Speak Up! Speak Out!

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Dave, jim, Ginny

A half hour weekly radio show committed to community, peace, justice, and non-violence issues.

The show aires on Community Radio stations:
KSVR 91.7 FM (Skagit Valley College) Wednesdays 5:00 PM PT, rebroadcast Sundays 8:00 PM PT
KSVU 90.1 FM, Hamilton, Sundays 8:00 PM and Thursdays 8:00 AM PT
KMRE 102.3 FM, Bellingham, Sundays 11:00 AM and Wednesdays 7:30 AM PT
KAOS 89.3 FM, Olympia, Thursdays 5:30 PM PT

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Contact us or subscribe to our news letter: susoenews@gmail.com

Sen. Kevin Ranker - Southern Resident Orcas Face Extinction if We Don't Act - September 12, 2018

Our beloved Southern Resident Orca population, which frequents the Salish Sea, is at an all-time low of 75 whales with no successful births since 2015. Sen. Kevin Ranker has loved the orcas since his childhood and been a fierce and passionate advocate for them for over 2 decades, first as Executive Director of Friends of the San Juans, and currently as WA State Senator from the 40th LD since 2008.

In this interview with Ginny Wolff, Sen. Ranker reviews the stressors that are threatening the whales with extinction. As a member of the Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) Task Force convened by Gov. Inslee in March, 2018, he is finally hopeful that bold measures to address these stressors may actually happen because "a nation woke up" to the crisis while watching a mother orca mourn her dead calf by holding it above water for 17 days. In some detail he discusses both immediate and longer term measures he feels hopeful the Task Force will recommend. The public can help both by writing to the Task Force, but more importantly, by holding their legislators' and the Governor's "feet to the fire" during the coming legislative session starting Jan. 2019 to make sure the recommendations actually become law, and enforcement is fully funded. He says this is our last chance to save these magnificent creatures from extinction.

To send a comment to the SRKW Task Force visit: http://surveymonkey.com/r/srkwtfpubliccomment

Sen. Kevin Ranker's email address: Kevin.Ranker@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Ranker's office phone number: (360) 786-7678

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Eric de Place on Expansion Plans for the Trans Mountain and Puget Sound Pipelines - August 29, 2018

Eric de Place, Programs Director for Sightline Institute, continues his research on the "Thin Green Line" along the coast of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia, where the fossil fuel industry wants access to facilities and ports that would refine and/or ship their products to domestic, and potentially foreign, markets. In this interview, Ginny Wolff talks with Eric de Place about plans to expand the Trans Mountain Pipeline, formerly called the Kinder Morgan Pipeline before the Canadian Government bought it from the Texas-based oil company. The Trans Mountain Pipeline connects the tarsands oil fields in northern Alberta to the Pacific Coast port at Burnaby in B.C. Expansion of this pipeline would hugely increase tanker traffic through the Salish Sea, increasing the risk of an oil spill that could be the death knell for the Salish Sea and southern resident orcas. This interview focuses special attention on the little known spur that leaves the Trans Mountain Pipeline at Abbotsford and heads south to feed the refineries in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. Plans are to approximately double the capacity of this spur, known as the Puget Sound Pipeline, which already feeds oil sands from Alberta to our refineries in WA State. Eric de Place fields questions about the impacts of this proposal in Washington, and some of the many questions that arise from a project that has no precedent: i.e. foreign ownership of a pipeline on U.S. soil.

Breaking News the day after this show aired:

Announced Aug. 30, a Canadian federal court of appeals panel has quashed the government's approval of the pipeline, citing the failure of Prime Minister Trudeau's Cabinet to consider environmental factors and consult with the First Nations.
Eric de Place wrote, "This decision will almost certainly go to the Canadian Supreme Court. [This is a] meaningful setback and delay for the project, but it's still alive and a serious threat."

More info about the Magnuson Amendment: https://www.sightline.org/2016/04/27/what-is-the-magnuson-amendment/

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Climate Action I-1631 in WA State and the Quinault Indian Nation Cultural Center and Museum - August 1, 2018

Join host jim justice as she visits the Quinault Indian Nation. In part 1 of this show she speaks with Tribal Council member, Gina James, about the tribal initiative working with NW tribes and other groups to put I-1631 on the November 2018 ballot. The initiative's goal is to protect the health of communities, invest in clean energy creating many jobs in the state while cutting pollution. Gina then talks about other challenges and successes the Quinaults have had and progress they are making including a bit of an historical account. Part 2: Lani Chubby, Director of the Quinault Cultural Center and Museum, talks about the museum she has set up in the village. She was able to repatriate many items that had been taken by, or lent to, museums around the country. The museum is worth the trip to Taholah.

http://www.quinaultindiannation.com/
https://yeson1631.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinault_Cultural_Center_and_Museum

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Dual Threat: Climate Change and Cascadia Subduction Zone event - July 25, 2018

Join host jim justice on location on the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) to talk with their Senior Planner Kelsey Moldenke about his task to move the village of Taholah from the mouth of the Quinault River (located at about 17 feet elevation) to higher ground given threats of climate change and a Cascadia Subduction Zone event. Taholah is located on the Pacific Ocean of Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula. Kelsey and others of the QIN have been proactively looking into funding and logistics to move the village to higher ground since 2014. So far no group (governmental or otherwise) seems to be taking the tribe's concerns seriously. The Cascadia Fault has a 300-500 year cycle. We are at about year 320 now.

Find out details of the Master Plan and more at http://quinaultindiannation.com/planning/masterplan.html.

More information on the Quinault Indian Nation at http://www.quinaultindiannation.com/

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Home Rule Skagit seeks a Charter Government for Skagit County - July 11, 2018

Home Rule Skagit is a group of local residents promoting a change in the structure of our county government in Skagit County. Margery Hite and Gary Wickman join Ginny Wolff to discuss what a "charter" or "home rule" government is, and describe how it might differ from the three-commissioner system we have now. They identify problems with the current structure which could be handled differently with a County Charter, and address some common concerns about making such a change. They explain the process needed to bring the issue to a vote, and what would happen next should voters approve it.

Home Rule Skagit members are currently gathering signatures for a petition to put the issue on the ballot this November. The deadline for signatures for that petition is August 3.

More info: http://www.HomeRuleSkagit.org
email: info@HomeRuleSkagit.org

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Contact us or subscribe to our news letter: susoenews@gmail.com