1/22 Puffin, Ferndale plant, BC LNG, planting trees, wolverines, plastic Coke, Starbucks climate

Tufted puffin [Otto Plantema/Buiten-Beeld/Minden Pictures]

The Secret of This Puffin’s Big Beak
At the height of summer, Hannes Schraft scaled the muddy slopes of Alaska’s Middleton Island, trying to get as close as possible to its most majestic residents: tufted puffins...chraft’s interest in the birds’ beaks was motivated by a hypothesis—that puffins dissipate excess heat through their bills—posited by Kyle Elliott, an ecologist at McGill University in Quebec. Bird beaks are highly vascularized, with large amounts of blood pumping through their many vessels...Schraft’s study shows that puffins do the same thing, using the wide surface of their bill to dispense the immense amounts of energy generated during flight. Their heat output, according to some back-of-the-envelope calculations by Elliott, is equivalent to that generated by a light bulb. Greg Noone explains. (Hakai Magazine)

Plans to build a renewable diesel plant near Ferndale have been scrapped.
The two companies behind a proposed renewable diesel plant on the Phillips 66 refinery near Ferndale announced Tuesday, Jan. 21, that they will not build the project. Phillips 66 and Renewable Energy Group Inc. were behind the proposal and had formed Green Apple Renewable Fuels to build the plant. A release blamed “permitting delays and uncertainties” for the decision to withdraw the project. Specifically, it was the determination of significance recently issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology and Whatcom County government, which in turn triggered a requirement for an environmental impact statement, according to Tim Johnson, director of Public and Government Affairs for the Phillips 66 refinery near Ferndale...That requirement added two years for permitting and that placed the project at risk for not being online until 2024 — putting the project at a competitive disadvantage to other renewable projects out of state, Johnson said. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Indigenous pipeline supporters slam human-rights advocates over Coastal GasLink stance
A collective of First Nations who support the liquefied natural gas industry in British Columbia say human rights advocates failed to do their research when they called for the Coastal GasLink pipeline project to be halted. The First Nations LNG Alliance has issued open letters to the B.C. human rights commissioner and the United Nations Committee to End Racial Discrimination over statements they made about the pipeline. The commissioner and committee both called for the project to be stopped in the face of opposition from Wet'suwet'en hereditary clan chiefs, who say the project has no authority without their consent. (Canadian Press)

How planting trees can help in the fight against climate change
Trees suck Earth-warming carbon out of the atmosphere far more efficiently than any machine. A foundation responsible for planting millions of new trees around the world has inspired hope that trees could become an even more potent weapon in the battle against climate change. The group is part of a growing constellation of campaigns that seek to reforest every continent except Antarctica. Ben Guarino reports. (Washington Post)

Where Have All The Wolverines Gone? Apparently Not On The Endangered Species List
Wolverines are the largest members of the weasel family, but they look more like small bears with bushy tails. Conservation groups say the animals need to be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Ten groups want to force the federal government to protect the elusive wolverines. The groups estimate there are around 300 wolverines left, sparsely scattered across the Mountain West, including Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Their young depend on snowy, high altitude habitat that could disappear as the climate warms. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

People still want plastic bottles, says Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola will not ditch single-use plastic bottles because consumers still want them, the firm's head of sustainability has told the BBC. Customers like them because they reseal and are lightweight, said Bea Perez. The firm, which is one of the biggest producers of plastic waste, has pledged to recycle as many plastic bottles as it uses by 2030...The drinks giant produces about three million tonnes of plastic packaging a year - equivalent to 200,000 bottles a minute. Daniel Thomas reports. (BBC)

Starbucks announces new sustainability push, aiming to slash waste, water use and carbon emissions
In yet another sign of corporate America’s growing focus on environmental sustainability, Starbucks has launched an ambitious plan to cut its waste, water use and carbon emissions in half by 2030. The plan, announced Tuesday by Starbucks CEO and President Kevin Johnson, appears to be driven by a mix of government regulation, activist pressure and internal concerns about the Seattle-based company’s image as the public pays closer attention to environmental issues. Paul Roberts reports. (Seattle Times)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PST Wed Jan 22 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 13 ft at 13 seconds subsiding to 10 ft at  12 seconds in the afternoon. Rain. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell  8 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.



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