3/21 Chick, orca inbreeding, oil spill, Swinomish v BNSF, 'suspect science,' cruise ships

 

Chick

Chick
As a term used to refer to a young woman, chick is slightly dated. Originally it was perceived as insulting because of the perception that it infantilized women. Now the word has been embraced by some women as a positive term of self-reference and an expression of camaraderie. When used as a modifier, as in chick flick and chick lit, its meaning is not restricted to young women and its use is not offensive. First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English chike, variant of chiken. (Dictionary.com)

Inbreeding hinders population recovery among endangered Southern Resident killer whales
While a scarcity of Chinook salmon and other environmental factors may be pushing the Southern Resident killer whales toward extinction, a new genetics study has revealed that inbreeding has been exerting a powerful, overriding influence upon the small, genetically isolated population. The weakened genetic condition of the Southern Resident orcas, which frequent Puget Sound, could help explain why their numbers have generally declined over the past 25 years, while other orca populations in Alaska and British Columbia have been growing at remarkable rates. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Diesel fuel from derailment found in groundwater
Diesel fuel from the BNSF Railway train derailment Thursday on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community reservation has made its way into the groundwater, according to a news release from a multiagency disaster response team. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

What to know about the Swinomish oil train suit as federal trial begins
Without permission from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, BNSF in 2012 began transporting 100-car trains of highly combustible crude oil through Swinomish land, court documents show.  The tribe sued in 2015, alleging BNSF was running trains with four times the number of cars permitted under an easement agreement with the tribe. The civil trial began in a federal courtroom in Seattle on Monday to determine if BNSF willfully, consciously or knowingly trespassed over the reservation and whether it intentionally breached the 1991 easement agreement. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada faces deluge of calls to improve ‘suspect’ science
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is being flooded with calls for change after a parliamentary committee examined how the federal agency conducts, interprets and acts on its own science. The investigation ended with 49 recommendations to address concerns about how DFO science is presented to the fisheries minister and the public before important political decisions are made — particularly those involving B.C. salmon farms or commercial fisheries on either coast. Rochelle Baker reports. (National Observer)

Cruise Ship Invasion
Take a typical Alaska cruise and see the damage in its wake. The evidence is clear: the industry needs an overhaul. Andrew Engelson reports. (Hakai Magazine)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  250 AM PDT Tue Mar 21 2023   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft. W swell 3 ft at  7 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the morning. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt becoming E after midnight. Wind waves  1 ft. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds.

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