1/10 Muskrat, hot Earth, warm ocean, gas stove ban, Cooke fish farms, 'green banks,' crab harvest, goose cull

Muskrat [WikiCommons]

 
Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
Muskrats weigh 2 to 4 pounds and reach lengths of 18 to 25 inches, including their 8- to 11-inch, sparsely haired tails. Their coat color is generally dark brown, but individuals can range from black to almost white. Muskrats have partially webbed hind feet that function as paddles and much smaller front feet used primarily for digging. Muskrats are found throughout still or slow-moving waterways, including marshes, beaver ponds, reservoirs, irrigation canals and ditches, and marshy borders of lakes and rivers. They don’t live in mountainous areas where cold weather makes their food unobtainable. (WDFW)

Earth’s Last 8 Years Were the Hottest on Record
The world remained firmly in warming’s grip last year, with extreme summer temperatures in Europe, China and elsewhere contributing to 2022 being the fifth-hottest year on record, European climate researchers said on Tuesday. The eight warmest years on record have now occurred since 2014, the scientists, from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, reported, and 2016 remains the hottest year ever. Overall, the world is now 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.1 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than it was in the second half of the 19th century, when emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels became widespread. Henry Fountain and Mira Rojanasakul report. (NY Times)

Warming oceans have decimated marine parasites — but that’s not a good thing
More than a century of preserved fish specimens offer a rare glimpse into long-term trends in parasite populations. New research from the University of Washington shows that fish parasites plummeted from 1880 to 2019, a 140-year stretch when Puget Sound — their habitat and the second largest estuary in the mainland U.S. — warmed significantly. The study, published the week of Jan. 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the world’s largest and longest dataset of wildlife parasite abundance. It suggests that parasites may be especially vulnerable to a changing climate. Hannah Hickey writes. (UW Today)

Gas stoves may be banned in U.S. amid health concerns, links to childhood asthma
A federal agency says a ban on gas stoves is on the table amid rising concern about harmful indoor air pollutants emitted by the appliances. Researchers in Canada have also raised concerns about the health risks associated with cooking with gas. University of Saskatchewan chemist Tara Kahan and her colleagues published a study that showed “levels of nitrogen oxide pollutants sometimes exceed Health Canada guidelines for a one-hour exposure, but the pollutants often lingered for a couple of hours,” CBC News reported. Ari Natter reports. (Bloomberg)

Clarification: Cooke wins extension on Washington State deadline
Yesterday's positing from Fish Farmer Magazine was confused in saying that the DNR order was for the company to dismantle its two fish farms by 14 April. The original 60-day order by DNR required dismantling by Jan 14. "On Jan. 6 the Superior Court for Washington State granted the motion filed by the company to extend the deadline to April 14 to remove the fish from its Rich Passage and Hope Island farms." (SaltWire) 

‘Green banks,’ poised for billions in climate funds, draw states’ attention
In recent years, several states have created or helped to fund specialized banks that lend money to homeowners and businesses for energy-saving and climate projects. Now, states have billions more reasons to establish such institutions, known as green banks. Congress last year approved a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund of $27 billion, largely to pour money into green banks and similar financial institutions.  Alex Brown reports. (Stateline)

Dungeness crab harvest delayed off WA, OR coast
The prime Dungeness crab harvest grounds stretching from Klipsan Beach, Washington, to Cape Falcon, Oregon, will not open until Feb. 1 due to surveys that found legal-sized males still lacked enough recoverable meat in their shells...The Dungeness crab harvest is Washington state’s most valuable commercial fishery. During the past decade, the seasons have generated on average $47.92 million to crabbers. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

CRD proposes Canada goose management service
Canada goose populations have exploded on the Island in recent decades, with the large birds damaging delicate ecosystems, ravaging farmers’ fields and invading parks, golf courses and playing fields, leaving massive amounts of poop in their wake. The Capital Regional District is hoping to halt the proliferation of geese with egg-addling and culling, setting up a new regional service that would include monitoring and mapping of populations and public education. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  304 AM PST Tue Jan 10 2023   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. SW swell 9 ft at 12 seconds. A  chance of rain in the morning. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 15 to 20 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 8 ft at 13 seconds.

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