tagged w/ San Francisco Bay
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All the news that's fit to rewrite.
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Los Angeles Times...
Environmental groups want ships to slow down to avoid killing and injuring whales
June 6, 2011 | 7:21 pm
A coalition of environmental groups is asking the federal government to require ships traveling though California’s marine sanctuaries to slow down to avoid fatal collisions with whales, a problem that they say has climbed to “unsustainable levels.”
Four groups filed petition Monday asking the Commerce Department to establish a 10-knot speed limit for large commercial vessels traveling through California’s four National Marine Sanctuaries in the Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank.
Some freighters travel through those waters at more than twice that speed.
Nearly 50 whales have been hit by ships traveling off the California coastline in the last decade, according to experts, who believe the number is probably much higher because many of the accidents go unreported.
Shipping groups says a speed limit would greatly slow down cargo reaching port and more than double the time it takes the fastest vessels to travel through the sanctuaries.
The petition from the environmental groups is meant to prod the federal government to take steps to fight the growing problem. Some of the most heavily trafficked shipping lanes leading in and out of the ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Francisco Bay run through the migratory paths and feeding areas of endangered whales.
In the 61-page document, the Environmental Defense Center, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth and Pacific Environment say a speed limit would help protect endangered blue, humpback and fin whales from being run over by big ships.
"The overlap of these shipping lanes with California’s national marine sanctuaries puts sanctuary wildlife at great risk,” the petition reads. “While we cannot likely change the behavior of whales and other species so as to avoid ship strikes, we can and must regulate vessel practices to minimize this risk.”
Slower speeds would give whales more time to detect approaching ships and would lower the chances that injuries would become fatal if they are hit, the groups argue. A speed limit also would cut back on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and underwater noise that can harm whales.
In a statement, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a branch of the Commerce Department that oversees National Marine Sanctuaries and endangered marine species, said it is also concerned with ship strikes to whales and would review the petition.
Shipping groups said a speed limit may not make it any safer for whales and has suggesting realigning shipping routes as an alternative.
“It's just premature to assume that slowing vessel speed is the solution to the ship-whale interaction issue,” said T.L. Garrett, vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Assn., a trade group representing ocean carriers that dock at West Coast ports.
Where possible, vessels would probably navigate around the sanctuaries to avoid the restrictions, he added.
Four blue whales were struck and killed by vessels in 2007 near the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, prompting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to designate shipping lanes from Point Conception to Point Dume a “Whale Advisory Zone.”
Since then, the agency has conducted aerial surveys of the area and broadcast seasonal advisories to ship captains traveling through the channel suggesting they limit their speed to 10 knots – or roughly 11.5 mph -- to avoid hitting whales when they’re in the Santa Barbara Channel in high concentrations, usually from May to December.
Because the advisories are voluntary, environmental groups say, they have gone largely unheeded. Shipping groups said most vessels have not opted to lower their speeds.
--Tony Barboza
Photo: Pete Thomas For The TimesLos Angeles Times...
Environmental groups want ships to slow down to avoid... more
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The US Dept of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service have issue a Tsunami Warning Alert for North and Southern CA. The Tsunami Advisory is for LA County Coast including Downtown Los Angeles.The US Dept of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National... more
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Recently Complete News Updates A severe traffic alert is in effect for the Dumbarton Bridge. All eastbound and westbound lanes are closed due to police activity. A pair of police negotiators ended a tense two-hour standoff when they convinced a distraught man not to jump from the Dumbarton Bridge late Tuesday afternoon.Recently Complete News Updates A severe traffic alert is in effect for the Dumbarton... more
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kamoo
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added this
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1 year ago
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“The Unseen Sea” is a stunningly beautiful time-lapse short film by Simon Christen. The San Francisco Bay area hardly needs any embellishment, its natural beauty speaks for itself. But this HD short film gives gorgeous artistic expression to the alluring landscape of this coastal region. Clouds take on the appearance of waves, and lights shimmer like flowing lava, as the collection of time lapses rolls by. Nick Cave provides the accompanying music, “Mary’s Song” from the soundtrack of “Assassination of Jesse James.”
This piece includes a number of high-resolution color photographs, a slide-show and the remarkable short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/san-francisco-bay-the-unseen-sea/“The Unseen Sea” is a stunningly beautiful time-lapse short film by Simon... more
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Ok~ so I've been on mission information round up to find out what goes into rounding up 560 pounds of garbage out of the ocean. Step 1) Figure out how to afford to do the amount of diving required to remove 560 pounds of garbage out of the ocean; Step 2) Figure out the problem areas are; Step 3) Develop safety skills (hello needles and toxic materials); Step 4) Figure out all the things that I don't know I need to know.
In case you are desiring a catch up: here is the video description of the project re: why I want to remove the garbage I am personally responsible for out of the ocean.
The most exciting news is that my beloved bay area dive shop, Bamboo Reef, is going to sponsor my local dives! So thank God for them for making this all possible. Also pretty grateful that master photographer and diver Enrique Aguirre is letting me tag along on one of his dives and teach me how to document and teach me a few safety considerations (hope he shows me a trick for how to avoid getting tangled in my own net....)
Logistics:
1. Tide Chart: There is plenty of local lore about how the convicts who tried to escape Alcatraz were pulled out to sea by the strong tides (and a startling amount of stories of people who are grabbed from the beaches and swept to sea) (extra big note to self: respect thy ocean). With that said, I'll be working with this bay area tide chart produced by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration to schedule my dives at the correct time.
2. Set up weekly "dive-ups". I'll be joining every local dive organization I can find in order to get the word out and find dive partners. For starters, The Bay Area Underwater Divers Club, (I've asked for permission to join several other local yahoo dive groups...hope they let me in :).
3. Identify locations: While the initial vision is to reclaim garbage out of the open ocean and rid the ocean of the 5 garbage patches (why not dream big?), I have a lot to learn about the pollution patterns in my own bay (apparently most of the garbage created by San Fran ends up landing on the beaches of Hawaii). Karen from Bamboo Reef suggested the obvious: starting in my own back yard. The first two spots I'm eying for the first official dive are:
McCovey Cove (this is actually right across the street from the Current HQs.)
The Aquatic Part at Pier 39 (major tourist destination)
4. What to do with the garbage?
Well based on all of the comments that have come in thus far, it would seem that there is a morbid fascination about what kind of garbage I will be removing. So by special request, I will be logging all of the garbage. Meanwhile, I'm researching what to do with the garbage so it doesn't end up back in the ocean. (You know I want your ideas on this one).
How to stay in touch?
Ok: So there are several ways to stay in touch and get updates.
I'll be posting all my updates on the Current Green Blog.
I'll send updates via our Current Green Facebook account.
And on Sarah Lane's recommendation I posted the first "dive-up" on Plancast.
This week's tip for keeping garbage out of the ocean:
Bring your own to-go containers when you go to restaurants. Of course any old yogurt container will work, or you can do it in style and reduce your fork print with To-go ware (shameless plug for a company worth loving).
Today's Inspiration for why it's time to take back our ocean:
The story of our local sea lion who was just rescued by the Marine Mammal Institute.
The sea lion was originally spotted at Pier 39 in San Francisco on the evening of Jan. 1, with fishing line around his face, making it hard for him to open his mouth. After nearly three weeks and 20 rescue attempts, he was rescued at Moss Landing Harbor by the Marine Mammal Center on Jan. 24.
The name given to him by the mammal center stems from his elusiveness; he was named for the 1960s con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie "Catch Me If You Can."
"We knew that all of our options were running out and that this animal was getting weaker and that he might not live much longer," said Dr. Frances Gulland, director of veterinary science at the mammal center. "We had to do something to save this animal, especially since he was entangled in marine debris as a result of human carelessness."
Meanwhile, want to know your ocean IQ? You might get a kick out of this survey by the Marine Mammal Institute
And here is a short video of surfers against sewage:
Related Content:
What's the 1 green thing on your new year's resolution list?
I took the 1 Green Thing Challenge: I'll be removing 559 POUNDS of garbage out of the ocean
Attacking the king of the ocean: The sharks that can't fight backOk~ so I've been on mission information round up to find out what goes into... more
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leahl
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added this
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2 years ago
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --
More than a thousand sea lions holding court on a pier in San Francisco Bay to the delight of tourists are now largely gone, and experts believe they left in search of food.
Jeff Boehm, executive director of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, said Monday there were more than 1,700 sea lions on Pier 39 in October, a record.
But by Thanksgiving, the lions had largely disappeared, and now only about a dozen remain.
Boehm said the fact that so many sea lions stayed for so long is even stranger than their disappearance.
He guessed the animals probably stuck around to eat their favorite foods such as anchovies and sardines and left to follow the food source. He expects they will be back by the spring.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --
More than a thousand sea lions holding court on a pier in... more
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You might not know it from the textbooks, but California's gold rush was also a mercury rush. Quicksilver mines near San Jose provided gold miners with the mercury they needed to separate gold from ore. 150 years later, we're still facing the consequences of gold-rush era mercury, much of which is lodged in the Bay's mud and in its fish.You might not know it from the textbooks, but California's gold rush was also a... more
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Northern California has a storied, 500-year history of sailing. But despite this rich heritage, scientists and boat designers continue to learn more each day about what makes a sail boat move. Contrary to what you might expect, the physics of sailing still present some mysteries to modern sailors.Northern California has a storied, 500-year history of sailing. But despite this rich... more
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Tyra has lived all over the Bay Area in places like East Palo Alto, Palo Alto and San Francisco. From her perspective it seems that when communities are more diverse, they're more exciting. Stereotypes are easier to debunk among diverse crowds. Tyra has lived all over the Bay Area in places like East Palo Alto, Palo Alto and San... more
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Gosh Darnin it!! I never made it over there! So sad! As if we weren't stressed out enough between the elections, the economy, and the blue angels in town.
Fire erupted on the slopes of Angel Island on Sunday night, prompting fire crews from several Marin County agencies and United States Coast Guard personnel to be dispatched to the state park.
At 9:55 p.m., the fire was estimated at 10 acres by firefighter Ian Adams of Marin County Fire Department.
"We don't have much, but it's about 10 acres and there's a power line down," Adams said. "We're still trying to get crews there. They are just starting to get to the island." Adams said the crews are from Southern Marin, Tiburon and Marin County Fire, 50 to 100 personnel. The firefighters were being ferried to the docks on the north side of the island.
Speaking to KTVU television, Chief Ken Mossocco said there was one engine on the island and three more were being ferried to the island. Fireboats from Tiburon, Sausalito and the U.S. Coast Guard were sent to the island.
Gosh Darnin it!! I never made it over there! So sad! As if we weren't stressed... more
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leahl
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added this
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3 years ago
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A profile of a forgotten island and what the plans are for its future. Also meet a young man who helps look over the well being of the island and his thoughts on the planned redevelopment project.
my first pod for the college_current student executive producer program spring 08. thanks for the help everyone!A profile of a forgotten island and what the plans are for its future. Also meet a... more
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Wow, we really know how to treat the bay well.
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I filmed voluntaries at Ocean Beach in San Francisco cleaning up the oil spill. Ocean Beach was not closed so beach goers were mixed in with a day of hazardous material clean up. I filmed voluntaries at Ocean Beach in San Francisco cleaning up the oil spill. Ocean... more
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Lisa Gautier, who provided the volunteers with 1,000 hair mats, explained that hair acts as a sponge, naturally absorbing the oil from both air and water. She runs Matter of Trust, a nonprofit that matches businesses' donations to smaller, needy nonprofits; her organization makes money in part by collecting human hair from local salons, sending them to Georgia to be woven into mats before selling them to the SF Department of the Environment to soak up used motor oil.
So where exactly do the mushrooms factor in? Once the hair mats have absorbed the oil, oyster mushrooms begin to grow on the mats, consuming the viscous substance. After the mushrooms have finished absorbing all the oil - a process that takes about 12 weeks - the hair mats can be reused as nontoxic compost.
Lisa Gautier, who provided the volunteers with 1,000 hair mats, explained that hair... more
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On November 7, 2007, A container ship struck a tower of the Bay Bridge spilling 58,000 gallons of bunker oil into the San Francisco Bay. The following day, several Bay Area beaches were closed due to the spill. This pod takes us to the Bay Area coastline to see how the spill is impacting the wildlife and the people who frequent the coastal waters of San Francisco.On November 7, 2007, A container ship struck a tower of the Bay Bridge spilling 58,000... more
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