12/23 Snipe, WA train derail, BC GMO salmon, marine heat wave, surrey bag ban

Wilson's snipe [Bettina Arrigoni]

 
Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
The snipe is a solitary creature of wet fields and bogs, seldom seen on open mudflats. Flushed from the marsh, it darts away in zigzag flight, uttering harsh notes. The Wilson's Snipe becomes more flamboyant in the breeding season, when it often yammers from atop a fencepost or dead tree. At night on the nesting grounds, the ghostly winnowing flight sound of the males often echoes across the marshes. (Audubon Field Guide)

Train carrying crude oil derails, forces evacuations in Whatcom County
BNSF Railway says seven train cars carrying crude oil derailed in the Custer area of Whatcom County just before noon on Tuesday. Two rail cars caught on fire, sending giant black plumes of smoke in the air, but authorities said no one was injured. By mid-afternoon Tuesday, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Department tweeted that the fire was under control.  The incident happened close to a residential area, as well as an elementary school, and people in a half-mile radius were told to immediately evacuate. There were no children at the school because of winter break, but the Ferndale School District superintendent said two custodians got out safely. Ashley Gross reports. (KNKX)

Frankenfish or food of the future? The risks and rewards of Canada’s genetically engineered salmon
Some Canadians with an appetite for salmon may have already consumed the world’s first genetically modified food animal without even knowing it. As the aquaculture industry tinkers with fish DNA to more efficiently feed the world’s growing population, critics say we’re moving too far, too fast without adequate transparency. (The second of a three-part series.) Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Are marine heat waves the new normal for the Pacific Ocean?
This year brought one of the biggest marine heat waves on record in the Pacific Ocean, and it’s one of several record-setting spikes in ocean water temperatures over the last six years. The string of warm water events has scientists wondering if this is actually the new normal for the Pacific Ocean. A series of heat waves started in 2013 with what was nicknamed “the blob,” which brought water temperatures up to nearly 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal across a 1,000-mile stretch of the West Coast. Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB)

Surrey approves bylaw to ban single-use plastic bags, containers
Plastic shopping bags, foam cups and takeout containers could soon be banned in Surrey after city counciladopted a bylaw that would seek provincial permission to ban single-use plastic items. The B.C. government confirmed in September that it would approve all such municipal bylaws and has already signed off on bag bans for Victoria, Saanich, Richmond, Ucluelet and Tofino. Vancouver operates under different legislation and did not need provincial certification to ban bags effective Jan. 1, 2022, while its prohibition on foam containers and other single-use items has been in effect for almost a year. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  231 AM PST Wed Dec 23 2020   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft  at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6  ft at 16 seconds building to 8 ft at 15 seconds after midnight.

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