Every year, April 22, marks the anniversary of the birth, in 1970, of the modern US environmental movement. The organisation has grown into a global network and Earth Day 2008 is expected to be the biggest yet.
Millions of people around the world will be participating in events with the global warming action theme, 'Call for Climate'.
Today, the UK government published a draft Marine Bill which would provide protection for the UK's coastline and seas, and which would also give the public, freedom to walk around the entire English coast.
The proposed legislation contains the creation of a network of marine reserves, a new Marine Management Organisation and extends the right to roam. However, it could be a couple of years before it becomes law. More.
China's famous Yangtze River, is suffering from a severe water shortage caused by a longer than normal dry season; water levels are falling dramatically and the concentration of pollutants is rising, both of which are impacting the river's wildlife. Media reports indicate that the problem was initiated by the severe drought experienced in the upper reaches of the river during the autumn and that the situation will continue to worsen in February. According to U.S. scientists at the NOAA National Climatic Data Center, 2007 was the warmest year ever recorded for the Earth's land areas.
Scientists have sounded the alarm over the predatory crown of thorns starfish, which now seems to be threatening Indonesia's portion of the so-called 'coral triangle', regarded as the richest area of coral reef biodiversity anywhere on the planet. The coral triangle is an area between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Over half the world's coral reefs lie within this area and it boasts over 600 species of coral; it is home to more than 3,000 plant and fish species.
The crown of thorns starfish literally sucks the life out of coral and can reach plague proportions. More
Posts on this blog are more often about interesting places to visit, rather than places that most travellers should avoid at all cost, but the article Polluted Planet, that was recently posted on MSN Environment, does just that. They are described as hellholes, which are the relics of an environmentally ignorant industrial era and are considered contaminated cesspits, where even visiting might result in death.
They are the world's ten most severely polluted places, conveniently listed alphabetically, with thumbnails and a Windows Live Map, for further information. The list spans seven countries and affects more than 12 million people, who obviously have no choice but to try and survive there.
I came across this incredible video of whales, dolphins and other marine creatures, such as sea horses. The footage was taken by Dieter Paulmann who was inspired by a chance encounter with a huge white whale, which seemed to be Moby Dick; the encounter left him impressed and deeply touched.
You can see the result when you view the video on whalefootage.org. I am sure that it will also leave you feeling impressed and deeply touched, and with a strong desire to protect the environment, the sea and the whales.
This year's National Tree Week in the UK, runs from 21 November to 3 December, 2007. An annual event that was begun in 1975, it has been responsible for the planting of over 20 million trees.
"National Tree Week," say the Tree Council, "is the ideal opportunity to do one great thing for the environment, plant a tree."
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is again sailing to the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary to save Humpback, Fin and Minke whales from Japanese whalers.
It appears that some of the recent media coverage has been misleading. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society reports that it does not use violence and never has used violence and is not threatening violence. Apparently, in a ramming incident last year, it was a Japanese whaling ship that rammed the Sea Shepherd ship.
The Japanese will only be stopped by economic and social pressure. Copy this post and send it to a few friends, telling them what you think of the Japanese whalers. Let's use the power of bloggers to let the Japanese know what the world thinks about a country that allows its countrymen to engage in whaling.
Teams are gathering in Darwin, Australia, for the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge, which takes place 21 to 28 October. This is the 20th anniversary of the biennial event, in which teams research, build and design vehicles that are capable of completing the 3000km journey from Darwin in the North, to Adelaide in the South using only sunlight as fuel. And of course, then proving that their vehicle works, in the spirit of friendly competition.
59 vehicles from 19 countries are competing. There will be 18 solar vehicles competing in the Solar Challenge and a further 21 solar vehicles competing in the Adventure class. There is also a Greenfleet Demonstration class for bio friendly fuels that has attracted 20 other vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Read more about the Panasonic World Solar Challenge in an article from Steve Dow.
Today, October 15, 2007 is Blog Action Day. In its inaugural year, bloggers around the web are uniting to write posts about environmental issues and we are proud to be joining in with the thousands of blogs across the blogsphere. It is estimated that the combined blog posts will be read by over 13 million people, which makes blogging a pretty powerful medium for change.
Man has been impacting the environment since first walking the earth but it seems to me that the most harmful actions occur when we try to gain personal advantage at the expense of someone else, or even at the expense of other creatures. Look at illegal logging, the environmental damage caused by massive dam projects or the current arguments about who controls the Arctic. Consider the arguments surrounding the Hawaiian Superferry project or global warming, whale hunting and over-fishing; you get the idea; the list of examples is endless, from cheap air travel to political zealots driven by greed.
The inference of the preceding observation is that we can perhaps do most good for the environment by avoiding the acquisition of personal advantage at the expense of someone else, or other creatures. Interestingly this is essentially the Buddhist creed, expressed by AmidaBuddha.org in their thought for the day, Lead a righteous life; lead not a base life. The righteous live happily both in this world and the next. - Buddha.
Easily said, hard to argue against, but even harder to live by.
My short post last week about the Hawaii Superferry Protest has generated loads of interest and reflects the furor that has exploded in the media about the issue. Like most onlookers, when the idea of the Superferry was first announced, I thought that it seemed like something that would be of great benefit to the people of Hawaii and would certainly make life easier for tourists. Great assurances were made about possible environmental concerns and I was surprised to receive a strongly worded comment pointing out in no uncertain terms, that there was a lot more to the Hawaii Superferry Protest than meets the eye.
Another reader, Zaphod, provided a link to SinkDaSuperferry.googlepages.com for tons of links to superferry info and video, which I duly followed up and it seems that there is a lot more to this issue. It seems that the law requires ventures such as the Hawaii Superferry to be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) but despite protest, this requirement was waived in the case of the Superferry.
However, it turns out that there is even more to the story. Let me begin by drawing attention to an article by Joanne Ralston in Hawaii Reporter. Joanne asks why protesters have, "singled out just one company for an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Environmental Impact Study (EIS)." Suggesting that, "there is nothing fair or reasonable about this. Either everyone has to go through a costly and time consuming EIS, or no one does." She concludes that the Superferry Protesters are "Hypocrites All" and implies that there must be a hidden agenda to the protest.
Guess what, there is a hidden agenda, but surprise, surprise, the hidden agenda may not be coming from the protestors. A web site devoted to the superferry impact provides a valuable insight into the many and varied environmental issues but then comes up with this little gem. "The Superferry design is the same as vessels being used by WestPac Express who transport military personnel and equipment in Japan."
Can you hear the alarm bells ringing? superferryimpact.com advise that John F. Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy under President Reagan chairs the Hawaii Superferry Board of Directors; his private equity firm, J.F. Lehman & Co., has invested $71 million in the Hawaii Superferry and five of the other 11 members of the Hawaii Superferry Board have ties to J.F. Lehman & Co.
The site goes on to quote an interview with John F. Lehman in the Pacific Business News (April 8, 2005), the nub of which is that there will be regular usage of the Hawaii Superferry by platoons of Stryker vehicles because armored personnel carriers can travel as a unit and drive on to the ferry. The unit members will be able to go into the passenger area that is set up so that it will be a conference or briefing area, making it much cheaper and more efficient for the military to train soldiers.
Maybe, just maybe, this is the reason that the protesters have "singled out just one company for an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Environmental Impact Study (EIS)."
Just a few days after its maiden voyage, the new Hawaii Superferry has been grounded indefinitely until public safety can be assured.
On Monday, environmental protesters, arguing that the new ferry will endanger whales, cause pollution and damage the ecology, paddled out on surfboards, canoes and kayaks to blockade the $95 million ferry, forcing it to return to Honolulu. Already suspended from sailing to Maui because of an impeding court challenge, the Coast Guard has now said that a safe passage for the ferry cannot be guaranteed in and out of the harbor at Kauai.
Superferry officials say that the boat is jet powered, so there are no exposed propellers to endanger marine life and they have instituted special navigational procedures to avoid whales. Ironically, the only alternative means of travel between the Hawaiian islands is by air, which is the mode of transport most commonly targeted by the environmental lobby because of the widespread pollution that it causes.
Our listings contain many different activity holidays in Hawaii covering a wide range of activities, including swimming with dolphins.
Ridesharing to Burning Man has become a major goal and the organizers have called for "No empty passenger seats in 2007!". There is also a Biobus Shuttle transport from Reno to Black Rock City and back, powered by biodiesel.
A festival-wide composting program will manage all food waste and 1000 shared yellow bikes (funded by a generous burner) will help create the highest per capita municipal bike use in the United States. But the environmental friendliness of the festival extends way outside the boundaries of time and space. Amongst other initiatives, Burning Man has sponsored a project in Gerlach (the closest town to the festival, population 500), updating all light bulbs in the town from incandescent to energy-saving, compact fluorescent lights.
Burning Man has also sponsored the design and installation of a 120 kW solar array in Gerlach, Nevada together with a 60 kW solar array in Lovelock, Nevada. A 30 kW solar array will be used to help power the festival and the array will then be gifted to Gerlach after the event. Calculations indicate that the project will generate $3 million of electricity over the next 20 years, at no cost to Gerlach/Lovelock residents.
Every year, tens of thousands of people converge on the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, USA, to create Black Rock City and celebrate one of the world's great modern festivals, the Burning Man Festival. They pride themselves on taking nothing but photographs and leaving nothing but memories. The festival is dedicated to self-expression, self-reliance, and art as the center of community.
This year, the festival takes place August 27 to September 3, 2007 and in keeping with the global awareness of environmental issues, the art theme for Burning Man 2007 is "The Green Man".
Some very creative minds are associated with the Burning Man community and besides creating some great art, also create great environmental projects. A subject I will expand upon in future posts.
The coral triangle is an area between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Over half the world's coral reefs lie within this area and it boasts over 600 species of coral; it is home to more than 3,000 plant and fish species.
