12/7 Orca calf, giant tree, Vic sewer, Rhapsody, JeffCo water, steelhead, naming places, Arctic climate

L-123 born to L-103 (PHOTO: Mark Malleson)

Orca baby boom: 7th calf born to endangered southern resident population
The Center for Whale Research says yet another orca calf has been spotted swimming with the southern resident killer whale population.  This is the seventh new calf born to the endangered population of cetaceans in the last 12 months. The young orca was photographed in November, but due to poor visibility and unfavourable sea conditions, it took several weeks to confirm that there was indeed a new calf in L pod.  It has been designated L-123 and is believed to be the first offspring of 12-year-old orca L-103. (CBC)

New blog: Guns Are Not Outlawed; Outlaws Have Guns
“It’s been an awful couple of weeks of shootings, people killing and wounding lots of other people. Guns, long guns, rifles, assault weapons, and thoughts and prayers have been top of mind and top of the news. Two news items amidst the guns, long guns, rifles, assault weapons and thoughts and prayers I’ve been chewing on this past week....”

'Tolkien Giant' tree at root of B.C. climate change appeal
Conservationists who want the government to take action on climate change by protecting B.C.'s old-growth forests say they've measured a near-record-sized red cedar in Vancouver Island's central Walbran Valley. The Ancient Forest Alliance said the tree that it calls the Tolkien Giant is the ninth-widest western red cedar in the province, according to a list compiled by the University of B.C.'s forestry faculty. It said the tree has a circumference of 14.4 metres, or 47 feet, stands 42 metres high and lies within a protected reserve. (Canadian Press)

High cost will force limited sewage solution, mayors say
Prohibitive costs for multiple sewage-treatment plants in the capital region will force a single-plant solution, even if that might not be appropriate, mayors say. The Capital Regional District is about to go to the public for feedback on five options for sewage treatment: a secondary treatment plant at Victoria’s Rock Bay, a tertiary treatment plant at Rock Bay, or two, four, or seven plants around the region. Preliminary cost estimates run between $1 billion and $1.3 billion, according to a report before Capital Regional District directors. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

Orca Lost: Remembering Rhapsody
A year ago today (12/4), off the shores of British Columbia, a pregnant orca whale washed up dead. We don't know exactly what killed her, but we do know that Rhapsody was starving….. Rhapsody was born in 1996 to J20 (aka Ewok), one of the few females of J Pod. Ewok died two years later, leaving Rhapsody in the care of her extended family. Her family banded together to raise her, as orcas often do, and she was frequently seen in the company of her Uncle J18 (Everett), and Aunt J22 (Oreo). Regular observers of J Pod took note of Rhapsody's apparent glee at breaching the water, calling her "exuberant," "vivacious," "the embodiment of joy." Giulia C.S. Good Stefani blogs. (NRDC Switchboard)

Results of Jefferson County water quality study to be detailed at meetings starting Thursday on Marrowstone Island
The results of a three-year water quality study are to be presented at two public meetings this month, with the first set for Thursday. “We hope people will come away with an understanding of the overall water quality in the northwest portion of the Quimper Peninsula,” said Michael Dawson, Jefferson County water quality manager…. The test area included Cape George, Port Townsend, Port Hadlock, Marrowstone Island and Oak Bay, with samples taken along 40 miles of shoreline and tested for E. coli bacteria. The project included sampling Port Townsend stormwater, comparing the water quality of Marrowstone Island and Indian Island, and discovering a major source of pollution in Irondale. Dawson said Irondale Creek was the most polluted area tested, attributable to a number of failed or failing septic systems in its proximity. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Skagit River steelhead at crossroads
The future of Skagit River steelhead is at a crossroads. In the year since the Marblemount Fish Hatchery’s steelhead program was shut down because of a lawsuit, the state Department of Fish & Wildlife has been weighing options for steelhead management. The agency is considering two options: designating the Skagit River as a wild steelhead gene bank or re-establishing a hatchery program using wild fish. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Did you just say ‘The’ Puget Sound?
Place names shape what Reuben Rose-Redwood — an associate professor of Geography at the University of Victoria in British Columbia — calls our “geographic imagination.” They are sometimes political, personal, aspirational — or just pure marketing. Knute Berger reports. (Crosscut)

ArcticNet in Vancouver discussing 'unsettling speed' of climate change
Top Arctic scientists will gather in Vancouver this week to discuss everything from caribou populations to the high cost of food — but underlying it all is the unsettling speed with which the northern climate is changing. Bob Weber reports. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 251 AM PST MON DEC 7 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM PST TUESDAY
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 18 FT AT 16 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 14 FT AT 15 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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12/4 Treaty rights & coal, carbon tax, BC pipe, Shell smell, Gorge Cr, mine justice

(PHOTO: Teddy Llovet/BirdNote)

Partial Migration — Killdeer Play Leap Frog
The cries of a Killdeer are familiar across most of the US during spring and summer. But where do they go in winter? Killdeer that breed in the southern half of the US and along the Pacific Coast are year-round residents. But those that breed in the northern US and Canada, where winter conditions are more severe, migrate south to Mexico and Central America. Because the northern Killdeer fly south — right over the region where other Killdeer reside year-round — they are known as leap-frog migrants. (BirdNote)

House vote stops coastal Indians from blocking port for Montana coal
Plans for a controversial port in Puget Sound for Montana coal will advance under a House rider preventing coastal Indians from stopping the project. House lawmakers lead by Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., voted to keep the permitting process going for the Gateway Pacific Terminal near Bellingham, Wash. The Lummi Nation, which has fishing waters next to Cherry Point, had asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to abandon its review of the port proposal. The Lummi argued that its treaty rights would be violated by the terminal. However, Montana’s Crow Tribe made a counter argument that its treaty rights to profit from coal mined on land in the southeastern part of the state were in danger if the port plans were killed. The Crow have coal to ship and a stake in the Gateway Pacific Terminal. Tom Lutey reports. (Billings Gazette) Sea also: Northwest tribes fear corporate interests trump treaty rights Grace Toohey reports. (McClatchy)

Carbon Tax Measure Will Make The Washington Ballot, Backers Say
A voter initiative that would put a tax on carbon emissions has gathered enough signatures to put it on the ballot in 2016. The measure would impose a tax of $25 for every ton of carbon emitted when fossil fuels are burned. Backers of the measure say that will increase some consumer prices, like what people pay for gasoline. The measure also calls for carbon tax’s revenue to be used to lower the state sales tax, effectively eliminate the B&O tax on manufacturers and to provide rebates to lower income households. Carbon Washington, the group behind the carbon tax, says it has gathered more than 330,000 signatures from Washington voters. If validated, the initiative will go to the state legislature in January. The legislature could adopt the initiative as is, or it will go to the voters in 2016. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Enbridge to decide next year on Northern Gateway pipeline
Enbridge's CEO says a decision on whether to build the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline across British Columbia may come in late 2016, though the company is not concerned with sticking to a certain timeline. Al Monaco also says a ban on tanker traffic along B.C.'s north coast, made official by the new Trudeau Liberal government last month, does not mean Enbridge is giving up — even though many critics have said the ban effectively kills the project. Lauren Krugel reports. (Canadian Press)

Shell to appeal penalty for odor incident
The Shell Puget Sound Refinery in Anacortes plans to appeal its $77,000 penalty for a Feb. 20 incident that reportedly sent toxins airborne, spokesman Cory Ertel said. The deadline for the appeal is Tuesday. Aaron Weinberg reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Leak unlikely to blame for Gorge Creek spill, engineer says
The flow of an unknown substance into Gorge Creek has tapered off, suggesting that it likely came from something being dumped into the system, rather than a leaky tank, says Esquimalt’s head of public works. Testing is underway but it is still not known what the substance is, other than some sort of petrochemical, said Jeff Miller, Esquimalt’s director of engineering and public works. Esquimalt workers noticed the spill, near the foot of Sioux Place and Kinsmen Gorge Park, on Monday morning. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Former Coal CEO Blankenship Found Guilty Of Conspiracy In Mine Disaster Case
More than two weeks after they received the case, the jury in the trial of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has delivered a mixed verdict in the case, finding Blankenship guilty of “conspiring to violate federal mine safety standards, a misdemeanor charge that carries up to a year of jail time,” as West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports.Blankenship was acquitted of two counts of making false statements, meaning he’ll now face far less than the potential 30-year prison term prosecutors sought over the 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine, which killed 29 miners. Bill Chappell reports. (NPR)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 209 AM PST FRI DEC 4 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
 SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO SW 13 FT AT 11 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SE 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 16 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SUN
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 13 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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12/3 Boating with orcas, June Burn, seabird poop, rising waters, BNSF crossing, media merge, climate

(Photo: Candice Emmons/NOAA)

Want To Help Endangered Orcas? Slow Down Your Boat
Boat speed is a big problem for Puget Sound’s endangered killer whales, according to new research published Wednesday.  The number of whale-watching vessels in Washington and British Columbia has more than quadrupled since the 1980s. At times, killer whales, or orcas, will be tailed by more than 20 boats when they enter Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. “Of all the characteristics that we examined, vessel speed was the most important factor for how loud it was for the whales,” said Juliana Houghton, lead author of the paper, which was just published in the journal PLOS One. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

The High Life
June and Farrar Burn were the last homesteaders in the San Juan Islands of Washington, settling in 1919 on Sentinel Island – a lovely, lonely dot of 15 acres. Their first chilly night on Sentinel’s peak, gazing over Puget Sound, they lay side by side on “our island. Our world,” as June later wrote. “We had pulled the ladder up and nobody would come… Farrar said, ‘We’re happy now. This is what it’s all about. This is what we were born for.’” Lorraine McConaghy reports. (Crosscut)

Seabirds Are Dumping Pollution-Laden Poop Back on Land
Chemicals we've poured into the ocean are coming back to sting us thanks to seabirds defecating in their onshore colonies. Joshua Rapp Learn reports. (Smithsonian.Com)

Facing Rising Waters, A Native Tribe Takes Its Plea To Paris Climate Talks
International leaders gathering in Paris to address global warming face increasing pressure to tackle the issue of "climate refugees." Some island nations are already looking to move their people to higher ground, even purchasing land elsewhere in preparation. In the U.S. Northwest, sea-level rise is forcing a Native American tribe to consider abandoning lands it has inhabited for thousands of years. The Quinault Indian Nation, whose small village lies at the mouth of the Quinault River on the outer coast of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, now relies on a 2,000-foot-long sea wall to protect it from the encroaching Pacific Ocean. Ashley Ahearn report. (NPR)

BNSF request to close road at crossing in Whatcom questioned
BNSF railroad wants to close a Custer-area road so it can move trains to a siding off the main track as needed, but residents and county officials are questioning the railroad’s explanation of why it’s needed. More than a dozen Whatcom County residents spoke out against the BNSF proposal to close Valley View Road at the crossing at a public hearing with state regulators from the Utilities and Transportation Commission Tuesday, Dec. 1. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

An Exciting New Chapter for Northwest Public Media
Crosscut and KCTS 9 Public Television have wed to bed "under the umbrella of a larger, multi-platform nonprofit organization that will be called Cascade Public Media." Greg Hanscom and Tamara Power-Drutis announce. (Crosscut)

New Puget Sound climate study: Older projections coming true, more changes ahead
Closer to home than the thousands of world leaders in Paris to discuss how to limit the scale of human-caused global warming, the consequences of climate change underway around Puget Sound have been detailed in an in-depth scientific study. The report, issued in November by the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group, found projections in a 2005 study on potential warming effects have come to pass, its authors said. The consequences threaten cornerstones of South Sound life from worsening floods and droughts to diminishing salmon stocks and snowpacks. Derrick Nunnally reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

B.C. fishing guide, client fined for stabbing a swimming deer off B.C.'s coast
A B.C. fishing guide and his client have been fined thousands of dollars for stabbing a swimming deer in the neck with a hook and trying to bring the animal onto their boat last spring. Andreas Handl of Kingfish Westcoast Adventures and Portuguese client Rodolfo Martins Lopes have both been convicted of harassing wildlife for the incident in Douglas Channel near Kitimat, according to the Conservation Officer Service. Handl was also convicted for illegally hunting big game. Bethany Lindsay reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 252 AM PST THU DEC 3 2015
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 30 TO 40 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 12 TO 13 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 16 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 25 TO 35 KT WITH A FEW GUSTS TO NEAR 50 KT... BECOMING SW 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 14 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 10 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 16 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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12/2 China smog, climate talks, coal poll, Christof Mauch, Mt Polley, Vic sewer, Navy pier, sex & climate

Beijing smog (Business Week)

China smog: 'Sky dark from air pollution'
Schools and factories have been shut as large sections of northeast China are covered by hazardous smog. 12/1/15 (BBC)

Paris Climate Talks Face A Familiar Hurdle — American Politics
President Obama struck an optimistic tone Tuesday on the second day of the Paris climate talks. But he also touched on the domestic political difficulty in a country still heavily reliant on coal — and when it comes to dealing with Republicans on the issue. Domenico Montanaro reports. (NPR) See also: Republicans in Washington, D.C., seek to undermine Obama’s climate initiatives in Paris  Republicans in Congress moved Tuesday to block and undermine President Obama’s moves to curb carbon emissions from power plants, just as Obama was pledging in Paris to make the United States a global leader in efforts to curb human-caused climate change. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Recent poll: Majority of Washington voters oppose coal-by-rail
Polling results released Oct. 9 from a September telephone survey of 1,200 Washington citizens found that “a strong and growing majority of voters in Washington oppose proposals to ship coal through Washington along rail lines for the purposes of export to Asia.” The survey was conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz and Associates (FM3), of Los Angeles/Oakland, to assess Washington voters’ opinions on the shipping and exporting of coal through the state. (Hood River News)

Viewing Seattle through environmental historian’s lens
Seattle has a “pioneering spirit,” says Christof Mauch, one of the world’s distinguished scholars of environmental history. He will speak at a free public lecture on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the University of Washington. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Mayor calls Mount Polley permit early Christmas present for Cariboo miners
The British Columbia government has approved a permit allowing water discharge from a mine that was the centre of an environmental disaster, and the decision has drawn cheers from the area's mayor. Williams Lake mayor Walt Cobb said the permit approved Monday for central B.C.'s Mount Polley mine means more than 200 people currently working at the mine site can keep working, and up to 170 people could be called back to the site. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Explainer: capital sewage treatment; secondary vs. tertiary and more
Why is the Capital Regional District building a sewage treatment plant? Greater Victoria only screens its sewage before dumping it into Juan de Fuca Strait. In 2006, the provincial government mandated sewage treatment. In 2012, the federal government passed a law requiring all high-risk Canadian cities — including Victoria — to provide secondary sewage treatment by 2020. The plan isn’t without critics: Many people argue that ocean currents naturally dilute the waste and that treatment isn’t necessary. Cam Purdy explains. (Times Colonist)

Navy issues draft environmental assessment of Ediz Hook pier proposal; public meeting slated for Jan. 12
The Navy has issued a draft environmental assessment for a proposed pier on Ediz Hook to moor vessels that escort submarines from Hood Canal to the Pacific Ocean. The assessment, a 224-page document, is available online. A printed copy can be reviewed at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St. The Navy will host a public meeting on the pier proposal from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 12 in the Elks Naval Lodge, 131 E. First St., where officials will present information, answer questions and accept written comments. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Pete McMartin: Is your sex life the answer to climate change?
Are eco-friendly sex toys the answer to climate change? Short answer: no. I had not, until recently, ever felt the need to consider the effect of sex toys on climate change. Others, apparently, have. There exists an established industry of environmentally-friendly sex products guaranteed to please not only you but Mother Earth. Pete McMartin investigates. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  231 AM PST WED DEC 2 2015  

TODAY  SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS...BECOMING W 9 FT  AT 18 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 10  FT AT 16 SECONDS. RAIN.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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12/1 Dolphins, chinook closure, Whale Scout, Salish Sea Studies, clean energy, Gorge spill

Short-beaked common dolphin (Vancouver Sun)

New species of dolphin to B.C. waters shows up alive for the first time
A species of dolphin has been discovered in B.C. waters for the first time — alive. Two small schools of short-beaked common dolphins have been confirmed about 75 kilometres off southwestern Vancouver Island. The only prior record of the species on the west coast of Canada has been three dead animals found over a period of more than 60 years. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Impact of catch-and-release on salmon causes early closure
Fisheries managers are concerned about the impact catch-and-release is having on endangered chinook salmon and have closed salmon fishing two months early in the central Puget Sound. (Associated Press)

Local nonprofit works to spot, and save, orcas
It’s that time of year — the whales are back. Starting in the fall, southern resident killer whales can be spotted in our neck of Puget Sound. Whale watching tours that let customers go out on a boat to see whales up close are popular, but there’s another option. Next time you’re on the beach, keep an eye for a Whale Scout. Whale Scout is a program started by Whitney Neugebauer of Bothell. Whale Scout volunteer naturalists go out to beaches on the Sound to educate people and help them spot whales. Naturalists send alerts to people on social media when they’re going out, and to those who have signed up for text notifications. Emily Hamann reports. (Woodinville Weekly)

Western Establishes New Salish Sea Studies Institute
Western Washington University’s Provost Council in November approved the establishment of the University’s new Salish Sea Studies Institute, an interdisciplinary center for collaboration, education, research and community involvement focused on the health of the Salish Sea and its environs – the body of water encompassing the Strait of Georgia, Puget Sound, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca…. The institute will be led initially by a leadership team of retired Western faculty member and “Father of the Salish Sea,” Bert Webber; Wayne Landis, director of Western‘s Institute for Environmental Toxicology and a professor of Environmental Science; and Brian Burton, Western’s associate vice president for Academic Affairs. (Western Today)

Bill Gates lays out vision for clean energy at Paris climate conference
In the kickoff to the historic summit, Bill Gates unveiled a new role as a global recruiter for billionaires willing to push clean-energy ideas out of the lab and into the marketplace. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Columbia Basin breaking records for returning fall chinook salmon
This year has seen the second largest count of salmon returning to the Columbia River in 80 years, which regulators attribute to efforts at restoring fish habitat George Plaven reports. (East Oregonian)

Esquimalt crews try to contain spill in Gorge
Esquimalt workers responded to what was described as a petrochemical spill Monday in the Gorge waterway, near the foot of Sioux Place and Kinsmen Gorge Park. The type and volume of the substance involved are not yet known. Workers noticed the spill at 9:30 a.m. Booms and absorbent tiles are being used to help contain the spill, and efforts are being made to find the source. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 310 AM PST TUE DEC 1 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

11/30 Vic sewer, climate summit, orcas, BNSF spill, BC LNG, karst, fishers, water trade, pay-to-read

Mr. Floatie is engaged (KCTS9)

Victoria's Royal Flush: Lack of Sewage Treatment Still Creating a Cross-Border Stink
After three decades of promises, Victoria, British Columbia, is still pumping raw sewage into shared waters and is nowhere near a treatment solution. In November, heavy rains hit Vancouver Island, and the beaches in and around Victoria, British Columbia, became health hazards. Storm water and sewage overflowed, which happens in Seattle, too. But in Victoria, it’s a more urgent situation because the metropolitan area of 340,000 citizens doesn’t treat its sewage. This is not the vision that people have of Victoria, the elegant and proper capital of British Columbia. “Most people, when they visit Victoria and they are told we don’t have sewage treatment, are shocked,” says Jim McIssac, who heads up the T Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation. Jenny Cunningham reports. (KCTS)

Bill Gates to commit billions for clean energy
Bill Gates will announce the creation of a multibillion-dollar clean-energy fund Monday at the opening of a Paris summit intended to forge a global accord to cut planet-warming emissions, according to people with knowledge of the plans. The fund, which one of the sources described as the largest such effort in history, is meant to pay for research and development of new clean-energy technologies. It will include contributions from other billionaires and philanthropies, and a commitment by the United States to double its budget for clean-energy research and development, according to the sources, who asked not to be identified. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times) See also: Gov. Inslee takes climate-change campaign to Paris conference  Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times) And: Olympia mayor headed to Paris for climate summit  (Olympian)

Vancouver's Climate March takes over downtown with thousands
British Columbians turned out in the thousands to walk in Vancouver's Global Climate March. The grassroots movement was led by various environmental groups and First Nations. (CBC) See also: Gregor Robertson talks climate change strategy with Justin Trudeau in Paris  (CBC)

Killer whale salmon catches all in the family, B.C. study finds
A single salmon may represent a mere morsel to a killer whale, but it is still worth sharing with the family, according to a federal Fisheries study of B.C.’s northern resident orcas. “We watched these animals take salmon, break them apart and then share them with one another,” said Brianna Wright, a federal fisheries technician with the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. “That increases your overall fitness because your DNA is shared with everyone and is being passed on. You’re helping your relatives to reproduce and survive.” Speaking at a weekend marine mammal symposium at the University of B.C., Wright noted that neither sex of the killer whales leaves the matriarchical line into which they are born. “It’s highly unusual,” she said. “They’re one of the most … stay-with-family groups of animals that exist.” Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Deal cuts BNSF’s potential hazardous spill fines by 90 percent
Burlington Northern Santa Fe would be fined $71,700 for failing to timely report several hazardous materials spills, including two in Everett, under a settlement reached with Utilities and Transportation Commission staff. Under the proposed deal, commissioners would suspend $40,000 of the penalty as long as the company commits no new violations of the statewide accident reporting rules in the next year. A final order accepting the agreement and imposing the penalty could be issued by the commission before the end of the year. The proposed penalty would be a fraction of the $700,000 in potential fines the company originally faced following an investigation of 14 spills which occurred between Nov. 1, 2014 and Feb. 24, 2015. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Malahat First Nation's new leadership mulls LNG plant
It is still unclear what a new Malahat First Nation chief and council will mean for a contentious floating liquefied natural gas plant proposed for its land on Saanich Inlet. A few weeks after electing Caroline Harry as chief, the First Nation isn’t saying much about any new direction or concern it has about the project that was undertaken in partnership with Steelhead LNG by the previous leadership. Malahat chief executive officer Lawrence Lewis said the new chief and council are being briefed. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist) See also: B.C. LNG sector opposes fast increase in carbon tax Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Inside a fragile landscape
A network of magnificent canyons of marble and limestone known as karst dot B.C.’s coastline — and advocates worry logging is putting them in danger. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

Endangered fisher to be reintroduced into Cascade Mountains
A weasel-like predator that disappeared from Washington state decades ago will soon be reintroduced to the Cascade Mountains. State and federal wildlife officials are preparing to re-establish fishers into Mount Rainier and North Cascades national parks and surrounding areas as part of an effort to restore the state-listed endangered animals to their previous range. The dark brown forest-dwelling mammals historically were found throughout much of the forested areas of the state. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Cantwell measure allows more irrigation in return for fish, land protections
Getting U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell’s bill through committee was definitely a milestone — but whether it marked progress forward toward a more rational and cooperative future or back toward a discredited past will get you an argument. Either way, S. 1694, the Yakima Basin Water Enhancement Project Phase III Act of 2015, sponsored by Cantwell and co-sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, has been passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, a significant step toward enactment. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Can we be persuaded to pay for online news?
Got any idea of how to make money from news in the online era? Well prepare for the media giants to beat a path to your door, as they struggle with plunging print advertising revenues and an audience that seems to think news should be free. Rory Cellan-Jones reports. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON NOV 30 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 15 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 14 SECONDS BUILDING TO SW 11 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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11/26 'Unsustainable' seafood ban, ship adrift, Microsoft carbon credits, BC-AK accord, enviro jargon

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Eye of the Heron
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "The Great Blue heron relies on stealth and lightning quick reactions to catch its dinner – along with amazing eyesight. Its eyesight is about three times more detailed than ours, and its binocular vision gives it very good depth perception. It also has a built in “zoom lens” – allowing the bird to switch instantaneously between telescopic and macro vision (probably as good or better than our fanciest modern camera lenses)…."

Buy-Low Foods removes all 'red-listed' seafood from shelves
Buy-Low Foods is no longer selling seafood classified as "red-listed" or unsustainable by SeaChoice, a national sustainable seafood program. That means types of farmed salmon, king crab, Atlantic cod, and other popular species are gone from the store. The grocery chain, which operates in B.C. and Alberta, is the first major grocer in North America to take this step, according to SeaChoice. (CBC)

Huge cargo ship drifting off Haida Gwaii out of danger
MV North Star under power again after an electrical issue caused both engines to shut down Tuesday. (CBC)

Microsoft buys carbon credits in forest near Rainier to offset pollution
…. Microsoft bought the carbon credits in this forest under California’s rigorously verified cap-and-trade program. Washington has no such program. The purchase was part of the company’s voluntary $20 million-a-year effort offsetting 100 percent of its carbon emissions worldwide across all operations, from employee air travel to energy use. The forest, near Ashford in the Nisqually watershed, will generate 37,000 carbon-offset credits, the equivalent of taking 6,000 cars off the road. And the total will get bigger as the trees do. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Stephen Hume: Clark needs to step up on environment
Wednesday’s agreement between Premier Christy Clark and Alaska Gov. Bill Walker promising protection for shared environments from new mining developments on trans-boundary salmon rivers won’t quell the grassroots opposition swelling in the Northern U.S. state. In fact, it might even make things more difficult for B.C.’s ambitious northwest development plans. Alaskan First Nations, fishing and environmental groups are already signalling a desire to trigger U.S. federal intervention through the International Joint Commission under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty. What happened to the Northern Gateway and Keystone XL pipelines — once promoted as a sure thing to carry Alberta’s oilsands crude to tidewater — might serve as a cautionary examples. (Vancouver Sun)

Is there a danger to environmental jargon?
The United Nations is promising a "universal climate change agreement" when leaders from almost 200 countries meet in Paris. But is the jargon used in environmental discussions actually putting people off the subject rather than enthusing them? Justin Parkinson reports. (BBC)

An Anglerfish Discovered, Thanks to an Oil Spill
Let it not be said that nothing good ever came from an oil spill, as this newly described species of anglerfish proves. Three specimens were apprehended at monitoring stations between 800-1300 m (2625 - 4265 feet) deep within a 250 kilometer (155 mi) radius of the Macondo wellhead, the Gulf oil tap that blew up on BP spectacularly in April 2010. You may know it better as "Deepwater Horizon". Jennifer Frazer reports. (Scientific American)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU NOV 26 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 16 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
FRI
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
FRI NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND BECOMING SE TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT BUILDING TO 9 FT.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told