12/13 Whitefish, new salmon habitat, fossil fuel transition, Arctic melt, Skagit gas spill, Tesla service, free-range cats

 Mountain whitefish

Mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni
The mountain whitefish is one of the most widely distributed salmonid fish of western North America. This species occurs throughout the western half of North America, as far north as the Mackenzie River (Canada) and the drainages of the Hudson Bay, in the Columbia River, upper Missouri River, upper Colorado River. Mountain whitefish are non-anadromous fish and spend the majority of their lives in freshwater ecosystems. Relatively little is known about the migration patterns of whitefish, but it is believed that they do migrate for spawning and because of temperature fluctuations. (Wikipedia)

New salmon habitat created by melting glaciers could be threatened by mining claims, study finds
Thousands of salmon on the West Coast of North America are finding their way into new streams left behind as glaciers retreat. But a new study suggests mining companies are too keen on the newly exposed mineral deposits beneath the shrinking glaciers — and few policies are in place to protect the emerging habitats. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Climate talks end on a first-ever call for the world to move away from fossil fuels
In the final weeks of the hottest year in recorded history, the international body responsible for limiting global warming and its disastrous effects called on countries to transition away from the chief cause of climate change – fossil fuels – for the first time...Amidst the congratulations and speeches, some countries expressed their outrage at not being allowed to comment on a final text they felt did not go far enough to address the threats from global warming, especially to developing nations. Nathan Rott, Rebecca Hersher, Jeff Brady reports. (NPR)

Arctic "report card" points to rapid and dramatic impacts of climate change
This past summer in the Arctic was the warmest since 1900, contributing to disasters across the wider region, including flooding in Juneau, Alaska and a record wildfire season in Canada. Those are some key takeaways from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card, released Tuesday. The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average as a result of human-caused climate change, driven primarily by burning fossil fuels. Barbara Moran reports. (WBUR/KNKX)

With pipeline growth booming, the US agency in charge of safety struggles to keep up
The pipeline industry added thousands of miles of natural gas, crude oil and carbon dioxide pipelines to the national network in recent years. But the federal regulatory agency responsible for ensuring that vast system’s safety failed to grow at the same pace. Pipeline miles expand every year, and are expected to see even faster growth in the near future thanks to major federal laws. Jacob Fischler reports. (Washington State Standard)

Gasoline spill cleanup continues, Highway 534 partially reopens
Cleanup continues for the about 25,000 gallons of gasoline spilled near Conway this weekend. The failure of a small piece of tubing connected to the Olympic Pipeline caused gasoline to leak into Hill Ditch and Bulson Creek, and sending it at least 2.25 miles downstream. The affected stretches of pipeline are still shut down. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Tesla to build biggest North America service centre in Vancouver
Tesla's plan is for a 120,000-sq.-ft. flagship centre for vehicle servicing, new vehicle preparation, delivery operations, and a showroom. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)  Tesla recalls 2 million cars with ‘insufficient’ Autopilot safety controls The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tesla will send out a software update to fix the problems. Leo Sands, Aaron Gregg and Faiz Siddiqui report. (Washington Post)

The murderous creature you live with is a murderous creature, study confirms
Scientists reviewed more than 100 years' worth of scientific studies to gain a better understanding of which animals free-ranging cats will prey upon or scavenge. The resulting paper, published in Nature Communications, found that free-ranging cats (including domestic and feral) will eat 2,084 different species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Manuela López Restrepo reports. (NPR)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  244 AM PST Wed Dec 13 2023    
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell  2 ft at 10 seconds building to W 5 ft at 12 seconds in the  afternoon. A chance of rain in the afternoon.  
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  7 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.

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