Letters to the editor for April 5

Don’t miss our biofuel opportunity

We have a good opportunity for a job-producing, environment-saving biofuel processing plant in Western Washington. I started the biofuel program at Boeing and our Alaska Airline team flew a 737 on biofuel that was made from waste wood chips. As I talked about in my (failed) run for the House, there is an ideal opportunity to commercialize this process here. Recent technology advances are lowering the price and it can be used for jets and automobiles. The process also creates earth-friendly byproducts such as biodegradable plastics.

Four European airports and at least six airlines are currently using biojet fuel. That’s over 250 million gallons per year (MGPY). Neste oil (Finland) announced their biojet fuel production will increase to 329 MGPY by 2022. SeaTac airport pledged that 10 percent of its fuel should be sustainable and recently allocated $5 million to find a local biofuel source. A huge endeavor, called the Northwest Alternative Renewable Alliance, earlier spent $40 million proving the viability of waste wood chips to biofuel.

A current bill in the legislature (HB1110 reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels) will help support this technology by reducing investor risk through creation of a stable market. Passage of the bill would provide the grounding needed for a clean energy business here. The bill passed the House and is now in the Senate. Sen. Tim Sheldon (35th Legislative District) did not endorse the bill in committee. Please call him immediately to support this hugely important bill for our district’s economic and environmental sake.

Save the orcas, take out the sea lions

Lots of print/talk about the lack of king salmon in Puget Sound. NOAA/Fish and Game/decision makers need to put the blame for lack of king salmon where it belongs: pinniped harbor seals and sea lions.

In published scientific reports (Seattle Times, Feb. 16, 2019) salmon consumption by pinnipeds has increased from 3.5 million to 27.4 million and this will continue to rise exponentially without population control. It is time to deal directly with the problem. We need a bounty back on seals and sea lions and to be creative regarding the “laws” on how the meat and hides can be used. Perhaps somehow provide this food to the orcas that are starving -- corral the pinnipeds and let the orcas in!

I believe management is avoiding the real problem. The laws are strict and dealing with innovative change is difficult at best because of public strife. Unpopular choices need to be made, maintaining the current situation will drive and starve the orca out! Reduce the seal/sea lion population to pre-1960 numbers.

Yes, climate, human activities and water quality do affect the salmon population but the managers have the skills and tools to right size the seal/sea lion populations to give the orca a better chance for survival. Calling all fisher men and women, the reduced number of King salmon you are not going to catch will not feed the orcas. Sheer population numbers predict the seals/sea lions will get your unclaimed king salmon anyway.

This story was originally published April 3, 2019 at 5:17 PM.