I know, Zeitgeistland took a little break, to refresh the mind. Anyway, here is a really cool set of pictures and a short article on stingrays migrating off the coast of Mexico. I would dearly have loved to have seen this in person!

Stingray Migration

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Ok, a positive blog post for once. Yay! It seems that, after hunting humpback whales to the brink of extinction, their numbers are making a comeback. See, it just goes to show that when humans make an honest effort, they can save species from being eradicated by our wasteful ways. Of course, slavering commercial types will immediately want to start harvesting them and delisting them from protected status, but we must remember that ocean habitats and ecosystems are on the brink of collapse. That means that we we may need many whales around in case true ecosystem collapse happens, taking away or greatly reducing the food that whales need to eat to survive. If that happens, many may die. So, an abundance may be a valid insurance policy for whale survival.

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I have found an excellent piece of environmental journalism in The Guardian by Alex Renton. Thank-you Guardian, for supporting this kind of important reporting on the environment. I don’t want to add much here, for that would divert important reading time away from this very well-written and researched article. I end by saying that this is something that every citizen in every wealthy nation needs to know about and understand. It is only with knowledge that we can hope to save our natural world for our children, and we are on the brink.

• Ocean Fishery Depletion

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Here is a little good news via TreeHugger with regard to dumping refuse into the Mediterranean Sea, it is officially now prohibited. Ok, so, why did it take so long to make it ‘official’? Well, they wanted to have a few brains behind the law, so they spent recent years establishing services to haul away trash from ports around the coast. Makes sense, right? I think most practical people know that if you want your scheme to have any hope of success, you have to try to make it easier for people to do the right thing. Oh yeah, and then when they don’t you just fine the bejesus out of them.

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Yes, more sad news regarding seafood. Hey, what can I say? It’s the times we live in, not my fault. I know it gets to be a drag to hear about the neglectful state of our oceans and ocean-going creatures, but, what needs to be said needs to be said. We’ve put lots of stuff off for a long time, averting our gaze, hoping that we weren’t causing too much harm, but how long can that phase last? Fishing is an industry that simply must be modernized and made sustainable. We can’t continue to harvest the oceans like it’s 1899. Some in the fishing industry even recognize this, but many don’t. Scientists, those who’ve studied the oceans for a lifetime, have seen species crash right before their very eyes. It’s not theory, it’s fact. The problem is, how do we get humanity to change its wasteful binge here on Earth, because that requires a lifestyle change, a little sacrifice, as if somehow the whole pageant of life isn’t all about us…

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Here is yet another article summarizing the effect humans have had on our oceans, the largest ecosystem on our planet. The main article is published in Science, so you’re only going to be able to read that with a subscription.

• Human Hurt the Oceans

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That’s right, folks. Companies have been using shark liver oil (squalene) in soaps and other cosmetics, often as an emollient. Well, we all know that sharks, especially some species, have been suffering large drops in their numbers, and this is just one of the reasons. According to Oceana (a marine conservation organization), it seems that one multinational corporation, Unilever, has decided to stop using squalene, and replace it with a plant-based derivative.

• Shark Liver Oil in Soap

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Ok, read this and see what you think. It’s about the damage sonar likely causes whales. There are plenty of sites out there to give you a pretty balanced perspective on this issue. I know only some people will care, or even believe that sonar is harming whales. Some in that group figure it’s always acceptable to give the military whatever it needs whenever it wants it for our protection. Well, Bush is on their side, as usual. I’m someone who thinks there are limits to the destruction we should cause the environment and the creatures in it.

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The Nature Conservancy talks about coral reefs, and their delicate environmental needs. Many have been bleached due to human human causes, and there is the issue of how global warming is also increasing the temperature of the oceans out there, causing corals to die. They represent a huge amount of biodiversity on this planet, and we would be wise to protect and nurture them.

• Climate Change and Coral Reefs

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This article is very interesting! I have never heard of the use of human hair mats for soaking up oil, but, apparently it has been in use in San Francisco to deal with motor oil spills and leaks. The hair mats soak up the oil, and then oyster mushrooms are placed on the mats, which then absorb the oil and process it, so that the mats can be used safely as compost.

• Human Hair and Mushrooms Clean Oil Spill

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