. A more comprehensive monthly snowpack measurement revealed a 61 percent snowpack in the Olympics on May 1, said Scott Pattee, a water supply specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Mount Vernon. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

National parks group sues U.S. Navy in pursuit of information on Growler jet training
A national parks organization filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Navy last week, related to jet training at Air Station Whidbey Island. The nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association sued the Navy to get more information about the exercises, which are planned for one of the quietest places in the lower 48. The association submitted a Freedom of Information Act request in 2016, to learn more about the impacts of noise from Growler jets. The Navy says the training exercises with the aircraft could increase to as many as 5,000 a year over the Olympic Mountains. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Saving our salmon: Searching for answers in the depths of Puget Sound
King County is pulling up creatures from the depths of Puget Sound in hopes that what they learn from the bottom of the food chain can help predict the future success of salmon runs -- and in turn -- the endangered southern resident orcas that eat them. Twice a month every month, King County Environmental Laboratory takes out the SoundGuardian boat for its marine ambient survey, which has about 20 stations around the Sound. At each station, scientists cast over the edge of the boat an instrument they call CTD, which stands for conductivity, temperature and depth. Simone Del Rosario reports. (KCPQ)

B.C. premier calls for independent investigation into high gas prices
After being politically hammered over the issue for weeks, B.C. Premier John Horgan has asked the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) if the body will consider investigating why gas prices in the province have soared in comparison to the rest of the country. In a letter sent to the regulator on Tuesday, Horgan said British Columbians — particularly those in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island — are used to higher gas prices compared to other provinces, but not to this extent. Gas prices have been hovering around a record-high of $1.70 in Metro Vancouver since mid-April. (CBC)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  239 AM PDT Wed May 8 2019   
TODAY  SW wind to 10 kt in the morning becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. Patchy fog in the  morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 8 seconds.

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