World Oceans Day

***thanks to OceanHealth.Org for the image!
This upcoming Monday, June 8, 2009, is World Oceans Day. It is a day recognized by the United Nations, for the first time this year! Here is some info, taken from The Ocean Project Website:

The concept of a "World Ocean Day" was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Ocean Project has been working closely with the World Ocean Network for the last six years to promote and coordinate World Ocean Day events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations and agencies, universities, schools, and businesses. Each year an increasing number of countries and organizations have been marking June 8th as opportunity to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.

But you say you don't live near an ocean, so it doesn't matter to ME-WRONG! The world's oceans affect all of us. Your actions CAN help. Your biggest contribution to our oceans' health is to reduce your plastic use, reduce your consumption (of everything), reuse things that you can, and recycle everything that can't be reused. Compost your kitchen scraps! They make better soil than garbage! See previous posts on how to become more environmentally friendly.

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate/recognize World Oceans Day (also taken from The Ocean Project website):

Beginning this year we can all start to associate the color blue with World Oceans Day. This event has been unofficially celebrated for more than a dozen years but this year marks the inaugural World Oceans Day, officially recognized by United Nations resolution as June 8th each year.

One easy thing that all Partners and supporters can do is to wear blue in honor of the ocean. Many already do as part of their uniform, but we encourage all ZAM [zoos, aquariums and museums] staff and docents as well as those working at NGOs, agencies, and universities and schools, to help spread the blue.

We also suggest that you not only wear blue, but let people know why: tell people two things they likely don't know about our ocean and how they can help.

Connecting ocean health with climate change and healthy seafood are two issue opportunities for ZAMs and others to begin to more effectively engage the public in caring more and doing more for our shared ocean.

Our recent research shows...people want this info from ZAMs, and people want to be part of the solutions and believe their individual actions can help. Let's take advantage of that huge opportunity and, together, we can bring about some really positive change!

Two examples of what you could share with your visitors and the public:

• Our ocean is in trouble, with climate change already linked to the killing of coral reefs, and destructive fishing practices causing a dramatic decline in many types of the fish we depend on for food.
• There are important, easy actions each of us can take to help. Calculating our carbon footprints and looking for ways to reduce our role in climate change is a great step. Likewise, we can choose seafood that is abundant in supply and fished or farmed without harm to the ocean. ZAMs might want to consider, for instance:
• Providing carbon calculators, such as those at StopGlobalWarming.org, EPA, or Berkeley Institute of the Environment, on-site and linking online so visitors can learn more.
• Handing out sustainable seafood guides and cards on-site and linking online to programs such as Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, Blue Ocean Institute, or Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector.

• 
  

Challenge: Show Us Your (Plastic) Trash!

Over on Fake Plastic Fish, Beth has thrown down the challenge gauntlet and is urging us to take part! Go on over and sign up for the challenge! It should be interesting to see how much plastic you accumulate in a week. Her rules are below (clipped directly from her site, thanks Beth!)

Post a note on my blog letting me know you're doing it, and any links to your blog. Then go to Fake Plastic Fish (at the link shown above) and do the same! Thanks!


"THE RULES:

1) Collect all of your own plastic waste for a minimum of one week. (Longer is okay, too, but try to separate out the weeks' collections.) What qualifies as yours? Anything that benefits you. So, if your housemate or significant other brings home a tub of yogurt that you both share, the tub goes in your tally. But if you hate yogurt, never touch the stuff, and wouldn't have bought it for yourself in a million years, it's not your responsibility. What about stuff for your kids? I'll leave that up to you. Whatever you decide, just be consistent about collecting it. Personally, I'd be very interested to see how much plastic waste is generated by babies, since I don't have children myself.

2) Try to live the way you normally would. It doesn't help to artificially reduce your plastic consumption for the sake of a one-week tally if you will go back to living with more plastic afterward. Think of this exercise as a scientific experiment. Nothing more.

3) At the end of the week, take a photo of your stash and list out the items. You might also want to include details about what things are recyclable in your community or not.

4) Guilt is not encouraged. Nor are comparisons with other people whom you perceive to be doing "worse" or "better" than you in terms of plastic waste. This exercise is for purely educational purposes. Guilt doesn't help.

5) After tallying your plastic waste, try answering the following questions:

• What items could I easily replace with plastic-free or less plastic alternatives?


• What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic-free alternative doesn't exist?


• How many of these items are from "convenience" foods that could be made from scratch with less packaging but might take more time to prepare?


• What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?


• What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?


• What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?


• What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?

6) Guilt is unnecessary.

7) Send your photo, tally, and answers to questions to beth[at]fakeplasticfish[dot]com along with as much personal info as you feel comfortable sharing: Geographical location, gender, housemate/relationship status, work status (at home or away from home), children living with you, etc. These factors might influence the amount of plastic waste you generate and would be interesting to know, but are completely up to you of course.

8) If you have your own blog, feel free to post your tally, etc. there as well. And let me know the URL so I can link to you.

9) There is no time limit for doing this exercise. I would love to publish a series of "Show Us Your (Plastic) Trash" posts over several weeks or even months, depending on the response.

10) Guilt will only get in the way of understanding. It's not needed for this challenge.

11) Seriously.

Who's in?"

Nestle Pure Life Water Commercial

Has anyone else seen this commercial? It's laughable. Everything they say is true: they talk about how kids don't swim in pools of high fructose corn syrup, how they don't play in sugar, etc. They talk about artificial colours and flavours, too. It gets your attention, until you realize what the ad is for: bottled water!!!


Um.

Does anyone wonder why companies sell stuff? It's not because they want to improve the world, it's not because they think that their product is better for the public. It's because they make MONEY!!!! Especially big companies like Nestle. Bottled water is a multi-million dollar industry.

The worst part of this is that tap water is better for your pocketbook and the environment. There are safeguards and regulations in place regarding tap water-it's there to protect us. There are fewer regulations regarding bottled water, and it is much more likely to contain feces. Google that, if you don't believe me. Worse, companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi take tap water and run it through filters and then bottle it. That works out to 40% of all bottled water - it's just glorified tap water anyway!

On the side of the environment: it is estimated that 88% of Americans don't recycle their water bottles, they throw them out. That works out to 40 million water bottles A DAY. I don't have numbers for Canadian water bottles but numbers (the 88% part) are likely similar. Nevermind the fact that the bottles are made of plastic that usually isn't made from recycled materials.

Health-wise, we should all know that plastic leaches chemicals. "They" say that BPA (Bisphenol-A) is the dangerous plastic, and that plastics now are safe and don't leach....BUT...didn't they say that about BPA? For years they've used plastics in food storage for adults and babies and assumed it was safe, only to find out that it isn't. What a surprise.

To close, I'd like to implore people: don't fall prey to advertising. Don't buy plastic water bottles at up to 10,000 times the cost of tap water. Instead, invest in a stainless steel water bottle, or a mason jar with tight fitting lid. Carry it with you, and refill it from the tap. People may look at you funny when you hand a mason jar to them to fill, but hey, maybe it will make them think!