Marine Monday, Episode 5, March 3, 2017

Plastic is everywhere and it is VERY hard to avoid! But with a little prior proper planning for "perfect" performance (as my friend you to say!), we all can do better about using plastic in our everyday lives.

This episode's blog brings you a the first of concrete actions to take "while you are dry" according to Ocean Defender. They have created a list of steps at http://www.oceandefenderhawaii.com/get-involved/

Why? Take a look at this short pro-mo video by the Ocean Conservancy https://www.facebook.com/oceanconservancy/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf

Today's ACTIONS

REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE ALL PLASTICS.
This one should be simple and self explanatory, avoid plastics at all cost! Take your grocery or shopping bag with you, please don’t leave home without it. Buy your own (metal)straw, silverware, and reuse/wash any plastic containers you might get from take-out (better yet, bring your own for them to fill!) or get from the grocery store. Don't use any more plastic coffee lids or cups! Bring your own smart cup instead.

Sometimes I leave home with good intentions but then I realize I have forgotten my shopping bag(straw, silverware, coffee mug) at home, so I am forced to use whatever the store provides for me. We all tend to forget! I might suggest in a small investment in the items(and ones like them) below and then putting them in a convenient, obvious place (like your purse, car trunk, etc) so that you don't wander off without them!

Suggestions for being prepared to not rely on plastic: 

TOTES

• Whole Foods and many other grocery stores have reusable bags for sale at checkout for $1-$2 each. Invest!

• Put your children's, grandchildren's, pet's or whatever/whoever you want to see when you shop by ordering a custom bag at http://www.personalizationmall.com/Personalized-Photo-Canvas-Tote-Bag-Single-Photo-i39815.item?productid=14933&sdest=prodcat&sdestid=72

STRAWS

• Youkee makes a set of aluminum straws in cute colors when you need a straw for your healthy beverage. https://www.amazon.com/Colored-Smoothie-Cleaning-Reusable-Dinking/dp/B01MZ2M3KD/ref=sr_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1490561991&sr=1-10&keywords=metal+straws
• Better yet, give up straws altogether!

SILVERWARE

• Target sells reusable sets of silverware, perfect for your purse/man bag. Or put them in your lunch bag, wash, put them back in!

COFFEE MUGS

• Joco sells the most adorable travel coffee mugs! Check out all of the colors at https://jococups.com/

REUSE

• Wash plastic storage bags and tupperware-type containers. When you order something to go from a restaurant, let them know that you are going to be bringing your own container for them to fill ahead of time. Bring it to your favorite restaurant for leftover-filling. Remember, styrofoam IS plastic, so unless you know the restaurant is using cardboard boxes/clamshells, it's better to bring your own.

Marine Monday, Episode 4, March 13, 2017

I really like steak and a good burger. The ironic thing is that I was a vegetarian for 7 years before I drifted back into the realm of carnivores. I don't eat it often...and I will be eating it less now that I know the cattle industry is responsible for 14.5 % of all greenhouse emission gasses, which include methane and carbon dioxide.

Here are some facts to consider.
1. Cows belong to a family of animals called ruminants, which means along with their 4 stomachs, they have a rumen within their digestive tract. The rumen is essentially a large fermentation vat for mixing their food(the plants the cows eat, mainly grass). Sheep and goats are also ruminants.

2. As cows digest, they emit (fart!) a gas called methane. Methane is 30 times more potent as a heat-trapping gas than carbon dioxide, thus it is a powerful greenhouse gas.

3. More than 1/3 of all fossil fuel use in the United States is used for raising animals for our consumption, and nearly half of our water use goes towards this. In addition, cows produce a lot of waste (poop) which pollutes our waterways. Cows must have grazing land, and up to 30% of the Earth's land mass has been cleared of its trees so that cows can eat. Not to mention that 70% of the grain grown in the US goes to feeding cattle! The raising of cows for food is not only inefficient and polluting, it is unsustainable for feeding a growing population of people on the planet.

ACTION STEP: Go to http://racingextinction.com/ and sign up for their Diet Challenge under the 'Challenge Yourself" tab.  The challenge is to cut out meat (including fish) one day per week. 
If everyone did that just one day per week, the effects would be dramatic!

Marine Monday, Episode 3, March 6, 2017.

Short, but inspirational, video: http://www.reefliferestoration.com/single-post/2017/02/25/Corals-Build-Underwater-Fish-Cities

Let's talk about coral reef bleaching. To break this complicated subject down a bit for the purposes of a Monday morning read, I will limit this tutorial to a few short paragraphs.

What is coral reef bleaching?
Corals are animals which rely on a symbiotic relationship with many sea creatures, including something called photosynthetic algae. The coral provides an environment of protection and materials for photosynthesis(the process by which the algae makes its own food, like many plants on the land do). The algae, in turn, provides the coral with vital oxygen, glucose, and amino acids, which the coral needs to make calcium carbonate in order to grow. It also provides the coral with its beautiful colors.
When the coral is stressed (such as when the water becomes too warm, i.e.climate change, or is exposed to an abundance of pollution), it can expel the algae, which results in a whitish, "bleached" look. If the coral goes too long without the algae, it will die.


Why does this matter?
This is important because within any ecosystem, if something changes dramatically, it affects everything else within that ecosystem and beyond. Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and so many creatures ultimately rely on them, including humans. The reef system (and the ocean in general) provides food, jobs, and protection. The health of the reefs is tied to the health of the oceans, which is ultimately tied to every other living thing on the planet, including us!


What can I do about it?
This week's action step is to write your congressperson using the link below asking them to take action on climate change. It only takes a few minutes! You don't need to print, just hit send and it sends it for you! https://citizensclimatelobby.org/write-congress-about-climate-change/#/7/

According to this website, this is a suggested way to formulate your letter: You can make your letter short and to the point.

Suggested outline for your letter:

• Introduce yourself with a little something about you – job, children, faith affiliation, etc. and mention why climate change is a concern for you. Cite an impact projected in your area.
• Point out that 13 Republicans in the House and 5 in the Senate have attached their names to resolutions/amendments that affirm the existence of climate change and the need to provide solutions.
• Say that you think the best solution is carbon fee and dividend and ask if he/she will introduce or support such legislation.
• Ask for a reply.

We will automatically include an opening salutation to your member of Congress and your signature at the end.

This was my letter. Feel free to copy/put your own stuff in/and send! Done! Next week we will talk about a Carbon Fee solution.

Dear Congress Members,

My name is Lynn Sisler and I am writing to you on behalf of the coral reefs. I am an artist and educator living in western Massachusetts, and I am very concerned with the direction and attitudes my government has taken with the subject of climate change recently.

Climate change is real, and the dramatic change in recent years is due directly because of human actions. Although I am not a scientist, I have done my research. The coral reefs around the globe are showing signs of stress, mainly due to warming ocean waters. This is a sign of an ecosystem which is not sustainable or healthy, which ultimately affects humans via economy, food availability, and weather patterns. 

One of the best solutions, at least to start, would be a carbon fee. I'm asking that you introduce and/or support such legislation. We also need to continue to work with other countries to support the actions/plans made at the Climate Change Summit in 2016. 

Please reply and let me know that you are with the coral reef!  

Sincerely,

Lynn Sisler

Florence, MA