10/16 Orcas are back, whale songs, Vancouver wastewater strike, Skagit drought, carbon social cost, WA voters guide, megafires

 J-38, Cookie, breaches the water with L-110, Midnight, nearby.
[Photo: Rachel Haight, Orca Network]

Shhh! The orcas are back in Puget Sound
At least 20 endangered orcas delighted Seattle-area whale watchers Thursday with their first visit of the fall to central Puget Sound...Beyond sparking joy in onlookers, the orcas’ return triggered a three-month-long voluntary slowdown for big ships motoring through Puget Sound...The slowdown area includes a 25-mile long stretch of Puget Sound from Edmonds to Admiralty Inlet near Port Townsend. Canada’s Port of Vancouver has been asking commercial vessels to reduce their speeds in some nearby areas since 2017, with seasonal voluntary slowdown zones at the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and in Haro Strait, west of the San Juan Islands. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

It’s a new season of whale song on B.C.'s West Coast
Autumn is the season of whale song on the Pacific Northwest Coast, says longtime researcher Janie Wray. Male humpbacks off the B.C. coast are beginning to get vocal practising and modifying a supernatural and intricate song that is transmitted and almost simultaneously adopted among themselves before and during their winter migration to warmer climes. (Vancouver Sun)

Hundreds of Metro Vancouver workers on strike at wastewater plants
Around 670 workers who operate Metro Vancouver's five waste water treatment plants stopped work Monday morning and are picketing as they seek a new collective agreement from their employer. (CBC)

Drought in Skagit County: Rains return in time for salmon; environment still seeing impact
Climate change will impact drought in Skagit County in two major ways. State Deputy Climatologist Karin Bumbaco said warmer winter temperatures will reduce the amount of water stored in snowpack that is usually released in spring, and less summer precipitation will mean there is less water in streams for fish and people. Rachel Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

The Supreme Court rejected a Republican challenge to Biden’s climate math
The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the “social cost of carbon,” one of the most important calculations in U.S. climate policy, on Tuesday. The controversial metric attempts to quantify the hidden price of emitting carbon dioxide, from flood damage to health effects. The court’s surprise decision sets the stage for the Biden administration to broaden the metric’s use across federal agencies when formulating climate-related regulations. Kate Yoder reports. (Grist)

Washington State Voter Guide 2023
It won't tell you who to vote for but it will tell you everything else you need to know to be an informed voter in Bellingham, King County, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Yakima. (Crosscut)

How Megafires Are Remaking the World
Fire is a natural phenomenon; some species actually benefit from its effects and even those that don’t can be remarkably resilient in the face of flames. But as fires intensify, they are beginning to outstrip nature’s ability to bounce back. “Not all fires have the same impact,” said Morgan Tingley, an ecologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “These megafires are not good for ecosystems.” Emily Anthes reports. (NY Times)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  746 AM PDT Mon Oct 16 2023   SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SW 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. SE swell 8 ft at 13 seconds.  Rain in the morning then showers and a chance of tstms in the  afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less after  midnight. SW swell 6 ft at 13 seconds. Showers and a chance of  tstms in the evening then showers likely after midnight.

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