The increase of carbon dioxide ensures not only that the earth warms significantly, it also represents a threat to the oceans. The carbon dioxide, or CO2 acidifies the seawater and shellfish and corals affected fields. Especially the polar regions are in danger.
Biochemist Oliver Peoples explains how his polymer-producing microbes could transform the plastics industry and why both oceans and landfills will benefit.Biochemist Oliver Peoples explains how his polymer-producing microbes could transform... more
As the insistent beat of unregulated mass consumption continues, another species faces annihilation. If you're eating bluefin tuna, congratulations; you've become part of the problem!As the insistent beat of unregulated mass consumption continues, another species faces... more
"The study is the first to show that corals use fluorescence to boost their immunity, added Palmer, of Australia's James Cook University and the U.K.'s New Castle University.
As invertebrates—a group of less complex creatures, including worms and snails—corals were thought to have very simple immune systems, said Palmer, whose study appeared October 6 in the journal PLoS One.
I found this to be very interesting.
An other reminder of how much we do not know.
Let's keep it humble and bow to our Nature."The study is the first to show that corals use fluorescence to boost their immunity,... more
Ethiopia could be the new Eden .Now, scientists from several countries have confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans, and the rift is indeed likely the beginning of a new sea.Ethiopia could be the new Eden .Now, scientists from several countries have confirmed... more
Sustainable is the latest buzzword in fisheries management and seafood retailing. But with experts predicting that fish stocks will be gone by 2048, can any commercially exploited marine species be classed as truly sustainable?
In 1997, with the backing of Unilever and WWF, the Marine Stewardship Council was formed. Fisheries that are assessed and meet the standard can use the MSC blue ecolabel. The MSC mission is to reward sustainable and environmentally friendly fishing practices.
In an ideal world, for the MSC to work effectively, the assessments would have been carried out from a pristine fish stock level and monitored continuously, but as we know this is now impossible. At least eighty percent of commercial fish stocks are now classified as fully or over-exploited. On this basis what purpose does the MSC label serve, except to possibly encourage the increased consumption of already severely depleted fish?
Several of the world's fishery stocks have been granted MSC certification in the face of growing opposition. Despite protests from California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium and the marine conservation group Oceana, MSC in October 2009 issued an ecolabel on fish products made with Pacific hake along the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Ben Ecticknap, Pacific project manager for Oceana, maintained that “The Pacific hake are at an all-time low population. There’s no good signs of recovery.” He said the Pacific hake population has fallen 89 per cent since the 1980s, so regulators should restrict commercial fishing and develop plans to rebuild the population.
The MSC certification of the Alaskan pollock fishery in 2005 stirred up a similar controversy with Greenpeace stating in 2008 that "the world’s largest food fishery is on the verge of collapse. Pollock, used to make McDonald’s fish sandwiches, frozen fish sticks, fish and chips, and imitation crabmeat, have had a population decrease of 50 percent since last year".
The MSC base their sustainability criteria on current scientific data gathered about fish stocks, but with fish piracy and under-reporting of catches rife how can we be sure that eco-labelling is a safe way of judging a fish species' health? Personally I don't think we can.
Before we can strike a balance between exploiting the oceans and sustainably harvesting them we must realise that, as it stands, very few so-called 'sustainable' fisheries can be sustained at current levels. As we move from one depleted species to another i.e. cod to pollock or monkfish to gurnard, the under-exploited fish becomes tomorrow's over-exploited fish.
In future we shall have to treat wild marine species as a very infrequent luxury and pay a much higher retail price for them if we are ever to ensure true sustainability when extracting marine species for food.
Even now companies are exploiting the keystone species krill to fill the commercial demand for fish oil left because of over-exploited fish stocks. Talk about fishing down the food chain, what will we do when the fish and the krill have gone?Sustainable is the latest buzzword in fisheries management and seafood retailing. But... more
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been working for years to improve the health of the planet's oceans, and today it has announced new collaborations to spread the word through chefs, seafood buyers and others.
The aquarium, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, released a report today on the state of the oceans. Prospects for the oceans are improving with a growing consensus to manage wild and farm fishing, the report says. But it also sets out significant problems that remain for the oceans and cites the human demand for seafood as the primary factor in the oceans' decline.
It also released a "Super Green" list, developed with the Harvard School of Public Health and the Environmental Defense Fund, of seafood that is healthy for people and the planet. On the list are some albacore tuna caught in the U.S. or British Columbia, wild-caught salmon from Alaska and pink shrimp from Oregon, among others.
Another of its efforts is a commitment by some of the country's top chefs -- including Suzanne Goin of Lucques in Los Angeles, Susan Spicer of Bayona in New Orleans, and the Food Network's Alton Brown -- to serve only sustainable seafood and work to persuade other chefs to do the same.
The aquarium is partnering with Santa Monica Seafood, the largest seafood distributor in the region, to help spread the word to its 1,500 chef customers and others, as well as to the people who sell them seafood and to the company's sales force.
The aquarium's report said the world seafood supply was 110 million tons in 2006 -- eight times what it was in 1950, with Asia accounting for more than half the global catch. And in the next year, it said, people will eat more farmed seafood than wild for the first time.
Today's announcement comes a week after California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a sustainable-seafood bill into law to encourage sustainable-fishing practices in the state and help fishermen market their catch.The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been working for years to improve the health of the... more
The prospects of saving the world's coral reefs now appear so bleak that plans are being made to freeze samples to preserve them for the future.
A meeting in Denmark took evidence from researchers that most coral reefs will not survive even if tough regulations on greenhouse gases are put in place.
Scientists proposed storing samples of coral species in liquid nitrogen.
That will allow them to be reintroduced to the seas in the future if global temperatures can be stabilized.
'Well it's the last ditch effort to save biodiversity from the reefs which are extremely diverse systems," said Simon Harding from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
According to recent research, one of the world's most important concentrations of coral - the so-called Coral Triangle in South East Asia - could be destroyed by climate change before the end of this century with significant impacts on food security and livelihoods.
-more at link-The prospects of saving the world's coral reefs now appear so bleak that plans are... more
15th October was the Global Handwashing day but I want to take the chance to bring to people's attention the alarming, dangers of TRICLOSAN.
Every day we wash our hands and use this harmful substance present in all kinds of antibacterial products.
Excerpt:
"Today, the market is dominated by antibacterial hand washes. They make reassuring claims like "kills 99.99999% of germs." Most of them contain a hazardous chemical called Triclosan."
Triclosan is DANGEROUS!
Here's one more excerpt:
"There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the rampant use of antibacterial soaps not only doesn't make us any healthier, but in fact, may make us worse off. Dr. Stuart Levy is one of the leading researchers on the health effects of using antibacterials (see references 1 and 2 below), and he recommends against their widespread use. And don't forget the environmental effects that persistent and toxic chemicals like Triclosan have.
This is one example of how our current habits can be driven more by the false sense of security the marketing of these products gives us, rather than the real health benefits they deliver."
Two more articles I'd like to quote as well:
"Triclosan, widely used in soaps and toothpastes for its ability to kill bacteria, has been found to hasten the transformation of tadpoles into adult frogs. The new research, "published online September 29 in Aquatic Toxicology , is the first to show that triclosan can act as an endocrine disrupter at concentrations found in North American streams... More than 55% of streams examined in 2002 had a median concentration of 0.14 parts per billion (ppb) (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2002, 36, 2322–2329)". The concern is not just with aquatic life, due to triclosan’s structural similarity to thyroid hormones, which orchestrate growth and development in wildlife and humans." http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/cma-calls-for-triclosan-ban.php
"Triclosan is found in a huge number of products, including soaps, toothpastes, cosmetics, laundry detergents, footwear, clothing, toys, facial tissues, adhesives, and pesticides. But you may not know you're even using triclosan because it's marketed under several names, including:
About three-quarters of Americans have detectable levels of triclosan in their urine, and people in their 30s and among the highest household income bracket tested for the highest levels of the bactericide. Urine detection isn't necessarily cause for concern--it simply means they body is filtering the product. But other studies show the chemical may not be as harmless as we once thought.
A study of 36 mothers found those who used toothpaste, deodorant or soap containing triclosan had higher levels of the chemical in their breast milk than mothers who did not use personal care products containing triclosan. (The study also analyzed triclosan levels in plasma and found they were higher than those in the milk.) Another study also showed that triclosan lowers body temperature and has a "nonspecific depressant effect on the central nervous system."
And it's not just potentially harmful for humans. Triclosan is highly toxic to some types of algae and Japanese medaka fish (in early life stage), and it bioaccumulates in fish. It also accelerates the rate at which tadpoles grow into frogs, and has been found in the blood of bottlenose dolphins." http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/overdosing-triclosan.html?campaign=daylife-article
I might not argue the use of it in hospitals but not in households.
Take action below and for goodness' sake just try to use simple old fashioned soap instead.15th October was the Global Handwashing day but I want to take the chance to bring to... more
Stephen Colbert sat down with National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence and author Sylvia Earle to discuss her book, The World Is Blue, which is about how vital ocean health is to the fate of the planet. She promptly tells Stephen that he moves like a dolphin, and then they move on to a pressing topic that vexes many who want to eat sustainably: what kind of seafood should people eat?
Stephen suggests renaming earthworms Appalachian Yard Trout.Stephen Colbert sat down with National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence and author... more
"A ban on shark finning in UK waters is to be introduced by the government, ministers will announce this week. The practice, which involves slicing fins from sharks at sea and dumping their bodies overboard – often while still alive – has been heavily criticised by campaigners and blamed for pushing many shark species to the brink of extinction."
More:
"Shark fins are used as an Asian delicacy – mainly as the key ingredient in shark fin soup – and sell for more than £200 per kilo. And it is this high price that has led to the spread of shark finning. Instead of taking the entire body of a shark back to port, fisherman hack off the animal's most lucrative parts, its fins, and then throw the rest of it away. The sharks can no longer swim and either starve to death or are eaten alive by other fish. Species targeted this way in UK waters include the shortfin mako, blue, smooth hammerheads and thresher sharks, as well as species such as Portuguese dogfish and gulper sharks."
It's a tiny step forward.
Sharks are extremely important, they are considered the garbage trucks of the oceans that keep the balance in the ocean."A ban on shark finning in UK waters is to be introduced by the government, ministers... more
There have been some small but significant developments recently in the fight to save sharks from possible extinction. Let's hope that it's a sign of more to come and that it is not too little too late.There have been some small but significant developments recently in the fight to save... more
PLEASE LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!
If you care about about marine wildlife, the health of our oceans, and the future of life on this little blue planet... please read this report and comment.
The Task Force’s Interim Report is now available and is undergoing a 30-day public review and comment period. This report provides proposals for a comprehensive national approach to uphold our stewardship responsibilities and ensure accountability for our actions. Additionally, the report outlines a more balanced, productive and sustainable approach to our ocean resources.
The Task Force seeks input on its work from interested communities, governments, tribes, businesses, associations, non-governmental organizations and the general public.
THE PRESIDENT'S MEMORANDUM
On June 12, 2009, President Obama sent a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and federal agencies establishing an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The Task Force is charged with developing a recommendation for a national policy that ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes. It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning.
"The oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes provide jobs, food, energy resources, ecological services, recreation, and tourism opportunities, and play critical roles in our Nation’s transportation, economy, and trade, as well as the global mobility of our Armed Forces and the maintenance of international peace and security," President Obama wrote in the memorandum. "We have a stewardship responsibility to maintain healthy, resilient, and sustainable oceans, coasts and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of this and future generations."
"The challenges our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are facing are complex, and to meet these challenges we must have the participation of a wide spectrum of views from within the federal government," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "The Task Force has a wealth of opportunity to make our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes healthier - both environmentally and economically."
The recommendations and frameworks developed by the Task Force will be cost effective and improve coordination across federal agencies. The Chair will terminate the Task Force upon the completion of its duties.
........and all it takes,........IS ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. (piracy?)
The Aeroyacht 110has been dubbed “the world’s most innovative super catamaran” by its designers and, while that’s a pretty big claim, it’s certainly an audacious concept. Capable of speeds of over 32 knots but able to cruise effortlessly at 20, boasting a superbly-appointed 32ft wide salon with 360º sea views and with its own fold-up amphibious plane as a tender, the Aeroyacht 110 looks to be the ne plus ultra of luxury sailing.
Designed from scratch by Gregor Tarjan, founder of Aeroyacht International, together with naval architect Pete Melvin, of the world-renowned Morrelli & Melvin multihull architects, the Aeroyacht 110 was designed from the outside-in. Tarjan started with the concept for a “pure sailing machine” and, once its streamlined shape was established, only then worked out how many people it could and should accommodate.
Much of the innovation is readily apparent in the technical specifications of the exterior. The hulls are a, literally, bullet-proof combination of Kevlar and carbon. They are double chined – with several flat planes meeting rather than the rounded bottom of traditional boat hulls – for better stability, performance and appearance. But these chines are also “soft”, or somewhat rounded, to minimize water resistance.........and all it takes,........IS ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. (piracy?)
The... more
Bowing to international pressure, the Tokyo International Film Festival announced it will screen the controversial award-winning American documentary about the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, at the nine-day event in October.
The decision to screen "The Cove," which has already soured relations between Taiji and the town of Broome, its sister city in Australia, attracted attention following media reports that it had been rejected for what the film's director called a "hypocritical reason."
When organizers announced the lineup for the twenty second annual film festival, TIFF Chairman Tom Yoda singled out "The Cove," explaining the decision to include the documentary was made after the festival had reached an agreement with the movie's producers to take full responsibility should any problems arise from the screening.
UK Retailer Tesco's Linked to Slaughter
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Greenpeace are reported to have revealed that Tesco PLC, a large UK retailer has been linked to products from Japan's controversial hunting of whales, dolphins and porpoises.
EIA Cetacean Campaigns Manager, Clare Perry said: "C Two-Network are selling internationally protected species, and as such, are not only sustaining the market for these products in Japan, but are supporting Japan's refusal to abide by the international ban on commercial whaling."
Their investigations have allegedly exposed Japanese supermarket chain C Two-Network, a member of the Tesco Group, as selling fresh cetaceans products in 10 stores and canned products in 32 of its 78 stores. Tesco purchased more than 95% of the Japanese company in July 2003.
The products are sourced from the Kyokuyo and Nissui. These companies sell the meat from the hundreds of Bryde's, Minke and Sei whales that are killed each year in the name of science. According to staff working at the supermarkets, fresh meat from 'toothed whales', a generic term for dolphins, porpoises, and small whales, is also sold.
Richard Page, Greenpeace Ocean Campaigner said: "We are appealing to Tesco to use its ownership of C Two-Network to bring about an end to the sale of cetacean products in C Two-Network stores. Tesco's UK customers will be appalled to learn that Tesco is so closely linked to the sale of whale meat." http://www.squidoo.com/dolphinslaughterinjapanBowing to international pressure, the Tokyo International Film Festival announced it... more
It is widely known that corn ethanol is driving the growth of the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone." Now, surprising new data suggests that switching to non-food cellulosic fuels won't help the problem one bit.
The "dead zone" is an oxygen-starved black hole that swells each spring and summer as toxic nitrogen fertilizer runs off the cornfields of the U.S. Midwest, down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico.
The nasty nitrates breed algal blooms on the water's surface, absorbing oxygen and depriving sea dwellers of their prime life source.
The zone has been around for 50-odd years. In 2006, it measured over 6,600 square miles. Last year it grew to 10,500 square miles — the size of Massachusetts. The culprit? The corn biofuel boom that's been spurred along by aggressive U.S. government ethanol mandates.
The result could be a potential ruin of a $3 billion fishing industry and an entire aquatic ecosystem.
And that is why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pledged to bring a substantial chunk of the "dead zone" back to life by 2015. But if they're looking to next-gen biofuels to be a magic cure-all, they may want think again. ...It is widely known that corn ethanol is driving the growth of the Gulf of Mexico's... more
The plastic revolution started in the 50s: this material spread around the world and has been used for a myriad of objects. Easy to work, economical and virtually indestructible. The plastic indeed continues to exist for hundreds of years, and thus becomes waste particularly polluting. In August, scientists have made the first real inspection of the Great Pacific Ocean garbage patch.The plastic revolution started in the 50s: this material spread around the world and... more
An influential federal panel tasked this summer by President Obama with revitalizing the nation's coasts, oceans and the Great Lakes Thursday set out a wide-ranging plan they hope will boost the safety of seafood, preserve wildlife, improve water quality and protect the economies of coastal communities.
Members of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, which include representatives from 20 different administration agencies and departments, released the interim report on the same day the group heard from political leaders, environmentalists and businesses in San Francisco.
The multicity tour, which also includes Anchorage, Providence, R.I., Cleveland, New Orleans and Honolulu, is part of the panel's effort to gather public comment on a final plan they intend to send to the president in the next few months. The goal is to create a comprehensive national plan for managing, restoring and protecting the marine environment.
Among the varied stakeholders there is widespread agreement that the country's oceans and coasts are under assault from climate change and rising seas, pollution, overfishing, habitat loss and the development of traditional and alternative energy sources.
The draft report recommended several broad strategies, including improving coordination among local, state and federal agencies; boosting ocean water quality through more sustainable land practices; basing management of marine resources on the health of the environment and the use of marine spatial planning - that is, accurately mapping ocean space to create a more detailed picture of the resources and uses in a given area.
Environmental groups, many of which have long fought for a national ocean policy, were thrilled at the administration's quick progress.An influential federal panel tasked this summer by President Obama with revitalizing... more
I live in Hawaii and I am constantly scanning for new driftwood. I will be walking along the beach or driving near the shoreline, and come upon a must-have piece of stylized wood.I live in Hawaii and I am constantly scanning for new driftwood. I will be walking... more
