More bad news for would-be US coal exporters

Demand for your dirty product keeps falling.

Shanghai to ban coal burning by 2017 (Think Progress)

Bad Supreme Court News...

...if you're a fan of planning and common sense environmental protection:

Private property advocates cheer Supreme Court ruling
By Michael Doyle | McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — A legal dispute that started with Florida wetlands ended Tuesday in a Supreme Court victory for conservatives and private property advocates nationwide.
     In a 5-4 decision that could impede government regulators at all levels, the court effectively made it harder for public agencies to demand property or money in exchange for issuing a land-use permit. At a certain point, the conservative majority reasoned, these demands amount to an unconstitutional taking of property without compensation.

The Election

Two items in the news are serving to reinforce two of my favorite themes.

1. You can trust parties more than personalities.
2. The worst polluters do it because it's the cheapest way to do business.

In the months leading up to the 2012 election for Washington Governor, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated about the near invisibility of Puget Sound as a campaign issue.

Washington Governor - Moderation vs. solutions on Puget Sound UPDATE1

You don't want to believe any Republican who claims to support cleanup and restoration of Puget Sound. It is by definition empty rhetoric.

The basic - extreme - positions held by the bulk of the party are fundamentally incompatible with the goal of a clean, healthy Puget Sound.

We can reduce what it means to being a Republican to two simplistic things:

People For Puget Sound: 1991-2012

Environmentalists around western Washington were shocked this week by the announcement of the end of People For Puget Sound. The 21 year old water quality activism group will close at the end of this month.

As a former employee of People For Puget Sound I heard this was coming, but I'm not here to try to make excuses for them or gloss over problems. People For Puget Sound's internal problems are like those faced by ANY nonprofit, business or public agency when they reach a certain age. The dynamics of a group of people trying to work together toward a broad, long term goal is not a reflection on the capabilities of the individuals -- all of whom are in some way outstanding in their areas of expertise.

June is Orca Awareness Month

Governor Gregoire has declared June 2012 the 7th annual Orca Awareness Month. If you haven't taken some personal action to lessen impact on Puget Sound and our Southern Resident orca whales, why not start now.

Ignoring stormwater science

Does anyone doubt that stormwater pollutes Western Washington's water cycle? At its simplest, civilization drops stuff on the ground, and gravity washes it downhill into Puget Sound.

Pretty easy. Yet now comes Democratic State Rep. Larry Springer of Kirkland. His HB2641 proposes making laboriously negotiated low-impact development rules voluntary.

Just the highlights

There are a number of items competing for the top of the environmental news -- some positive, some worrisome. Here they are, with pointers:

State of Washington puts Puget Sound on 'waters of concern' list. In a report to the EPA, the state Department of Ecology cites the threat of ocean acidification to sea life. Oceans naturally absorb CO2, but mankind's CO2 output has the oceans working overtime. Too much CO2 lowers ocean pH, interfering with the food chain by altering the development of key species.

Press release from the Center For Biological Diversity

Property wrongs. On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court

One word: Microplastics

More evidence for people still not convinced that our plastics get into the oceans:

American researchers study microplastic debris in Clayoquot
By Yasmin Aboelsaud, Special to the Westerly News September 22, 2011

University of Washington Tacoma researchers collecting microplastic debris in Clayoqout Sound found more polystyrene in the surface of the water compared to areas in Puget Sound, Washington.
...

Think before spraying

Even in environmentally-conscious Seattle, there are still chances to witness bonehead moves. My turn came today while passing by this block near Carkeek Park:


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New NMFS contact policy on orcas compromises good science

The good news is that boaters will now be required to stay at least 200 yards distant from Puget Sound orca whales, under new rules issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

However, NMFS decided to not make the waters west of San Juan Island a no-go area in summer time, bowing to local objections including marine dependent businesses. In other words, not having a no-go was based on commerce, not science.

New oil spill bill looks stronger

Representatives Christine Rolfes and Zack Hudgins are the lead sponsors of HB1186, a bill now in the news that would improve preparations to respond to oil spills in Puget Sound.  The roundup:

• Morning News Tribune, Jan. 12
• Joel Connelly, Seattle P-I Jan. 12
• AP video- Presidential panel's report "rekindles push for reform," Jan. 11

If enacted, HB1186 would

Warm water species shows up in Puget Sound

The Seattle Times is reporting sightings of bottlenose, Flipper-style dolphins in Puget Sound:

The wayward bottlenose dolphin seen recently in Puget Sound is the region's fourth tropical marine visitor in a year.

Another bottlenose dolphin and two Bryde's whales, all native to warmer climes, appeared in Washington's inland waters last year, said John Calambokidis, of Cascadia Research. The three animals perished in Puget Sound.

Source

Whales not gonna take it

The most concerning and grimmest Puget Sound environmental news of the past week has got to be the maiming, followed by death, of a sei (or Bryde's) whale in the south Sound.

:: Complete Cascadia Research coverage

Not only were the injuries severe, the 34 foot long animal suffered a lingering death.

While mainstream media coverage began Dec. 1, Cascadia reports the earliest sighting may have been as far back as Nov. 13. That would mean 3 weeks leading up to the Dec. 4 death.

Malevolent energy cloud-beings praise Puget Sound cleanup report

"Glass half-full. Of poison"

A new state report on the health of Puget Sound is eliciting praise from a local environmental advocacy group.

"Decline of Puget Sound good for Zan-Tor and other malevolent energy cloud-beings," said Zan-Tor, spokesbeing for the Seattle Environment, Water & Effluent Resources Coalition (SEWER Coalition).

"Salish Sea" beats "Twitter" as Name of the Year

From the Kitsap (WA) Sun:

The name "Salish Sea" has been chosen over "Twitter" as the American Name Society’s "Name of the Year." The Salish Sea is defined as the inland waterway in Washington and British Columbia that includes Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia.

"I think it is significant because it is a brand new name," said Cleveland Evans, who conducted the competition for the American Name Society, an academic organization. "It fits ecological interests, being invented by a biologist. And it has a Native American connection, chosen from a name for a broad ethnic group..."

Read the rest

Puget Sound tribes work to cleanup derelict fishing gear

Derelict fishing gear refers to lost and abandoned nets and traps that create hazards for marine-dependent life. The effort involves local conservation groups and Native American tribes, and is now getting federal stimulus funds. William Yardley's article is in today's New York Times.

Clean Water Restoration Act goes to full Senate

On a 12-7 vote, the Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday approved a version of the Clean Water Restoration Act, S. 787. If it becomes law, one of the more useful changes is the clarification of the federal government's regulatory jurisdiction, by replacing the term "navigable waters" with "waters of the United States." So-called 'property rights' activists have questioned the old language in order to attack protections for wetlands and small bodies of water.

In news relating to the non-wet part of the biosphere, the House Appropriations Committee approved an EPA funding bill that bars spending, from any legislation, that would make factory farms report greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Clean Air Act. Even though the rule would only apply to the biggest livestock operations, agri groups fear it could lead to EPA regulations or fees on methane from animals. Even though EPA says it has no plans to go that far.

Sighting: Orca "J2" is nearly a century old

Read this most interesting post at the Seattle P-I.

Sighting: Orca "J2" is nearly a century old

Read this most interesting post at the Seattle P-I.

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