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| Bald eagle [Andy Morffew] |
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
The Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings. Look for them soaring in solitude, chasing other birds for their food, or gathering by the hundreds in winter. Once endangered by hunting and pesticides, Bald Eagles have flourished under protection. (All About Birds)
Federal judge rules FDA violated environmental laws with approval of genetically engineered salmon
A federal judge has ruled that production of the world’s first genetically engineered salmon was allowed to go ahead without the required evaluation of environmental risks. The ruling, from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, says the Food and Drug Administration violated the National Environmental Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act when it granted approval to a plan from Massachusetts-based AquaBounty in 2015. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)
What Biden’s U.S. election win means for Canadian climate action
The president-elect’s promise to ramp up U.S. climate leadership will have far-reaching consequences, not just for the Keystone XL pipeline and the oilsands, but for Canada’s fledgling green economy. Ainslie Cruickshank writes. (The Narwhal)
Skagit watershed a priority in state forest plan
The state Department of Natural Resources, which manages millions of acres of forestland and helps protect and preserve millions more, recently released its 2020 Forest Action Plan that sets the stage for that collaboration to continue. The document highlights the Skagit River watershed as an important area on which to focus. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: San Juan County a priority in state’s forest plan Mandi Johnson reports. (San Juan Journal)
Otter dung reveals secrets of missing sturgeon in B.C. river
A study of the places where river otters poop along the Nechako River is helping conservationists understand how the sleek mammal's appetite for white sturgeon is hampering efforts to save the endangered fish species. Cale Babey, a UNBC graduate student, became acquainted with dozens of latrine sites frequented by the fish-loving Lontra Canadensis, as he spent two years searching through their deposits of spraint (otter feces). Babey was looking for small identification tags from juvenile white sturgeon released by a Vanderhoof hatchery, and he found plenty of them. (CBC)
Copper is being phased out of brake pads to reduce harm to salmon, other creatures
Manufacturers of automobile parts are facing their first deadline for removing copper from brake pads. Most seem to be well prepared to meet the new requirements under Washington state law. In 2010, Washington was the first state in the nation to outlaw copper in brake pads, after scientists discovered that the metal can severely affect the behavior of salmon. California soon followed, and by 2015 the industry came together with a nationwide agreement to phase out copper in brake pads. By the end of this year, new brake pads must have no more than 5 percent copper by weight. By 2025, the limit is reduced to 0.5 percent. New cars going on the market must all have the new low-copper brakes. Some allowances have been made for auto-repair shops and retail stores that need to use up existing inventories. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)
Sunshine Coast marine plastics recycling site first of its kind in B.C
Beachcombers in the coastal community of Powell River, B.C., are used to finding plastic waste along the shoreline and now have a dedicated recycling depot where they can drop off such debris with a clean conscience. On Oct. 26, the province's first such site opened in the northern Sunshine Coast city. Located at Augusta Recyclers on Highway 101, the Ocean Plastic Depot is a place where people can drop off waste found in the water and along the shoreline, such as nets, ropes, buoys, and Styrofoam that would otherwise end up in the local landfill. (CBC)
A dam blocking 348 miles of salmon streams hasn't generated electricity since 1958. But who will take it down?
ENLOE DAM, Okanogan County — It has no license to produce electricity, hasn’t generated a kilowatt since 1958, and provides no benefits for irrigation or flood control. But one thing Enloe Dam, built 100 years ago, still does very, very well: block fish from reaching more than 340 miles of high-quality, cold-water habitat upstream in the Similkameen River. The dam is of no use to anyone, not the small rural public utility district (PUD) that owns it, and not to tribes longing to bring salmon back to this river. Obstacles of cost, liability and a quest by the PUD to revive the dam for more than a decade stood in the way of removal. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)
David Suzuki on 60 years of The Nature of Things: ‘I’m more determined than ever’
Television's longest-running science series has been at the forefront of exploring the climate crisis and our relationship with the natural world. Raina Delisle reports. (The Narwhal)
Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-
256 AM PST Mon Nov 9 2020
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH
TUESDAY MORNING
TODAY
SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt in the
afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft. W swell
5 ft at 14 seconds. Rain likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT
SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming W after midnight. Wind
waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. Rain in the evening
then
"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.
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