4/22 Earth Day at 50, Trump's clean water, warm earth, oil glut, Deepwater Horizon, BC ferries

[Paul Schmid/Seattle Times]

Art for Earth Day: Seattle Times artists past and present share their views of our world
The Seattle Times presents a fresh look at Earth Day through the eyes of current and former Seattle Times artists. David Miller writes. See also: 50 Years of Earth Day: What’s Better Today, and What’s Worse  Brad Plumer and John Schwartz report. (NY Times)


*EDITOR'S NOTE: Access updates on the COVID-19 virus at national and regional print publications like the CBC, the Seattle Times, the Peninsula Daily News, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.



EPA Finalizes Rollback of Water Pollution Safeguards
Pulling the plug on the eve of Earth Day, the Environmental Protection Agency eliminated critical pollution rules from the Obama era that had safeguarded at-risk ecosystems and drinking water across the country. The new Navigable Waters Protection Rule has been in the works since President Donald Trump’s inauguration but appeared in the Federal Register for the first time Tuesday. Whereas the Clean Water Act of 1972 had previously included protections for wetlands, artificial lakes and ponds and ephemeral streams — critical waterways that carry stormwater runoff — the Environmental Protection Agency now calls the smaller bodies “nonjurisdictional” waters, following an 2017 executive order by Trump. Megan Mineiro reports. (Courthouse News) See: Federal rollbacks mean protecting water quality in wetlands falls to state  (WA Dept of Ecology)

This year is on track to be Earth’s warmest on record, beating 2016, NOAA says
There is a 75 percent chance 2020 will set a record for the warmest year since instrument records began in 1880, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is projecting, beating out 2016 for the distinction. This is somewhat unexpected, since there is no declared El Niño event in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which tends to provide a natural boost to global temperatures that are already elevated due to the human-caused buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Andrew Freedman reports. (Washington Post)

‘I’m Just Living a Nightmare’: Oil Industry Braces for Devastation
Across the United States, companies are laying off workers, shutting down wells and preparing for a prolonged slump as oil prices tumble. Clifford Krauss reports. (NY Times)

Ten Years after Deepwater Horizon, Worries Remain
Efforts to clean up the lingering effects of the oil spill are well underway, but secrecy and deregulation have returned to the Gulf, raising the specter of a repeat. Boyce Upholt reports. (Hakai Magazine) Watch: Surviving the BP Oil Spill  (Part 1) A four-part series presented by Dr. Riki Ott and theALERTproject on the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

As it loses $1M a day, B.C. Ferries has few options
B.C. Ferries is losing more than $1 million a day and is trying to negotiate a way around a sticking point that could prevent the company from being eligible for federal aid. Qualifying for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy could mean millions in federal help for the company and employees affected by the drastic service curtailments brought on by plummeting ridership. But one of the requirements is that corporations applying have to be taxable. Public bodies and Crown corporations can’t apply for the relief. Les Leyne reports. (Times Colonist)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  242 AM PDT Wed Apr 22 2020   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 13 seconds. Rain. 
TONIGHT  E wind to 10 kt becoming W after midnight. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of  showers.




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