The Green Pearl Activists!

[J Marcus]

~Ocean Acidification Hits Great Barrier Reef~​

In an article dated January 1, 2009, an article in the well known and respected magazine Scientific American, title above, it is noted that the growth of corals in the Great Barrier Reef has slowed significantly. As stated in this article, the most likely suspect is Ocean Acidification. I think that at this point the question must be asked--Has Ocean Acidification already begun to affect/damage the growth and production of saltwater pearls? I believe that this news points out the urgency of addressing this oncoming environmental train wreck. It is not something approaching in the uncertain future. The problems have already started to happen and, given the immensity of the problem, we have little time to turn things around. Read this article at:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id...ts-great-barrier-reef&SID=mail&sc=emailfriend

 

[Caitlin]

Hi
The Climate of 2008 - in Historical Perspective ~ Annual Report link doesn't work for me.

 

[J Marcus]

Hi
The Climate of 2008 - in Historical Perspective ~ Annual Report link doesn't work for me.

How right you are, Caitlin. I'll have to see what the problem is. Thank you for letting me know.

 

[J Marcus]

OK. Try this for the NOAA report. If this works, then I'll replace the url in the earlier post.

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2008/ann/ann08.html

(Later) OK. It works now. I added the url to the earlier post as well. Silly me--I posted the title but not the url.........

 

[J Marcus]

I thought that I would mention that, as a result of my internet research on ocean acidification (global warming), I have found that apparrently deforestation is causing the release of more CO2 into the atmosphere than all the cars and trucks combined--not that the transportation sector isn't extremely significant. From this I conclude that one of the best places to put one's charity money is into reforestation projects. This is an effective, low-tech, carbon-sequestration method that is workable right now. It is a long-term approach that takes effect over time--however, there is evidence from the last several centuries that reforestation in South and Central America, after disease brought in by Europeans had largely depopulated these areas, caused a significant lowering of global CO2 levels and a cooling of the earth for a good while. I will be putting a section together on this subject on my blog as soon as I can:
http://fixingair.blogspot.com/ There are many excellant reforestation/tree-planting projects that are either operating now or are just beginning--both in the USA and many other places all over the globe.

 

[Slraep]

I thought that I would mention that, as a result of my internet research on ocean acidification (global warming), I have found that apparrently deforestation is causing the release of more CO2 into the atmosphere than all the cars and trucks combined--not that the transportation sector isn't extremely significant. From this I conclude that one of the best places to put one's charity money is into reforestation projects.

I've come to the same conclusion.

There is another thing behind major CO2 release, though. It is animal farming. Animal farming is one of the biggest causes of deforestation, hence not only facilitating CO2 release into the atmosphere, but also generating another greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide.

Another suggestion:

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
http://www.ftpf.org/

 

[pearlescence]

One of the major causes is the flatulence of bovines. If we all went veggie that would stop a huge amount of the problem (or transfer it to humans if we ate too many pulses)

I interviewed Jack Hargreaves http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hargreaves some years ago. He maintained that there were some places on the planet we were not supposed to live and trying to live there was usually futile over time.

Not sure if the dvd set of his tv series is available outside the uk but those interested in old country ways of living and farming, or in watching a master of television relaxing his way through 15 minutes should get a set. Unlike today he was content to let the pictures speak for themselves without wittering on continuously.

I got good marks from him for planting trees though

 

[J Marcus]

For some time now Americans and others (I think) have been buying up old Estancias--former, worn-out, cattle ranches that had been carved out of the jungle in Costa Rica and A) using them as tree plantations where reasonable to do so; and B) both helping and allowing parts of them that weren't suitable for arboriculture to go back to a wild state; therefore converting them to a sustainable function and thus allowing them to return to a more natural state in both cases and allowing for carbon capture and the restoration of wildlife habitat. It's amazing how fast those tropical species of trees grow. Teak grows about four or five times faster than fir and hemlock in the northern US and Southern Canada. Reforesting tropical forests is probably the fastest way to use trees for carbon capture. I've read of NGOs claiming to be planting trees for as little as ten cents each. I'll check into some and see which ones look legitimate.

By the way--I've added a section titled "Deforestation and CO2 Pollution" to my blog. So far it mostly refers to articles from Science Daily, but I'm working on it.......

http://fixingair.blogspot.com/

So go plant a tree or twenty!!!!!

 

[J Marcus]

There's a new wrinkle in the CO2 issue as you may read here in the 1/28/08 issue of the New York Times:

"The Greenhouse Effect and the Bathtub Effect"

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/the-greenhouse-effect-and-the-bathtub-effect/?emc=eta1

 

[J Marcus]

Here's an interesting NY Times report on the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the projected effects of global warming:

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/why-2007-ipcc-report-lacked-embers/?emc=eta1

 

[J Marcus]

Here's the good news that frustrates the hell out of me!!!! My research into the CO2 problem has convinced me that effective solutions have already been found. The real problem is nothing more nor less than a lack of political and economic will to put these solutions into motion!!! Here's a site that I've found that details the problems and their solutions: http://www.wecansolveit.org/
Check them out--If you like what they are promoting, then join them, contribute and promote their program. This is an example of the actualization of our president's emphatic statement of hope: "YES WE CAN!" It's an affirmation that demands that we, as citizen-participants, roll up our sleeves and get to actual work and be an actual part of the solutions to our problems; to open our wallets and contribute, both individually and collectively through our tax dollars; and to voice our demands (write letters, speak out in public forums, etc.) that we the people insist that the politcal and business entities of our country get off their self-serving keesters and do the right thing!

 

[J Marcus]

Here is a recent report on the current state of ocean acidification. It's dire.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/03/10

 

[Slraep]

Has this link been posted already? This company seem quite green. They sell some Sea of Cortez pearls from Douglas McLaurin. They use recycled gold, non-conflict diamonds and sapphires, donate a percentage back to African communities and the blog is interesting.

http://www.brilliantearth.com/reflections_collection/

 

[Johanna]

Glad I found this thread. My Tender Beauty Foundation, inc., incorporated last year just received its letter of 501 c 3 and is officially is a public charity. Looking forward to receiving grant applications (deadline, Nov 1, 2009) for ocean-saving projects.

 

[J Marcus]

Congratulations on your 501-3C status, Johanna! ...and welcome, again, to the forum. We look forward to your contributions.

 

[Johanna]

Thanks, Marcus! The acidification of the world's oceans is of great concern to me, in that it threatens aquatic and human life, and the pearl industry.

My Board and I will meet in early June to discuss new programmatic directions for the Foundation, in addition to fundraising and various administrative matters. If you, or anyone else on this Forum, has suggestions about other organizations with whom the Foundation should work, programs we should consider funding, and folks we should contact, please let me know -- either here or at tenderbeautyfoundation@yahoo.com.

The Foundation is all-volunteer and has an interest in working globally as well as locally. My grant guidelines now are available, with a proposal deadline of 11/1/09.

Best wishes!

 

[Johanna]

Global warming seems to have picked up the pace. Have you heard about the runaway melt on Antarctica and Greenland?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32985250/ns/us_news-environment?wid=18298287

 

[Bigwellpearls]

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Please watch the movie and see the reality of how the world system of buying/selling capitalism/consumerism is/has ruined our earth...

 

[Bigwellpearls]

What is the Story of Stuff?

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

 

[Caitlin]

Thanks BigWellPearls. Excellent Post!