12/5 White pine, orca buffer, enviro ed, sea stars, kelp, WA carbon cut, saving nature, Heiltsuk Nation energy, Tulalip totem, Chinese immigration

Western white pine [Native Plants PNW]

 
Western white pine Pinus monticola
Western white pine, also called silver pine and California mountain pine, is a species of pine in the family Pinaceae. It occurs in mountain ranges of northwestern North America. It is the state tree of Idaho and is sometimes known as the Idaho pine. The species occurs in humid areas of the mountains of the Western United States and Western Canada such as the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Coast Range, and the northern Rocky Mountains. (Wikipedia)

Southern Resident Killer Whale Vessel Adaptive Management Legislative Report
A new report released by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recommends that the Legislature increase the vessel buffer for recreational boaters, commercial whale watching operators, and guided paddle tours around Southern Resident killer whales to 1,000 yards to further support orca recovery.  (WDFW)

Does environmental education change behavior?
Measuring the effectiveness of environmental education in changing behavior is a source of optimism and inspiration around the Salish Sea. Rena Kingery reports. (Salish Current)

West Coast scientists call for action to help sunflower sea stars
Scientists along the West Coast are calling for action to help sunflower sea stars, among the largest sea stars in the world, recover from catastrophic population declines. Experts say a sea star wasting disease epidemic that began in 2013 has decimated about 95% of the population from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to Mexico's Baja California peninsula. (Associated Press)  See: Devastating wasting illness of influential, iconic sea stars still a mystery Rena Kingery reports. (Salish Current 10/21/22)

Kelp is disappearing from parts of the West Coast. These scientists are trying to save it
Marine heat waves are a prime reason the giant underwater forests are at risk. Marine heat waves — including the longest ever recorded, nicknamed "the Blob," which heated up the northeast Pacific from 2014 to 2016 — are making it harder for cold-water-loving kelp to survive, with major losses documented from California to Australia. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)

Rules set to cut carbon emissions by 20% over next 12 years in Washington state
The Washington State Department of Ecology has finished writing the rules for the Clean Fuel Standard, a program that requires a 20% reduction in 2017 transportation emissions over 12 years. The program focuses on decreasing transportation emissions by switching to cleaner fuels such as renewable diesel and electricity. The final rules for the program were adopted by the Department of Ecology Monday, Nov. 28, and take effect Jan. 1, 2023. Jack Belcher reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Governments are subsidizing the destruction of nature even as they promise to protect it
Amid a biodiversity crisis, 196 countries are hashing out a new agreement to save nature. Will governments commit — again — to stop subsidizing its destruction? Ainslie Cruickshank writes. (The Narwhal)

First Nation in western B.C. making strides toward energy sovereignty
Six years after a devastating diesel spill underscored its dependency on fossil fuels, the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) Nation in western B.C. says it is moving towards energy sovereignty and decarbonization, introducing everything from heat pumps, solar panels and solar composting to its community. amille Vernet and Akshay Kulkarni report. (CBC)

‘Our heritage is a gift’: 500-year-old log is carved into Tulalip welcome
A 15-foot-tall woman with piercing eyes stares out over the Salish Sea. From her vantage point, she faces the Edmonds ferry dock, then the sea, and off in the distance, the Tulalip Reservation. When the Edmonds Waterfront Center commissioned Ty Juvinel to carve a welcome figure, he knew he wanted to dedicate it to mothers — to the matriarchs by blood or by happenstance — who guide and strengthen communities. Kayla Dunn reports. (Everett Herald)

Chinese immigration to Canada record high from 2015
China’s zero-COVID lockdowns have been linked to a rare wave of protests across the country in recent weeks, and immigration industry experts say the strict pandemic rules are also fueling a surge in requests to live in Canada. Immigration from China has bounced back from pandemic lulls to hit a new peak, according to Canadian government statistics, and immigration consultants report a continuing surge of inquiries. Nono Shen reports. (Canadian Press)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  225 AM PST Mon Dec 5 2022   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt in the morning becoming light. Wind  waves 2 ft or less in the morning becoming less than 1 ft. SW  swell 3 ft at 8 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 8 seconds. A slight  chance of rain after midnight.

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