1/23 Snowy owl, shoreline living, English Bay spill, Hylebos spill, seal kill, salmon egg to grave, BC Hydro, renewable hydrogen, WA's 8, enviro justice policies

 

Rise Above 2020
(Eve McCauley-Chomiak courtesy image)

Rise Above 2020
A snowy owl spotted on a wintry day in the Skagit Valley inspired "Rise Above 2020." Persistence paid off for Eve McCauley-Chomiak, when searching for a snowy owl amid snow-patched fields on the Skagit Flats. (Salish Current)

Rising seas, high tides, storm surges and waterfront homes: does value outweigh the risks?
Predicted sea-level rising along with extremely high tidal events and storm surges pose increasing risk to coastal waterfront homes. How much are today's intermittent flooding and expected future trends affecting waterfront homeowners and potential buyers? Kai Uyehara reports. (Salish Current)

Container ship in English Bay has spilled fuel: Canadian Coast Guard
Government agencies and First Nations are working to contain a fuel spill from a container ship anchored in English Bay. The MV Europe is one of about a dozen container ships anchored in the bay waiting for an opening to dock. It began leaking fuel on Saturday. The coast guard estimates about 60 to 100 litres of fuel has formed a slick in the waters off Vancouver. John Ruttle reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Seafood processor fined after Tacoma ship fire leads to oil spill at Port of Tacoma
An all-night fire that destroyed a seafood processing ship in 2021 at the Port of Tacoma has resulted in a $25,000 fine against the boat’s owner. The state Department of Ecology (DOE) levied the penalty against Trident Seafoods Corporation, the vessel’s owner. On Feb. 17, 2021, a fire on the Aleutian Falcon led to a hydraulic oil spill in Tacoma’s Commencement Bay while it was docked for maintenance. The fire damaged the crane’s hydraulic hoses. As a result, an estimated 20-30 gallons of hydraulic oil along with firefighting water spilled into the Hylebos Waterway. Craig Sailor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

WA grapples with seals, sea lions preying on endangered salmon
A new state report prepared for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends selective killing of seals and sea lions, to learn more about the impact they have on endangered salmon runs. These experimental lethal removals would be the most effective way to move the science forward in a timely manner, according to a committee at the Washington State Academy of Sciences. Their report to the legislature came at the request of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Southern Resident Orca Recovery Task Force. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

If you like to watch: From egg to grave, B.C.’s salmon run is vital to this ecosystem
The B.C. salmon run is over, but that is not the end of the salmon's story. Connel Bradwell and Emily Robertson head down to the salmon stream in the Cowichan Valley to see how even after they’ve died, salmon continue to help the forest and its wildlife to thrive. (CBC)

‘Crush you like a bug’: BC Hydro’s Site C lawsuit targets farmers, First Nations
The suit brought against peaceful opponents of the most expensive hydro dam in Canadian history has the hallmarks of a strategic lawsuit meant to silence and intimidate critics, according to experts. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Billions in federal dollars could make the Pacific Northwest a hub for renewable hydrogen
The U.S. Department of Energy is offering $8 billion in funding to create a network of six to 10 sites across the nation to develop and commercialize hydrogen made from renewable energy such as wind and solar. Hydrogen can be used as a fuel, to generate electricity, or for industrial applications — including making fertilizer and refining petroleum. Most hydrogen today is produced using natural gas, a fossil fuel which is accelerating climate change. Lake Oswego-based Obsidian Renewables is one of the energy companies applying for funding from the Department of Energy’s regional clean hydrogen hubs program. It wants to build a pipeline connecting two facilities located in Hermiston and Moses Lake, Washington, to generate hydrogen primarily from wind and solar power. Sheraz Sadiq reports. (OPB)

The “Washington Eight”: Washington Women in Congress
First term U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez, D-Wash., is getting an abnormal amount of attention in the “other” Washington, where she is carrying a message that Congress needs “more and more normal people” and talks of how the Portland auto repair shop she runs with her husband had its windows broken four times last year...With her unexpected victory over MAGA Republican Joe Kent last November – in which she received no help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee – MGP became the eighth woman serving in Washington’s 12-person congressional delegation. Joel Connelly writes. (Post Alley)

Six Environmental Justice Policy Fights to Watch in 2023
These are the issues competing for priority this year as $60 billion earmarked in the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental justice efforts begins to flow into U.S. communities. Kristoffer Tigue, Aydali Campa and Darreonna Davis report. (Inside Climate News)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  235 AM PST Mon Jan 23 2023   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then a slight  chance of rain in the afternoon. TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 15 seconds. A slight chance  of rain after midnight.

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