February 2016 (volume 25, issue 2)

The Road to Paris and Where Does it Lead Now?

by Jill MacIntyre Witt As a climate change educator and community organizer, I have been following closely the developments of the yearly United Nations climate conferences known as COP (Conference of the Parties) summits over the years. I had been … Continue reading

Tell Congress to Stop Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

by Dianne Foster By now many of you may know about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, known as TPP. Our Congress voted to “fast track” this deal with only an up or down vote, no amendments or debate, which could occur in … Continue reading

Tell Congress to Stop Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

by Dianne Foster By now many of you may know about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, known as TPP. Our Congress voted to “fast track” this deal with only an up or down vote, no amendments or debate, which could occur in … Continue reading

Looking Back

by Joe Meche Taking time to reflect on a span of fourteen years has great potential to assess what you might or might not have not accomplished. This exercise has its positive side but can also point to things we’d … Continue reading

Beaks and Bills Index

This is a list of the monthly “Beaks and Bills” columns by Joe Meche. Titles in bold are stand-alone articles written by Joe Meche. Looking Back — February 2016 Cold Weather Birding — January 2016 Winter Is for Waterfowl — … Continue reading

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor (LTTE) must be received by the first of the month to be considered for publication in the following month’s edition. Letters should address a topic of interest to Whatcom Watch readers or relate to a previously published … Continue reading

More Salmon Habitat Protection Needed

by Lorraine Loomis We’ve seen some incredible salmon habitat restoration projects the past few years, but there’s a big difference between restoring habitat and protecting it. We must remember that restoration without protection does not lead us to recovery. The … Continue reading

Port of Bellingham Commission

Compiled by Andrew S. McBride Action Taken at December 1, 2015 Meeting Shall the commission: 157. Authorize the executive director to sign a renewed lease agreement with Gary W. Rogers and Vicki Ann Rogers, d/b/a Inside Passage Gifts? The gift … Continue reading

Bellingham City Council

Compiled by Boris Schleinkofer Action Taken at December 7, 2015 Meeting Shall the council: 230. Approve the collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME, Local 114F for 2015–2017? Wages will increase by two percent on 1/1/2015, three percent on 1/1/2016, two percent … Continue reading

Whatcom County Council

Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at December 8, 2015 Meeting Shall the council: 236. Increase by 0,000 the Port of Bellingham’s initial request for Economic Development Investment Board funds? The Port of Bellingham applied for a million grant … Continue reading

Small Farms: Diversify and Strengthen

by Jennifer Moon Editor’s Note: This is the second of two articles exploring Whatcom County’s agricultural past and present and current efforts to diversify and strengthen Whatcom County’s food system, from the farm to the factory to the consumer. For … Continue reading

Bellingham Energy Prize Aims to Save More

Whatcom County is a community rich in the resources needed to help each and every citizen save energy in their homes, at their places of work, and at school — just about anywhere energy is used. The Bellingham Energy Prize … Continue reading

Free Workshops on Installing Solar Panels

Sustainable Connections along with local business partners Ecotech Solar, Western Solar and Itek Energy announce a new community solar purchasing program titled “Solarize Whatcom.” The program encourages homeowners and businesses to install solar panels on their homes, businesses or multifamily … Continue reading

What Paris Means for Cascadia

by Kristin Eberhard and Alan Durning Broken Democracy Holds Us Back, but Climate Activism Pushes Us Forward Editor’s note: This article, which was published on Sightline.org on Dec. 28, 2015, is part of the series “Cashing In Our Carbon.” One-hundred-ninety-five … Continue reading

poetrywatch

Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor “When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — … Continue reading

State Voters Have Spoken: They Don’t Want Takings Legislation!

To celebrate the 24th year of publishing Whatcom Watch, we will be printing excerpts from 20 years ago. David M. Laws has been generous enough to volunteer to review the Whatcom Watch for 20 years ago to find suitable material … Continue reading

Mathilda (Mattie) Wheeler and the Bellingham Threshold Singers

by Kathryn Fentress Mattie Wheeler and her husband Andy located here 24 years ago to raise a family. She is currently finishing her thesis novel for a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts through the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. She … Continue reading

Port of Bellingham Might Export Wood Pellets

by Nicole Brown While international headlines declare that the Paris climate agreements “may signal end of fossil fuel era,” and former U.S. vice-president, Al Gore, joins business leaders in welcoming “a transformation of our global economy,” the Bellingham Business Journal … Continue reading