News Diget for November 1, 2007

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

WORD OF THE DAY

Warison • \WAIR-uh-sun\ • noun – a bugle call to attack

The warison for the garrison was sounding mighty weak
The guards were playing poker, the soldiers fast asleep
The enemy was fast, but did not notice what was cast
The ground around the castle was coated with (gosh, I can’t finish this thing in time)

WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944

Washington State Department of Ecology asks no fires please; air stagnant (The Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1021252~Ecology_Dept__asks_no_fires_please__air_stagnant.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

Shorter days make for better viewing of the heavens (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2003985343_nwwstarwatch01.html?syndication=rss

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Enron reaches $500,000 settlement with Port of Seattle (Platts News Service)
http://www.platts.com/HOME/News/6550567.xml?sub=HOME&p=HOME/News&

News Release – Lightning Strike to Wisconsin Public Service's 321-megawatt Weston 3 Power Plant Will Cause the Unit to be Off-line Until Late 2007 or Early 2008 (WPS)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=77010

News Release – The New Grid Is Not Just Smarter; More Like Truly Gifted With Utility, Environmental, and Consumer Benefit (GridPoint)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=76961

How Transmission Operators are Helping Renewable Energy, Especially Wind (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1593

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Fish to survive dam plan, agency says – The agency in charge of restoring Northwest salmon concluded Wednesday that the latest court-ordered plan for running federal dams in the Columbia and Snake River basins is not likely to jeopardize the survival of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003986866_salmon01m.html

U.S. proposal provides billion extra to save fish – The plan would rule out breaching dams on the Columbia or Snake rivers (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1193885735180450.xml&coll=7

Biologists for Agency Endorse Dams Plan – Federal fisheries officials in Seattle on Wednesday endorsed, with minor modifications, a plan for the government’s continued operation of the hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/us/01salmon.html?ei=5088&en=10bd1f091d2a14ed&ex=1351569600&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1193933417-Ain8Uo1JE9aO5Nr2o2aOgw

New plan sets up court fight over salmon – Feds still say fish runs can be restored without breaching dams (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/198757.html

Dam Removal in Dispute in Columbia-Snake Salmon Plan (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3327

News Release – New Approach, New Science Holds Promise for Northwest Salmon Recovery. (NW River Partners, links to PDF file)
http://www.nwriverpartners.org/documents/draftBiOprelease10-31-07.pdf

Q & A – Questions & Answers: NOAA-Fisheries Draft Biological Opinion (NW River Partners, links to PDF file)
http://www.nwriverpartners.org/

Steelhead season on the Wenatchee – 'A lot of people having a lot of fun' Steelhead season on the Wenatchee (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/NEWS04/710310066/1001/rss1001

Do your duty: catch a steelhead (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071101/SPORTS/711010069/-1/RSS01

Anglers continue to catch good counts of Coho on rivers –Rivers continue to be the focal point of angler attention this week, and with good reason. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/258999.html

Scientists to Create Fish Vaccine Pellet (Idaho State Journal, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1012309~Scientists_to_Create_Fish_Vaccine_Pellet.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Maine – Whitefield Voters to Write the Next Chapter of Coopers Mills Dam Story (The Lincoln County News)
http://www.mainelincolncountynews.com/index.cfm?ID=28489

Dredging moves ahead as critics push back – The Army Corps of Engineers began dredging a Port of Olympia shipping channel this week. Within hours, five people had taken steps in hopes of stopping the work. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/259081.html

Idaho water users say governor's plan dry on details – Water users say Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter hasn't released enough details about his plan for water conservation projects in south-central Idaho for them to know if they have any chance to succeed. (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/258567.html

Georgia Drought – Environmentalists: Officials skimped on water conservation measures. Environmentalists say state and local officials haven't done enough to implement water conservation measures, exacerbating the impact of this year's historic drought. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/10/31/envirowater_1101_web.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Olympia Dispatch, Tri City Herald – Sutherland: Kittitas wind farm decision "political" – Asked this week about this summer's decision to preempt Kittitas County's rejection of the controversial Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project Washington Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland said it was an easy call.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/blogs/mulick/v-rss/story/9420242p-9332996c.html

Test buoy for wave energy sinks off Oregon coast – The first wave energy test buoy deployed off the Oregon Coast is now 150 feet below the ocean surface. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003987587_webbuoy01.html

British Columbia – Tidal generation cooperation agreement signed. A new cooperation agreement to install tidal turbine generators in Discovery Passage is being hailed as good news for jobs and the environment. (Victoria Times Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=eaee1dc6-2a83-43e3-8b78-146028ad65bc&k=63668

CONSERVATION

Consumers must make difference in changing our wasteful habits
http://www.vernonbroadcaster.com/articles/2007/10/31/opinion/03storyop.txt

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U.S. mayors meet in Seattle to push for a green revolution – City has met a big goal, but more action is needed (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/337597_climate01.html?source=rss

Wildfires emitted large amounts of greenhouse gases – The fires that roared through Southern California last week spewed the same amount of greenhouse gases as what is produced in about one week from the state's burning of fossil fuels (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/01/BABMT42FJ.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

Wildfires turning northern forests into carbon-dioxide sources – A group of U.S. researchers have found that wildfires — fuelled by climate change — may be turning boreal forests into sources of carbon dioxide. (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/10/31/boreal-forests.html

Climate Change and the ‘Politics of Fear’ – The political and literary journal n+1 was the organizer of Tuesday night’s panel discussion on environmentalism. Is the environmental movement, like the war on terror, premised on a “politics of fear”? In other words, does it try to unify people by scaring them with threats to their basic survival? (NY Times)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/climate-change-and-the-politics-of-fear/index.html?ex=1351569600&en=4f14b348720a4b93&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

For scientist, possible effects of climate change undeniable (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/10/10312007_For-scientist-possible-effects-of-climate-change-undeniable.cfm

Are Colleges Only Green Skin Deep? The Sustainability Report Card 2008 examines colleges and universities dedication to sustainability, on campuses and in endowment portfolios. (Social Funds)
http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/2408.html

Hollywood Slowly Warms To Conservation – From “green carpets” at awards shows to organic fruit served to actors on sets, Hollywood is going all out to promote itself as being environmentally hip. But is it all just show? (The Chief Engineer)
http://www.chiefengineer.org/content/content_display.cfm/seqnumber_content/3174.htm

Climate action day Saturday (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/259042.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Massachusetts – State's broadband access incentive gets wary response – A pledge by state leaders to help finance broadband Internet access in remote parts of Massachusetts is being met with a healthy dose of skepticism from big telecommunications companies questioning the economics of the expansion. (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2007/10/29/story9.html?ana=from_rss

Wi-Lan Sues....Everybody – Claims the world violates their DSL patents (Reuters)
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2007-11-01T122017Z_01_N01399769_RTRUKOC_0_US-WILAN-LITIGATION.xml

The FCC's Rose-Colored Broadband Glasses – It's that time of year again.... (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/The-FCCs-RoseColored-Broadband-Glasses-89007

GENERAL NEWS

California D.A. to be asked to consider case of boy accused of starting fire “…Investigators initially considered a downed power line as the source of the Buckweed fire but never officially listed it as the cause…” (The Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1020584~D_A__to_be_asked_to_consider_case_of_boy_accused_of_starting_fire.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Weyerhaeuser Hurt by Housing Slump (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-weyerhaeuser-results.html?_r=1&ex=1351656000&en=d3e1c7be83a68305&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

SHELTON CLOCK TOWER TO GET CHIMES – The Shelton Clock Tower Committee has been reformed and is beginning a campaign to give the focal point in downtown a voice. The Committee plans on completing the clock tower by adding chimes. According to a news release, the Verdin clock factory can retrofit the tower's clock to "create the sound for Railroad Avenue." The cost of the retrofit is $9,000 and the Committee is selling another 300 personalized bricks to be added to the base of the tower. A brick can be purchased for $50. Brick order forms are available at the Shelton Civic Center, Lynch Creek Floral and Sage Book Store as well as on the City's website: www.ci.shelton.wa.us. Orders for the personalized bricks will be taken until March or until all bricks are sold. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Loonie High On Fed Cut – Soars on back of cut in U.S. interest rates. The Canadian dollar stormed through its August, 1957 peak of US$1.0614 yesterday to post a record high for the modern age (National Post)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=49f41ec2-4268-4733-9a92-a42edf9090d7&k=40479

$11M damage award for picketing funeral – Members of a fundamentalist Kansas church caused emotional distress to the father of a Maryland Marine killed in Iraq by picketing his funeral and must pay nearly $11 million in damages, a jury found Wednesday.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003986773_funeral01.html

DIVERSIONS

Colbert to file for S.C. Democratic primary (Somewhere, Pat Paulsen is smiling)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/31/colbert.sc/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

Australia – Lawn-watering spat leads to death. A 66-year-old man was bashed to death while watering his lawn in an argument over Sydney's water restrictions, police and media said Thursday.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/10/31/water.murder.ap/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

Cheney: Being Darth Vader not so bad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/cheney_darth_vader;_ylt=Aq31eK5Ob1gngJQUa56RRAXtiBIF

Australian laments ear wax eating video – Australia's opposition leader lamented his past behavior on Wednesday, as images of him picking his ear wax in Parliament reached a growing audience via the Internet. (It was really a ‘Bertie Botts’ every flavor bean)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071031/ap_on_fe_st/odd_australia_ear_wax;_ylt=Antou_qtZ8ZB4g7H6tLyhp_tiBIF

Iowa governor gives pumpkins a reprieve – Pumpkins have won a Halloween reprieve from the tax man.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/pumpkin_tax;_ylt=AvhETSJzpZQOryJJandVR5_tiBIF