2/22 Groundhog, BC green crabs, green Intalco , EV batteries, Navy Growlers, underwater noise, Ice Age Van Is, librarians, Groundhog Day

Groundhog [Brittanica]

Groundhog Marmota monax
Groundhog, also called woodchuck, one of 14 species of marmots (Marmota), considered basically a giant North American ground squirrel. It is sometimes destructive to gardens and pasturelands. Classified as a marmot, the groundhog is a member of the squirrel family, Sciuridae, within the order Rodentia. According to popular legend in the United States, it emerges from hibernation each year on February 2, which is designated as Groundhog Day, and if it sees its shadow, winter will last six more weeks. (Brittanica) And, according to Phil: "This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather."

Think 85,000 invasive crabs is a lot? Wait 'til you see Vancouver Island
While 85,000 invasive green crabs—a record number—were captured near Bellingham last year, even more of the voracious crustaceans have turned up just across Washington’s watery border with Canada. Since mid-November, trappers have scooped up more than 107,000 European green crabs in Clayoquot Sound, the traditional territories of the Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht First Nations, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Green aluminum? Complex deal seeks to restart the last aluminum smelter in the NW and cut pollution
A complex deal is taking shape to revive the Pacific Northwest's last remaining aluminum smelter. Alcoa idled its Intalco Works smelter near Ferndale, Washington, a year-and-a-half ago and laid off virtually all the workers there. The plan to bring this industry back involves a new owner, cash from taxpayers and an uncertain new contract for cut-rate wholesale power. Labor leaders, local elected officials and economic development advocates from Whatcom County are urging the state Legislature to approve two budget line items put forward by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee. Combined, they would have the state spend $10 million to upgrade the Intalco smelter to improve efficiency and greatly reduce pollution emissions. That works out to a public subsidy of about $14,285 per job created. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Car story: where will Canada’s electric vehicle batteries go when they die?
Electric vehicles are booming in B.C. and that means the province has a unique opportunity to divert some of the world’s most sought-after clean-energy minerals from a potentially hazardous waste stream. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Navy releases technical report from jet noise study
Following the release in December of a study requested by Congress on noise from EA-18G jets, the Navy released last week a related technical report. The report includes more insight into where and when the Navy collected live jet noise data on the Growler jets during the study, which was conducted near Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and near a base in California between December 2020 and August 2021. Eleven sites were included in the study around Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, including one on a Skagit River dike on north Fir Island in west Skagit County. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Scientists deploy buoy in Puget Sound to measure noise, risks to orcas
Scientists aboard the King County research vessel ‘SoundGuardian’ Tuesday deployed a buoy that will monitor underwater noise in Puget Sound – which poses risks to our southern resident orca population. Orcas frequent the Sound during the winter to hunt chinook and chum salmon. The whales navigate the water and hunt using echolocation, which is where they make sounds and detect how quickly they bounce back, allowing them to judge how far away objects and prey are. (Q13 Fox)

Northwestern Vancouver Island Likely Escaped the Ice Age
New evidence shows the Vancouver Island of 18,500 years ago was ice-free and lush with bears, trees, flowers, and fish. It was a good place to live. Jacqueline Knirnschild reports. (Hakai Magazine)

The new emergency responders: Librarians
As climate change and extreme weather challenge Puget Sound's emergency services, libraries are increasingly at the front lines of community care. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

Groundhog Day 2022: Punxsutawney Phil furrsees six more weeks of winter
We think Punxsutawney Phil might be digging himself a hole with this prediction. Kasha Patel reports. (Washington Post) B.C.'s groundhogs are too sleepy to predict the end of winter, so this stuffed animal will do the job  Okanagan Okie is presiding over Vernon's inaugural Groundhog Day celebrations this year. (CBC) Groundhog Day: Munching Marmots Emerge From the Scientific Shadows  New research aims to shed light on the social habits of the popular, but often misunderstood, animal. Brandon Keim reports. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  247 AM PST Wed Feb 2 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING  THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the  morning then rain likely in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  3 ft at 13 seconds. Rain in the evening then rain likely after  midnight.

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