Let’s talk about tankers

We see a lot of tanker vessels on the Columbia. Where do they come from and what are they carrying? We’ll talk about tankers and what makes them different from other cargo vessels.

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Tonight’s super blue moon is a rarity

Tonight the moon will be full, close to the earth, and the second full moon in a single month. That makes it a super blue moon. We’ll talk more about this moon and how rare it is, and why it will cause higher than normal tides.

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A look at a proposal for floating offshore windfarms in Oregon, and a new floating wind farm in Norway

This month, a new floating windfarm in the North Sea off Norway was offcially dedicated, after having been in successful production in the North Sea since the fall of 2022. We’ll also take a look at proposed floating wind farms off the Oregon coast.

There is a 60-day comment period underway for the Oregon project. Here’s a link to the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management page about Oregon projects. There’s info on this page and a link to file a comment about the project:

https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/Oregon

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Solo kayaker logs almost 7,000 miles in round trip journey

Today we’ll talk about the amazing solo kayaking journey of 65-year old Canadian Mark Ervin Furhmann, who just completed a 268-day voyage alone. He departed last year from Nova Scotia, paddled north to the St Lawrence River, made his way to the Great Lakes and down the MIssissippi and adjoining rivers until he arrived in the Gulf of Mexico. From there he journeyed to Florida and up the East Coast back to Nova Scotia. He made the trip to raise funds for two charities, and to spread a message of goodwill and societal  healing.

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Fukushima nuclear plant begins 30-year plan of water releases into the ocean off Japan

The headlines are stress-inducing – based on what we know about Fukushima – the site of the destroyed nuclear plant after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that created a disaster in that country.

In the 12 years since, radioactive water has been building up around the plant, used to keep the damaged reactor cool. Now the company that owns it has a plan to release 1.3 million metric tons of that water into the ocean over the next 30 years. (Note: A metric ton, also written as tonne, is equal to about 2200 lbs, a bit larger than a US ton which is 2,000 lbs.)

The company says the water’s been filtered to remove the worst contaminants. Critics are skeptical.

We’ll take a look at what this means and the reaction of nearby countries, as a decades-long experiment begins.

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US-flag ship delivers humanitarian wheat from Longview through Food for Peace program

Earlier this month, the US-flag bulk carrier Liberty Glory left the Port of Longview with 28,000 metric tons of Pacific Northwest wheat bound for starving familes in the Middle East and East Africa. The Food for Peace program has been in place since the 1950s, and is part of the US commitment to offering humanitarian aid in areas of greatest need.

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New technology allows bulk carriers to retrofit to use sail power

A new hard sail technology called “Wind Wings” has been retrofitted on a 2017-built bulk carrier allowing it to harness the power of the wind, potentially saving 25% on fuel costs.

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Hybrid ferries are coming to Puget Sound, and where does the PNW get its electrical power?

Today we take a look at the plan to convert the Washington State Ferry System in Puget Sound to hybrid electric vessels. And, following up on the sources of electric power to power those hybrid vessels: we’ll also take a look at the carbon footprint of Washington and Oregon… where do we get our electricity?

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A look at today’s ship schedule, and windy weather continues

A look at today’s abundant ship schedule, which includes several Jones Act, US-flag tanker vessels delivering refined petroleum to Portland.

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As ships embrace new alternative fuels, where do those fuels come from?

The shipping industry is taking admirable steps to switch to less polluting fuels, even claiming “zero emissions” ships are on the horizon in a few years. It’s a welcome change and much needed change.

Let’s take a look at what it takes to produce some of those currently available and affordable alternatives to petroleum. Turns out it’s a process, not a magic bullet, as we transition to a less polluting way to get around. Ships are already complying with international rules implemented in 2020 that reduced air pollution. But continued progress is welcome as we seek to reduce the burden we place on our planet.

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