World Oceans Day: A Look Back

I hope everyone enjoyed their 2013 World Oceans Day! My apologies about my lack luster post on such an important day, however, I had to work and then left for a few days camping!  Free time is hard to come by these days.  Anywho - lets take a look at what World Oceans Day is all about and what events were happening this year.

It all started in 1992 by the Canadians! Way to go Canada! It gained so much world-wide attention that the U.N. officially designated it in 2008.  Unfortunately, things have been getting worse before they're getting better for the oceans.  Pollution, over-fishing and acidification are three of the top issues.  Although some efforts are being made, more needs to be done and from the top!  Write to your senator, start a campaign in your area, host a movie showing like Bag It (which left me in tears by the way)!

World Oceans Day is a day to bring more attention and focus to the problems.  This year, several events took place all over the world!  In Cameroon, activities were set up by organizations about reforestation and protecting their rivers and lakes.  In Maldives, reef cleaning took place along with educational games for kids.  In Costa Rica, they hosted the International Environmental Film Festival! In Ireland, the Galway Aquarium hosted a family fun day and the Green Divers organized a beach and sea clean up.  It was a worldwide event and to find out more about all the other countries that helped in the efforts, check out World Oceans Day website.

How did you spend your World Oceans Day?  I'd love to hear your story.  But remember, you don't have to wait for World Oceans Day 2014 to do something.  In my book, every day should be World Oceans Day.  Do what you can every day and that will make a world of difference!  Make it a habit or a life style - not just one day a year.

World Oceans Day!!

For lack of time, here is a list of great links to learn more about today, World Oceans Day!

• Try going a month plastic free! 
• Find an event near you! 
• Great article by the Huffington Post
• In New York? Celebrate with the U.N.

I will follow up with a more in-depth post soon!

Guest Posting: The 5 Gyres Institute

When articles or campaigns come across my desk (Inbox, really) that I feel are important and/or related to the general feeling of this blog, I want to share.  Such is the case with this.  I received an email from the 5 Gyres Institute informing me about ACTION that is taking place in response to the plastics found in the Great Lakes!  You can read my blog post about The Great Lakes here. The following is an email from the 5 Gyres Institute:

We have some exciting news to report! In the summer of 2012 we discovered high concentrations of really small plastic beads called micro-beads in The Great Lakes. We have evidence that one of the culprits is micro-beads employed as exfoliates in facial scrubber/personal care products. We launched a corporate facing campaign with our partners Plastic Soup Foundation and Plastic Free Seas to get the manufacturers of these products to cease using these beads and return to biodegradable alternatives. Well, we've had a few MAJOR victories on this front--First, The Body Shop pledged to stop using these beads after a social media campaign we started. And yesterday we had HUGE VICTORY. Johnson & Johnson, one of our primary targets for this campaign agreed to cease using micro-beads IN ALL OF THEIR PRODUCTS which include Neutrogena and Clean & Clear. We are exceptionally pleased that J&J worked with us proactively and we applaud their announcement and thank them for doing the environmentally responsible thing.

But the work isn't finished. We've been speaking with Procter & Gamble about the same issue and so far they haven't made any move to do the right thing. We need your help! We've just launched our micro-bead campaign and action pages. The campaign pages has loads of information on the issue. 

 

Please take just ONE MINUTE to tell Procter & Gamble that they must stop using micro-beads in all of their products. Sign our petition, send a letter to P & G and share on Facebook and Twitter. The action page is easy and quick to share the campaign, but we need an army to win this, and we're asking you to be a part of the solution by making your voice heard! 

TAKE ACTION NOW!

For A Planet Free Of Plastic Pollution,

Thank You,

Stiv Wilson

Policy Director

The 5 Gyres Institute 

So - take a minute - join the campaign!  Let's get those micro-beads out of the waters! 

Sylvia Earle: Hero for the Planet

"People ask: Why should I care about the ocean? Because the ocean is the cornerstone of earth's life support system, it shapes climate and weather.  It holds most of life on earth.  97% of earth's water is there.  It's the blue heart of the planet - we should take care of our heart.  It's what makes life possible for us.  We still have a really good chance to make things better than they are.  They won't get better unless we take the action and inspire others to do the same thing.  No one is without power.  Everybody has the capacity to do something"    

                                                 - Sylvia Earle

Dr. Sylvia Earle exploring the Holmes and Osprey Reefs off the coast of Australia.

Sylvia Earle is realistic; optimistic but realistic.  She knows, almost better than anyone, how bad of a state the oceans are in, however, she believes there is hope.  And how can anyone argue with Dr. Sylvia Earle.

If you're not familiar with her, let me introduce you.  She is the most well-known female marine scientist in the world.  Her love for the ocean started at a young age and she still continues to be an advocate for the ocean today.  She is, according to Wikipedia "an oceanographer, explorer, author, lecturer, Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, leader of the Sustainable Seas Expeditions, council chair for the Harte Research Institute for the Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, founder and chairman of the Deep Search Foundation, and finally the chair of the Advisory Council for the Ocean in Google Earth."  Whatta woman!

In 1969, Dr. Earle applied to participate in Tektite project.  This project allowed scientists and researchers to remain underwater for weeks at a time, living in a submersible habitat.

Provided by Wikipedia

However, she did not get accepted into the program, even though she had logged more than 1000 underwater research hours (more than any of the other applicants).  She is quoted as saying it was because "the people in charge just couldn't cope with the idea of men and women living together underwater."  I know, we all [should] scoff at that notion nowadays.  She didn't give up there though, because eventually, in 1970, she led an expedition of all female researchers/scientists!

Because of that expedition, she gained a huge amount of public attention and she used it to her (or the ocean's) advantage.  She wanted to share her research, love and knowledge of the oceans and educate the public about the dangers they are facing from pollution and environmental degradation.  Earle has written several books and created numerous films, raising public awareness.

The most awesome accomplishment, I think, was her "stroll" on the sea floor about 1,250 ft down!  She was the first human being (and still, the only) to do so at that depth.  She was wearing this:

A "Jim-Suit"

She was only connected by a single communication line to the main submarine for an entire two and a half hours.  I can't even imagine!  The things she must have seen and experienced! Amazing.

As she ages (now 77), she is not slowing down.  She is currently an Explorer-In-Residence with the National Geographic Society and led the Google Ocean Advisory Council to provide information and data for the Ocean's in Google Earth.  Over her years in her career, she has led at least 70 expeditions, won more than 100 awards and honors and has logged about 6,500 hours underwater!  6,500 hours underwater!  That's like 9 months of being underwater.  Incredible.

One of her most recent projects is called Mission Blue. "Mission-Blue.org is an ocean community hub that seeks to make good on Sylvia’s wish by elevating public awareness about critical ocean issues and inspiring support for organizations, projects and scientific expeditions that make a positive difference for the ocean. Decades of overfishing, pollution, climate change, acidification and other human pressures threaten the fundamental nature of the ocean — and therefore threaten the future of humankind."  She wants to (and is) create "Hope Spots."  These are areas in the ocean dedicated to being protected.  A marine reserve or sanctuary.  Dr. Earle wants everyone “to use all means at your disposal — films, expeditions, the web, new submarines — to create a campaign to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas; Hope Spots large enough to save and restore the blue heart of the planet.”

This is my means.  For now, this is what I am doing to spread awareness until I can gain ground to do more.  I will do more.  But for now - my blog.  Read. React. Learn. Share.

World Turtle Day!

If you didn't already know, today is World Turtle Day!  Oh my goodness!

This day was established in 2000 by the American Tortoise Rescue in hopes to raise awareness, increase knowledge and respect of all turtles and tortoises.  This includes the beautiful, graceful and peaceful sea turtles.  Did you know there are only 7 different species of sea turtles?  They are: the Leatherback (the largest - they can reach up to 7 ft long!), the Loggerhead, the Green, the Hawksbill, Kemp's Ridley, Olive Ridley and the Flatback (which is only found in Australia).

Unfortunately, sea turtles are common victims of plastic pollution.  You see, with the exception of the Green Turtle, all sea turtles are carnivores and commonly feed on jellyfish.  They are abundant, nutritious and honestly, easy prey for the turtles.  However, the turtles can mistake plastic (especially plastic bags) for a jellyfish.

If you were a turtle, you'd think you hit the breakfast buffet!  The sad truth is they will eat these and either choke on them and drown or it'll cause digestive failure which eventually leads to death.  

So, for the sake of turtles, say NO to plastic bags!  Go with paper or, better yet, get a few reusable bags and keep them with you where ever you go!  Let's keep these guys feasting on the real jellyfish!

 If you're ever in the Juno Beach/Jupiter area in Florida, be sure to stop in to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center (or as I called it growing up - The Turtle Museum!).  It's a wonderful (and growing) non-profit education and conservation facility.  It was started by one of my Nana's dear friends, Eleanor Fletcher (lovingly known as The Turtle Lady).  I remember visiting her when I was younger and seeing her home just decorated with turtle stuff from floor to ceiling.  I still have a little wooden turtle box that she gave me!  You could just see the passion in her eyes.  If more people had her enthusiasm, maybe the oceans wouldn't be in such a dangerous state.  She passed in 2009 at the ripe age of 92 but her passion lives on in others.

When it comes to "doing your part" for the ocean, do what you can and then do more.

Don't Care About the Ocean? How about YOUR Health?

Some people will think, Lynne, I don't care about the plastic pollution in the ocean.  It has no affect on ME.  And I will tell them: FALSE!

Whether you realize it or not, (and I hope you do after reading this) the pollution in the ocean does affect you.  And it might be affecting you more than you'd think.  Let's bring it back to basics: The Food Chain (in this case, the ocean's food chain).  Remember learning about this in elementary school?  Here is a basic outline of what-eats-what in the ocean.

Brought to you by Action Outdoors.

Now, where do we fit in? We consume fish.  We consume both the "small fish" and the larger "predator" fish.  Gee, thanks Lynne.  I didn't need you to tell me I eat fish but I still don't see the connection.

The plastics in the oceans break down.  No, they don't biodegrade, they just break down.  See my previous post about micro-trash.  So these TINY pieces of plastic are now floating almost everywhere in the oceans and they look pretty similar to zoo plankton, and even phytoplankton, to the average fish.

Zoo plankton

Micro-plastic pellet

Pretty similar, wouldn't you say?  Well, the smaller fish eat these plastic pellets and pieces.  Then the larger fish eat the smaller fish and who eats these larger fish?  Us.  In turn we're eating those pieces of plastic.  You might not know it.  You probably can't tell.  And you're certainly not going to see the plastic.  However, it's what makes up the plastic that you should be concerned about.  Plastic is a purely synthetic material.  Completely man-made.  So when these plastic pieces are floating in the sun and salt water for years on end, they start leaching the chemicals of which they're comprised.  These chemicals will leach INTO the fish that consume them.  And we eat those fish.  Comprendo?

What chemicals are we talking about?  Are they really dangerous?  Yes!  After many research trips and field tests, numerous amounts and types of chemicals have been discovered.  Remember hearing about DDT? That awful pesticide that was popular back in the 40's and 50's?  The pesticide which was ultimately banned by the EPA.  40% of the plastics in the oceans contain it.

How about PCB's?  Also banned by U.S. Congress in 1979 because of it's cancer causing affects. 50% of plastics in the ocean contain this!

And PAH's!  Some can be considered nontoxic, however others are classified as EXTREMELY toxic. 80%!  80% of the plastic pollution floating in the ocean and being consumed by the fish we consume, contain some kind of PAH!

What happens?  Well, here is a brief list of just a few (of MANY) illnesses that have been linked to the above chemicals:

• Skin Rashes
• Liver Damage
• Lowered immune response
• Poor cognitive development in children
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 
• Breast Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Heart malformations in new-borns
• Diabetes

Convinced?  I hope so!  If you don't care about the ocean (which you should because it covers 71% of the world and contains 97% Earth's water) then you should care about your health and the health of your family and loved ones.  

Keeping plastics out of the ocean is a must!  So please do your part.

Here is a great illustration of the negative relationship plastic has with the ocean.
Provided by OneWorldOneOcean

 

For more reading on this topic, check out this great article from National Geographic!

And We're Back!

After a lengthy hiatus, I am back and back with more passion for the ocean.  I will begin updating this blog regularly again and I would love for you to check back often!