7/29 Summer squash, data centers, Monsanto settles, Whatcom 'glamping,' green crab, humpback freed, $240M to tribes, salmon habitat wildfires

 

Summer squash

Summer squash
Summer squash are squashes that are harvested when immature, while the rind is still tender and edible. Nearly all summer squashes are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, although not all Cucurbita pepo are considered summer squashes. The name "summer squash" refers to the short storage life of these squashes, unlike that of winter squashes.(Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Breaking the mold: Pacific Northwest women in combat sports

Data centers guzzle power, threatening WA’s clean energy push
Some Washington utility officials might face a daunting choice: violate a state green energy law limiting fossil fuel use or risk rolling blackouts. Artificial intelligence, which requires extraordinary computing power, is accelerating the need to build data centers across the world, and experts say the industry’s global energy consumption as of just two years ago could double by 2026. Data centers also are relied upon every day by businesses and people for internet searches, storing photos on the cloud and streaming videos. Lulu Ramadan and Sydney Brownstone report. (Seattle Times and Pro Public)

Monsanto agrees to settlement with Seattle over Duwamish River pollution
Ending an eight-year legal battle, chemical giant Monsanto has agreed to a $160-million settlement with Seattle for its part in polluting a river that runs through the heart of the city with toxins that posed a threat to humans, fish and wildlife, the city attorney's office said Thursday. (KNKX/Associated Press)

Needle moves on Whatcom Co. glamping resort as permits are filed for expansion
A luxury glamping resort proposed in Whatcom County is progressing despite almost two years of permitting delays and increasing concern from the project’s backers. The Oculis Lodge was branded as the “ultimate luxury lodging in the Cascade mountains,” to be built on a 2.16-acre parcel in Glacier, at the base of Mount Baker. Halfway through 2024, one of the domes is complete. On July 16, project founder Youri Benoiston submitted a Site Plan Review Application to Whatcom County to gain approval for the second phase of the project’s development — the construction of six additional domes on site. Rachel Showalter reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Claws for concern: The green crab epidemic threatening Washington clams
As Washington's coastal habitats face increasing pressure, scientists are intensifying their research into the European green crab, an invasive species wreaking havoc on local ecosystems. Their focus is on understanding how these crabs contribute to the decline in Manila clam harvests, shedding light on the broader implications for the region's marine environment. A newly published study has shed light on a crucial piece of the puzzle regarding Washington’s coastal ecosystem Diana Opong reports. (KUOW)

Entangled humpback whale near Texada Island gets help from fisheries staff
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says it has successfully untangled fishing gear on a humpback whale that was first spotted by a ferry passenger... The whale named Smoke was trailing more than 50 metres of line and gear, while still travelling quickly despite the entanglement, and it took several hours to locate and free the animal. (Canadian Press)

US promises $240 million to improve fish hatcheries, protect tribal rights in Pacific Northwest
The U.S. government will invest $240 million in salmon and steelhead hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest to boost declining fish populations and support the treaty-protected fishing rights of Native American tribes, officials announced Thursday. The departments of Commerce and the Interior said there will be an initial $54 million for hatchery maintenance and modernization made available to 27 tribes in the region, which includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. Rebecca Boone reports. (Associated Press/Washington Post)

B.C. salmon group offers recommendations for after wildfire devastates salmon habitat
The Pacific Salmon Foundation recently released a list of possible human actions to rehabilitate salmon habitat damaged by 2023’s destructive wildfire season in B.C. The playbook is a compilation of “best practices,” giving guidance on how to better integrate salmon after the devastation of wildfire, with approaches to improving their habitat and accelerating the recovery of salmon habitat devastated by forest fires. Alexandra Mehl reports. (Vancouver Sun)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  244 AM PDT Mon Jul 29 2024    
TODAY  SE wind around 5 kt, veering to SW this afternoon. Seas  around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at 9 seconds. Rain early this  morning, then a chance of rain late this morning and afternoon.  
TONIGHT  SW wind around 5 kt, backing to SE after midnight.  Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. Showers  likely, mainly in the evening.

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