 |
| Killdeer [Phil Gilston] |
Since Killdeer don’t always pick the safest places to lay their eggs, they’ve developed a clever way to protect their young. They use the art of distraction. When it spots a predator close by, the Killdeer parent will pretend it has a broken wing - calling loudly and limping along as it stretches out one wing and fans its tail. (BirdNote)
Trans Mountain construction work can go ahead as National Energy Board re-validates permits
The National Energy Board has cleared the way for construction to resume on portions of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project by re-validating all the orders and decisions it enjoyed before its permits were overturned last year. The NEB, Canada’s pipeline regulator, announced late Friday that “decisions and orders issued prior to the Federal Court of Appeal decision will remain valid,” meaning that 73 per cent of the detailed pipeline route has been approved and 64 of 98 pre-construction conditions for the project have been fully satisfied. Geoffrey Morgan reports. (Financial Post) See also: Hundreds of landowners still haven't signed agreements with Trans Mountain for pipeline expansion Chantelle Bellrichard reports. (CBC)
Montana, N. Dakota seek to block Washington state rail law
Attorneys general for North Dakota and Montana asked the Trump administration on Wednesday to overrule a Washington state law that imposed new restrictions on oil trains from the Northern Plains to guard against explosive derailments. In a legal petition to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and North Dakota's Wayne Stenehjem said federal authority over railroads pre-empts the state law. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)
Alberta judge denies B.C.’s bid to block ‘Turn Off the Taps’ bill
A Calgary judge has denied British Columbia’s attempt to block Alberta legislation that would allow that province to stop oil shipments to the coast. In a decision released Friday on the so-called Turn Off the Taps bill, Queen’s Bench Justice Robert Hall said that B.C. doesn’t have the right to take Alberta to court in Alberta over legislation passed by the Alberta legislature. (Canadian Post) See also: Trudeau says Ottawa open to proposals for B.C. refinery Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ottawa is open to proposals from the private sector for a refinery in British Columbia, as a public inquiry into the province's soaring gas prices reviews possible solutions.(Canadian Post) And also: Here’s how the Whatcom executive candidates see the debate over Cherry Point industry One of the key issues in this year’s race for Whatcom County executive is the future of development in the Cherry Point industrial zone west of Ferndale — a 7,000-acre tract that’s home to two oil refineries, an aluminum smelter and some of the area’s highest-paying jobs. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Heald)
Reader Don Norman writes about the Coast Strawberry:
"The beach or coast strawberry, mentioned Friday, has become a favorite of landscapers because it is so drought tolerant and can be walked on easily. But the real interesting story about this species is that it revolutionized the commercial strawberry industry. In my childhood, strawberries were a local early summer favorite because they bloomed in the spring and that was the crop for the year. But the F. chiloensis blooms year-round and that trait was easily bred into the commercial varieties, and that single trait doomed thousands of small businesses. Kids would get out of school to pick the strawberries. No more. The protection of germplasm, or the genetic traits of plant (and animal!) species related to those of commercial importance is an important argument for biodiversity conservation. Despite the revolution in genetics (GMOs and the like), simple horticultural cross-pollination is still the best source for pest resistance and strain improvement. Yet where do you hear about "in-situ" germplasm protection?"
Grief or instinct? Interpreting a mother orca's actions
It was as if she wanted people to see her in mourning. A mother orca, known as J35, pushed the corpse of her dead calf in a funeral-like procession through 1,600 kilometres of Pacific Ocean for 17 days last summer in what scientists and journalists called 'a tour of grief.' J35's procession attracted attention to the fragility of her family, J pod, one of three critically endangered groups of killer whales living in waters off the coast of British Columbia and Washington State. Those who encountered the orca with her dead calf say they saw a grieving mother with a message. Science says humans could have been projecting emotion on an animal acting purely on instinct. Bridgette Morgan reports. (CBC) See also: Why are orcas called killer whales? They're the apex predators of the sea, but many feel their long-used common name demonizes them. Tamara Baluja reports. (CBC)
Questions linger after Canada releases report about 2016 death of endangered orca J34
As long expected, the Canadian government confirmed Thursday blunt force trauma killed southern resident orca J34 in December 2016, as was initially reported, raising new questions about what took so long to release the findings. Lynda Mpaes reports. (Seattle Times)
Trump’s Labor Pick Has Defended Corporations, and One Killer Whale
Eugene Scalia, whom President Trump intends to nominate as labor secretary, is often hired by companies when they are sued by workers, or when they want to push back against new employment laws and regulations.... Mr. Scalia, who is the son of the deceased Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, is perhaps best known for his opposition to a regulation that would have mandated greater protections for workers at risk of repetitive stress injuries. But he played a role in several other prominent cases, representing the financial industry and companies like UPS and SeaWorld. Here are three important issues he worked on. Noam Sheiber reports. (NY Times)
EPA’s watchdog is scrutinizing ethics practices of agency’s former air policy chief
A key architect of the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken federal climate rules is under scrutiny by a federal watchdog for his dealings with industry players who lobbied the government to ease carbon pollution limits. It is the third inquiry into whether Bill Wehrum, who headed the Environmental Protection Agency’s air policy division from November 2017 until last month, violated federal ethics rules. Juliet Eilperin reports. (Washington Post)
Trapped spawning salmon to be flown over Fraser River rock slide in B.C.
Tens of thousands of spawning salmon stuck behind a rock slide on the Fraser River in a remote part of British Columbia will be flown over the barrier by helicopter. The solution was made public Saturday by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the B.C. government after weeks of speculation over how to help the trapped fish. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)
3 million gallons of untreated sewage spill into Puget Sound, state officials investigating
The state Department of Ecology is investigating after failures at King County’s two largest sewage treatment plants led to beach closures in Puget Sound. About 3 million gallons of untreated sewage spilled into the Puget Sound Friday morning after a failure at the West Point Treatment Plant, according to a statement from the Department of Ecology. For a half-hour, sewage spilled into the water near North Beach in Discovery Park. The spill occurred after backup pumping systems failed during a Seattle City Light power outage, according to King County. Asia Fields reports. (Seattle Times) See also: No-contact advisory issued for Bainbridge shoreline after 3 million gallon spill Health officials have issued a no-contact advisory for the east shoreline of Bainbridge Island north to Indianola because of a spill at a King County sewage treatment plant early Friday. The advisory runs through Sunday, the Kitsap Public Health District said. Nathan Pilling reports. (Kitsap Sun) See now: Several Seattle area beaches scheduled to reopen after Puget Sound sewage spill Elise Takahama reports. (Seattle Times)
Sediment libraries show marine ecosystems are accumulating oil pollution faster than ever
Marine sediments tell the history of an environment, including oil spills. By "reading" sediments from the past century, a research team has now determined how much oil hydrocarbon is accumulated in different vegetated coastal habitats of the Arabian Gulf and the significance of this for environmental management. (Phys.org)
Notice a bunny boom? Here are some reasons for the Seattle area's recent rise in rabbits
The bunnies are booming. Love them for their small paws and big ears, or loathe them for their habit of wreaking havoc on gardens, the number of rabbits in the Seattle area has grown in the past few years. They’ve been spotted hopping around parks, backyards and the concrete sidewalks of Amazon’s headquarters campus. Wildlife experts, animal-welfare managers and rescue advocates say they’ve seen an increase in both wild eastern cottontails and domestic bunnies. Paige Cornwall reports. (Seattle Times)
Currents force Strait swimmer to call off attempted crossing
It was the currents — not the cold or distance — that prevented Port Angeles native Rob DeCou from completing his swim across the Strait of Juan de Fuca over the weekend. Currents Saturday forced DeCou to swim 31.25 miles instead of the planned 18.3 miles and as he came within 670 feet of the Canadian shore currents swept him back. Jesse Major reports. (Peninsula Daily News)
Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 253 AM PDT Mon Jul 22 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. W swell 3 ft at 8 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 2 ft at 9 seconds.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate
Follow on Twitter.
Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.