If a Monkey Can, Why Can't We?

Click the video to see what the monkey does. Amazing!

The Ghost Below - Art Exhibit

Dive deep into the issues of ocean trash with a tale 

from the belly of a whale!

Artists Richard and Judith Lang have created an art experience from one unsuspecting whale’s deathly meals! This hulking and thought-provoking sculpture, made from a portion of the 450lbs of "ghost nets" and trash found in the belly of a dead sperm whale necropsied by The Marine Mammal Center, is just one heartbreaking tale of what can happen to marine life when humans set their garbage adrift. You’ll see, touch, learn and be inspired to make the ocean a healthier place for all.

The Ghost Below

Art Installation by Judith & Richard Lang

At The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, CA

Netting collected from the Pacific Gyre by members of Project Kaisei 

© The Marine Mammal Center

The word “ghost” in the exhibit title was inspired by the ghost nets which are lost or discarded at sea by the fishing industry and left to float aimlessly in the oceans for a lifetime. Birds, fish, crabs and marine mammals get caught in this silent floating debris and are lost in what is called “ghost fishing.” It is estimated that ghost nets account for approximately 10% of all marine debris.

Read more: http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/Get-Involved/events/ghost-below.html

A Message From Greenpeace

Look what's happening in India...

Source: Greenpeace International

China Finds Dead Ducks in Sichuan River

In more bad news out of China today we have learned through a Bloomberg report that more than 1000 dead ducks have been discovered in the Nanhe River in Sichuan.  

This news, along with the recent discovery of over 16,000 dead pigs in a Shanghai river, have drawn attention to China's food supply industry and brought about concerns for the country's drinking water supply system.

At last count there were more than 16,000 dead pigs found in a river near Shanghai, China. According to Business Insider, we may finally know the story behind the dead pigs:

While pig breeders in China are legally barred from sending pigs that die from disease or natural causes to butchers, estimates suggest that dead pigs being sold on the black market might make up to 10 percent of China's pork supply, the South China Morning Post reports.

In an interview with China's CCTV this week, Pan Huimin, a resident of the region where the pigs were first found, told the crew there was a “100 per cent” correlation between the pigs in the river and his own arrest for dealing in dead pigs.

Pan explained that his business was well-known in the region. “I managed [to get rid of the dead pigs] for them while they benefited financially too," he explained.

What appears to have happened is that farmers, perhaps accustomed to keeping pigs that died naturally to sell later, may have panicked upon hearing of Pan's arrest and dumped the pigs. At least one farmer has come forward to admit to dumping the pigs so far.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-dead-pig-trade-2013-3#ixzz2OgBWhpSZ


Source: Business Insider - Dead Pigs in China

Source: Latest Environmental Scare in China

The Last Ocean

Via EcoWatch: 

Have you ever heard of the Ross Sea? No? Well, not many people have and that’s a good thing. The Ross Sea is located about 2,500 miles south of New Zealand on the shores of Antarctica and is considered to be the most pristine marine ecosystem on the planet, teeming with life and untouched by humankind. One of the coldest spots in the world, the mesmerizing Ross Sea provides a unique opportunity for marine biologists and scientists to study an intact thriving ecosystem. However, the secret is getting out and THE LAST OCEAN is a documentary chronicling a team of dedicated scientists as they fight to protect the sea from international fishing fleets searching for the elusive and tasty toothfish. The stakes are high as we’re losing the toothfish rapidly, and that could have a lasting effect on not just the Ross Sea ecosystem, but also the entire planet. Educational and exquisite, THE LAST OCEAN puts the audience right next to the men and women who have dedicated their lives to fighting governments, industry, and public awareness, all to save the living laboratory that is Earth’s last ocean.

This film is showing at the CIFF at Tower City Cinemas, 230 W Huron Rd., Cleveland, Ohio 44113 on: 

Saturday, April 6 at 8:50 p.m.
Sunday, April 7 at 1:55 p.m.

Movie trailer: The Last Ocean

Source: EcoWatch

A Message From Greenpeace

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GreenpeaceInternational/posts

Article: Low water levels bedevil Great Lakes harbors

This article appeared in USA Today, March 17, 2013:

By Judy Keen

Communities and businesses all along the coasts of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are wishing for rain as record-low water levels threaten the region's economic stability.

NEW BUFFALO, Mich. — This town has 1,884 residents and almost 1,000 boat slips filled by summer visitors, so low water levels in Lake Michigan threaten its economic stability and its identity as "the heart of harbor country."

No wonder Jim Oselka, who runs Oselka Marina, a family business founded here in 1957,says, "Every time I see it raining, I'm like 'Yes!' "

The water lapping against the marina's 150 boat slips is 15 inches lower than it was a year ago, forcing Oselka to consider dredging for the first time since the 1960s. He has to have enough clearance to accommodate sailboats with 5-foot keels.

"I'm anticipating a good season. And I'm hoping and praying that water levels have hit their low, and they're going to go back the other way," Oselka says.That wish is shared by communities and businesses all along the coasts of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, which set record lows in January and are expected to stay 2 feet below long-term averages at least through August. Blame the extended drought and hot weather that speeds evaporation, says Keith Kompoltowicz, chief of watershed hydrology for the Army Corps of Engineers' Detroit district.

The mean water level in January was 576.02 feet above sea level, he says, breaking the previous record of 576.05 in March 1964. The corps started keeping records in 1918.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/17/great-lakes-harbors-low-water/1992719/

Water Environment Federation

I couldn't bear to leave the story about the dead pigs in the river near Shanghai on the top of my blog, so I'm posting something else instead.

Just discovered this website for Water Environment Federation at http://www.wef.org/

The site features areas for a campaign called Water's Worth It, a WaterBlog, as well as a Work For Water section, and more.

Visit the site today...lots of great articles, info, and discussion forums can be found.

6000 Dead Pigs Found in Shanghai River

Officials in Shanghai, China have confirmed that 6000 dead pigs have been recovered from the river that runs through the center of the city and that they expect to find more carcasses according to Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency.  

Following the discovery of the dead pigs the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported that no pollution had been found in the city’s drinking water, however later reports indicated that a water sample was found to contain a porcine circovirus. According to the World Health Organization, the circovirus does not pose a threat to human health.

Chinese officials believe the pigs were dumped in the river by “pig farms in Zhejiang's Jiaxing City.” Forty-six people from the area have been imprisoned for selling the meat from diseased pigs.  

The government has assured residents that their drinking water is safe, but not everyone accepts that declaration. Residents took to China’s microblog service, Sina Weibo to express their disbelief.

Blogger @_Nina_Burbage posted this comment: “Since apparently, the water has not been contaminated, big leaders, please go ahead and have the first drink.”

Source: http://qz.com/61280/2800-dead-pigs-just-another-example-of-the-waste-that-pollutes-chinas-waterways/