7/16 Morning glory, orca sanctuary, heat wave, steelhead farming, speedy rail, zero-carbon shipping

Beach morning glory [Mary Jo Adams]

Beach morning glory Calystegia soldanella
Native to the Pacific Northwest, the beach morning glory has a low profile that hugs the sandy beaches and dunes where it grows.  This species has pink to purplish pink trumpet shaped flowers with lighter stripes and fleshy oval shaped leaves.  It flowers from April to September.  Beach morning glory is found on beaches from southern California to British Columbia.  It is also known under the scientific name Convolvulus soldanella.  Another common name for it is beach bindweed. (Mary Jo Adams/Sound Water Stewards)

Nonprofit gauges interest in San Juan Islands sanctuary for retired captive orcas
An environmental nonprofit is gauging interest in the creation of an orca enclosure in Washington's San Juan Islands. The organization is hosting public outreach meetings over the coming week in six Western Washington locations. The leaders of the Whale Sanctuary Project say a cordoned-off bay or cove somewhere in the San Juan Islands could be the ideal home for orcas retired from theme parks. It also could serve as a rehabilitation site in the event government biologists temporarily corral an ailing wild orca for treatment. But the sanctuary idea is drawing flak from some quarters, and a brush-off from the current owners of captive killer whales. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network) See also: 'Empty all the tanks': Group proposes sanctuary in San Juan Islands to retire captive orcas  Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

'This is unprecedented': Alert, Nunavut, is warmer than Victoria
Weather watchers are focused on the world's most northerly community, which is in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave. "It's really quite spectacular," said David Phillips, Environment Canada's chief climatologist. "This is unprecedented." The weather agency confirmed that Canadian Forces Station Alert hit a record of 21 C on Sunday. On Monday, the military listening post on the top of Ellesmere Island had reached 20 C by noon and inched slightly higher later in the day. Alert was warmer both days than Victoria, B.C., a Canadian go-to for balmy climes. The average July high for Alert is 7 C. Phillips said that means the heat wave at the top of the world is the equivalent of Toronto registering a daytime high of 42 C. Rob Weber reports. (Canadian Press) See also: How hot will it get? Study predicts climate change’s impact on Whatcom temperatures  David Rasbach reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Cooke eyes raising steelhead instead of Atlantic salmon in state net pens
Cooke Aquaculture, which shut down its Ediz Hook fish farm in May, wants to begin raising steelhead instead of Atlantic salmon in its net pens in Washington state, a company official said Monday. The company also has sites at Bainbridge Island, Hope Island, Clam Bay and Orchard Rocks. “All of our sites would be in the mix,” Cooke spokesman Joel Richardson said, adding that the facility shutdown in Port Angeles remains in litigation in Thurston County Superior Court. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Clallam, Jefferson awarded grants aimed at salmon restoration 
The North Olympic Peninsula is receiving nearly $7.1 million in grant funding aimed at restoring salmon habitat and populations, state officials have announced.
The funding in Clallam and Jefferson counties is part of $45 million in grants intended to restore chinook salmon, a critical food source for endangered Southern Resident orcas, and other Puget Sound salmon populations. Projects in Clallam County were awarded a total of $6.49 million and Jefferson County projects saw a total of $601,529 in this round of funding. (Peninsula Daily News)

High speed rail from Vancouver to Seattle, Portland 'worth the investment,' study says
A new study looking into high speed rail between cities in British Columbia and Washington state says it's financially viable. The report by Washington state officials released on Monday looked at the business case for building a high speed rail system that would connect Vancouver, B.C., with Seattle and Portland across the border... The study found that travel times between Vancouver and Seattle would be reduced to one hour and travel from Vancouver to Portland would take less than two hours. (CBC)

Giant Shipper Bets Big On Ending Its Carbon Emissions. Will It Pay Off?
Maersk — the world's largest container shipping company — has an astonishing goal. By 2050, the company vows to send goods — everything from electronics to soybeans to sneakers — around the world with zero carbon emissions. The environmental logic behind such a promise is straightforward: Shipping contributes substantially to global climate change. But the business case is not as obvious. Camila Domonoske reports. (NPR)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PDT Tue Jul 16 2019   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt rising to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon.  SW swell 2 ft at 20 seconds. A slight chance of showers. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 2 ft at 19 seconds. A chance of  showers after midnight.



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