9/24 Whimbrel, J57 boy, tail-slapping, toxic cleanup, Cascadia mega-region, gas car ban, Pebble Mine fallout, good smokes, climate action economy, salmon farm inaction

Whimbrel [All About Birds]

 
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
An elegant, brownish shorebird with a very long, curved bill, the Whimbrel announces itself with effervescent, piping calls. It occupies open habitats—tundra for nesting; and mudflats, beaches, and saltmarshes the rest of the year. Whimbrels feed mostly on crabs and other marine invertebrates, which they extract from sand or mud using their outrageous bills. They also eat berries and insects when available. They migrate between arctic nesting areas and wintering grounds as far south as Bolivia, sometimes having to skirt hurricanes as they fly over open ocean. (All About Birds)

It's a boy: Tahlequah's baby is frolicking, healthy
Tahlequah’s new calf is a male, the Center for Whale Research has confirmed... This calf is feisty. He’s been seen rolling, spyhopping, and swimming alongside his mother as she forages for food, according to the center. J57 is the second viable calf born to Tahlequah. Her first is J57’s brother, J47, born in 2010. The southern residents J, K, and L pods are endangered, with only 73 members in all, counting the new baby. The pods are overwhelmingly male, and hopes were high for a female. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Seals love devouring salmon at Ballard Locks. One way to stop them: Tail-slapping noises
For decades, humans have been trying different ways to keep seals and sea lions away from the Ballard Locks' fish ladder. Now, scientists are trying a new method to outsmart the seals. Eilis O'Neill reports. (KUOW)

New guidance for cleanup of toxics in Puget Sound
An EPA-funded team of scientists and other experts has completed draft recommendations for the future cleanup of toxic chemicals in Puget Sound. The group’s Toxics in Fish Implementation Strategy addresses pollutants such as PCBs and a slew of emerging contaminants that can affect salmon and orcas alike. The strategy will be available for public review until October 16th after which it may be revised and submitted to the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council for approval. Jeff Rice reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Cascadia corridor report calls for bold action for a sustainable mega-region
It’s expected three to four million more people will call the Cascadia region home by 2050, an increase of more than 30 per cent. Establishing hub cities that are connected to existing urban centres by high-speed transit is one way to deal with growth that is expected to take place in the Cascadia corridor over the next 30 years, according to a new report. The paper, prepared by Boston Consulting Group for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, was released on Monday and looks at the challenges facing B.C., Washington state and Oregon as they prepare to welcome millions of new residents with the goal of spurring discussion about possible solutions. Jennifer Saltman reports. (Vancouver Sun)

California moves to end sales of new gas-powered cars
California will outlaw sales of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks by 2035, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday, a move he says will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35% in the nation’s most populous state. His plan would not ban people from owning gas-powered cars or selling them on the used car market. But it would end the sales of all new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks in the state of nearly 40 million people. Adam Beam reports. (Associated Press)

Alaska mining executive resigns a day after caught on tape boasting of his ties to GOP politicians Tom Collier, who stood to get a $12.4 million bonus if Pebble Mine went ahead, resigned in the wake of secretly recorded talks with environmentalists posing as potential investors. Juliet Ellperin reports. (Washington Post)

Wildfire smoke is beneficial to B.C.'s coastal waters, oceanographer says
While medical experts were warning British Columbians about the risk of inhaling fine particulate matter from the thick wildfire smoke that hung over much of the province during the last week of summer, marine experts were happy to see those same particulates infiltrating the Pacific Ocean. According to B.C. oceanographer Richard Dewey, associate director of science with Ocean Networks Canada, particulate matter from burning forests that ends up in the ocean acts as fertilizer, providing minerals and nutrients to phytoplankton that live near the surface and are the base of the ocean's food system. (CBC)

Climate action will be ‘cornerstone’ of Canada’s economic recovery plan: throne speech
From creating thousands of jobs in energy efficiency building retrofits to cutting the tax rate for green manufacturing companies, the Trudeau government has amped up its commitments to tackle climate change as part of the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Little Action from Canadian Government as Deadline to Remove Salmon Farms Looms Eight years ago, the Cohen Commission gave Fisheries and Oceans Canada a deadline to prove salmon farms do not threaten wild sockeye. Despite evidence of harm, it seems unlikely the government will follow the recommendation to prohibit salmon farming in part of British Columbia. Frances Backhouse reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  235 AM PDT Thu Sep 24 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING   
TODAY  SW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 12 ft at 14 seconds.  Showers and a slight chance of tstms. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 12 ft at 14 seconds. Showers.

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