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

Marine Monday, episode 2, February 27, 2017

Knowledge is power! Marine Mondays, through Menagerie Studio's blog, seeks to educate and suggest concrete action steps so that we can all do a little(or a lot) to help support our planet's oceans.

                                 Today I would like to introduce you to Mission Blue

One of my heroes is Sylvia Earle; oceanographer, scientist, pioneer, and the woman who started Mission Blue, a non-profit organization with a brilliant idea. Here is their mission statement:

"Mission Blue inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. As of Dec 2016, 5.1% of the global ocean was covered by marine protected areas. From the seamounts of the high seas to the shallow sunlit reefs, Mission Blue seeks to bring about a significant increase in ocean protection to 30% by the year 2030."

In other words, Mission Blue works to create "Hope Spots", which act like protected national parks on the land (think: California's Redwood Forest or Yellowstone National Park in the ocean!) These Hope Spots are places chosen in the ocean which have:

• A special abundance or diversity of species, unusual or representative species, habitats or ecosystems
• Particular populations of rare, threatened or endemic species
• A site with potential to reverse damage from negative human impacts
• The presence of natural processes such as major migration corridors or spawning grounds
• Significant historical, cultural or spiritual values
• Particular economic importance to the community

This week's ACTION STEPS

1. To learn more about Hope Spots, Mission Blue's mission, and what you can do to help, visit their website at https://www.mission-blue.org/act-now/ . Donating money is good, but just learning about what this organization is doing is excellent, too. 

2. Watch Mission Blue's documentary! It is streaming on Netflix. Check out the trailer here: https://www.mission-blue.org/the-film/

3. Sign up for Mission Blue's newsletter at https://www.mission-blue.org/

Have a great week!

Marine Monday, February 20, 2017. Episode 1

Welcome to the first weekly blog post through Menagerie Studio dedicated to Ocean Friendly tips, products, and general goings-on.  The purpose of these Marine Monday episodes is to inform and empower people to take some sort of action in order to be more mindful about what could be easily done (or maybe, in some cases, require more of an effort) to sustain our oceans. By personally choosing one action (or more!) to adopt per week, we can effectively make a positive change for the world's oceans and for our quality of life on Earth.

But I don't even live near the ocean! How does the ocean affect me? I'm only one person..what can I do??

First, let's take a look at why the oceans are so important...

http://climatekids.nasa.gov/ocean/

Yes, this is a "kids" site, but I think it does a really good job of explaining things in a very clear and concise way. You can even watch a video for all of you visual learners out there!

In a nutshell, the oceans are important (in part) because
1. They soak up heat from the atmosphere
2. They soak up excess CO 2
3. They sustain a large and intricate food web/ecosystem
4. They affect the climate and weather
5. Without healthy oceans, life may eventually cease to exist on Earth

Action Step This Week
Click on the NASA site listed above and  begin to educate yourself about why future conservation and personal action steps are important.

“The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” 
― Robert F. Kennedy

For a long time, I have been looking for my purpose. This seeking, continuously searching quest is life-long. I believe these opportunities to find purpose present themselves much more often when a person is open and grateful. If we take action, even if it is small, we have the power to affect greater change for the better. The Universe is extremely generous if we let it be.

I am moving from my hiatus from (active) artmaking back into the fold, having given a lot of thought to where I want to go with it, and I came to the realization that my purpose is to utilize my talents to do what Robert Kennedy said, so simply and eloquently,  to 'contribute to make things better.'

Given the current state of affairs in America, it is easy to get bogged down with negative thoughts. I have gone to sleep many nights being plagued with stress and outrage. Many times I am, and continue to be, overwhelmed. Taking small, positive actions can help manage these thoughts, and I have really thought about where I want to put my energy regarding this vital push back against the machine of fear, intimidation, and destruction.

So, I have spent the last few months reflecting, being open and communicating to the Universe. I have applied to 3 artist residencies, taken an oil painting class, started my scuba certification, and done a lot of reading; all of which led me to deeply exploring marine conservation and what my contribution as an artist could be.

This week, I am finally getting back into the studio to paint with my new medium: oil paint. It's always difficult to jump back in, to get that groove back. But I am ready and excited to see what this next exploration brings to light.

I am an artist, and I have been since childhood. Art had sustained me (emotionally, not financially) through major periods of my life. In high school, art class was something that I looked forward to daily. I attended art school at Northern Illinois University, then moved to Chicago, which, amidst my misery and heartbreak, I continued to create mixed-media assemblages. I spent my 20's in Atlanta trying to sell my paintings, but not having any idea how. In Brooklyn, years late, I spent the better part of a year exploring the city and new mediums. Here in Massachusetts, I lingered a full year trying to build an arts business, including having a solo show. And I wouldn't change any of that, because all of those experiences tell me that this is who I am and where I belong. But things are changing rapidly.

In August, I got a position as an elementary school art teacher. I love my job. I wasn't sure if I was going to love it at first, but it turns out that I do. Teaching is in my soul, and it makes me feel at home. But I wake up every morning feeling guilty that I am not doing any painting. I used to do it every day, but now...nothing. I tell myself that I am taking a hiatus. I am thinking about my options, processing, and having experiences to begin anew.

Many times, when I sit down to write in my journal (I began journaling 3 years ago via The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and it changed my life), I get the same feeling. What do I start with? And I look at my planner to help. Journaling for me is not a diary, it is a way to get my thoughts out to the Universe so as to free up the places in my mind to make room for creativity. But sometimes, my journal comes off like a diary. I try not to judge myself to harshly, as Julia encourages, but it's hard.

People ask me, "Do you still paint?" and I have to say, "No". Then I feel guilty again, like I am letting myself down. But I try to justify it by listing all of the things I continue to do, such as starting a new collaboration with a friend of mine and doing some prototypes for a new business. I am hosting an open house holiday studio sale and I am spending more time reading for inspiration and less time watching the news.

In the end, I make trade-offs. I find a new balance. And that balance is flexible. I wish I felt energetic at night to work in my studio, but so far, I don't. I have to admit that I am taking a hiatus from  the physical act of painting, but I know that I will eventually come back to it. I always do. There is an ebb and flow to where I put my energy. That's where I can find peace and joy in what I am doing currently, and remain patient that something new will come along.