Kate Slusark's Blog: Living Sustainably

New York Times: Save our seas by curbing your emissions

2008-12-12T20:19:16Z

I was thrilled to see the New York Times editorial yesterday "The Oceans' Shifting Balance," which talked about what all the CO2 emissions in our air are doing to our oceans.

CO2 pollution – the same that is contributing to global warming – is also turning our oceans acidic. As the Times pointed out, this has devastating effects on coral:

"The growth of coral reefs will slow, and their structural integrity would be weakened, making them more vulnerable to storms and erosion. That would be a catastrophic loss."

Basically, coral has to build to stay alive – acidification makes this more difficult and corrodes it. Coral is constantly challenged by physical erosion from waves and acidification adds chemical erosion to the mix. (Not to mention, coral are already under stress because global warming is raising water temperatures and causing coral reef bleaching. Coral won’t be able to handle the 1-2 punch of bleaching and acidification.)

Chances are you’ve seen coral at some point in your life – on TV or through a snorkeling mask – and can understand what this means for our reefs.

But I’m guessing you probably haven’t heard of another early victim of ocean acidification – sea angels:

Watch them swim here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB5recdpPaI&feature=related.

Acidification affects the mineral that these sea angels (aka pteropods) use to build their shells. It takes them longer to build, and makes their shells weak and fragile, almost like osteoporosis. Scientists believe these creatures will eventually die-off as the oceans become more acidic.

Not only is this a problem because these are adorable and fascinating creatures – but they are a food source for fish around the world, including baleen whales (most whales). We all know how a food chain works – and chances are that loss would be felt up and down the line.

Additionally – research indicates that acidification also harms a wide variety of other ocean critters, including oysters, mussels, starfish, sea urchins, crabs, and important phytoplankton at the base of the food chain.

So what do we do? How do we stop the oceans from turning into a vat of acid and burning up all the cute little sea angels?

First, you can help improve the overall health of the ocean by eating sustainably caught seafood instead of overfished species, and supporting government initiatives such as more Marine Protected Areas (think National Parks of the sea) and a national Healthy Oceans Act.

But you can also fight acidification the same way we fight global warming for the rest of the planet – energy efficiency and breaking our addiction to oil.

By reducing our CO2 emissions we’re saving the oceans, so the same simple steps that help fight global warming – also help the sea.

So ride your bike when you can, use public transportation, or carpool to work. Make the switch to energy efficient light bulbs. Keep your thermostat only as warm (or cool) as you need it. Look for EnergyStar appliances. For more tips, check out NRDC’s website: http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/genergy.asp.

You’re not just doing it for yourself – you’re doing it for the sea angels.

The Great White Way Goes Green with NRDC

2008-11-26T15:22:27Z

Just hours after the sad news that Broadway icon Gerald Schoenfeld passed away, Mayor Bloomberg took the stage of the O'Neill Theater to announce a plan that would have made Gerry proud - Broadway is "greening itself" by making its operations more environmentally friendly.

The mayor told the crowd he had second thoughts about coming to the theater yesterday, after hearing Gerry - a dear friend and Broadway legend - had passed. That changed, however, when he spoke to Gerry's wife, who told him - in true Broadway fashion - Gerry would've wanted the show to go on.

And so it did. From the set of "Spring Awakening," Mayor Bloomberg announced Broadway's "green awakening" - made possible by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Yes, the Great White Way has gone green. The news was ushered in with an original song written by Tony nominated composer/lyricist Nell Benjamin and radio host/Broadway personality Seth Rudetsky - and performed by a host of Broadway performers (watch video of the performance from the City of New York's website here - song starts at about minute 21:30). It was complete with cameos from Elphaba from Wicked, Frank from Young Frankenstein and Nicky from Avenue Q - all of whom are (literally) green Broadway characters themselves.

NRDC Senior Scientist Dr. Allen Hershkowitz - the environmental voice behind Broadway's greening process, though not singing or wearing green makeup, took the stage as well. Allen has been the driving and guiding force behind helping Broadway go green. He's also the man behind several similar "greening" projects - including Major League Baseball, the U.S. Open, the Oscars and the Grammys.

Allen told the crowd at the O'Neill Theater that one of the great things about improving Broadway's carbon footprint - in New York and in the 240 cities that host traveling shows around the country - is that theatergoers won't even be able to see the difference, outside from more visible recycling facilities. Broadway can better its practices without compromising the production quality that gives it its reputation. Greening is indeed largely behind the scenes.

Among the changes - 10 of the 39 Broadway theaters have already replaced the lighting on their marquees with energy efficient bulbs, and 14 others are on their way. For specifics on the other steps Broadway is taking to go green - from washing costumes in cold water and recycling stage sets to purchasing carbon offsets - go to: http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/081125a.asp.

In his remarks to the crowd yesterday, Wicked Producer David Stone remembered Gerry Schoenfeld for always setting the right example for the Broadway community - both within the industry and outside of it. He recounted a time when Gerry took him to lunch after Wicked became a hit, and recalled he told him that he now had a responsibility to find ways to give back. It was always with those words in mind, David said, that he approached his role in greening Broadway.

NOTE: To find out what you can do to be a greener Broadway fan, check out these 10 easy tips from NRDC.

(Photos courtesy of the City of New York)

(Toxic) Shrimp Cocktail

2008-08-29T17:18:28Z

Ask any Marylander – when you’re born and raised there, the Chesapeake Bay is a big deal. It’s a part of who you are. And I am no exception.

As a kid at my grandparents’ house on Irish Creek – a little inlet of the Bay – I would spend hours “chicken-necking” for Maryland blue crabs – an appropriately named process, as it involves dangling chicken necks into the water from a piece of twine and waiting for crabs to pinch at the bait so you can swoop them up with a net. At nine years old, I remember the pride on my dad’s face when I single-handedly caught three and a half dozen crabs in one day (a meal that could now run you upwards of $150 in a restaurant).

When I was 15, I stopped eating meat – yes, including crabs. But after a few years the Maryland girl in me started caving – and crabs became the one exception to my animal-free diet. Over the years, I’ve slowly incorporated other shellfish – mussels, oysters, lobster.

Most recently, I added shrimp to my list. This was particularly pivotal because it brought sushi to another level for me. I traded cucumber and avocado rolls for spicy shrimp, shrimp & mango, and shrimp tempura. But just before lunchtime yesterday – as I was day dreaming about the sushi special around the corner ($8.50 for any two rolls and a salad!) – our sustainable seafood expert sent me a few links about (sigh) shrimp.

You can imagine my disappointment upon reading that most of the shrimp we find on menus and in markets is either harvested from industrial ponds in tropical foreign countries where they’re exposed to untreated sewage, pesticides and antibiotics – or is caught by U.S. fisherman through bottom trawling, which clear-cuts our ocean floor and traps unwanted other sea life like sea turtles (called by-catch) along the way.

I got gazpacho.

The good news is, to be environmentally responsible and avoid eating a meal that’s been festering in a stew of bacteria and chemicals – I don’t have to cross shrimp off my list all together. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified the first-ever sustainable shrimp fishery – Oregon Pink Shrimp – last winter. I’m not yet sure where to find this on the East Coast – but after yesterday, I’m on the lookout. Let’s hope some more shrimp fisheries follow their lead.

P.S. Check all of your seafood purchases for blue MSC certification stickers to help make better choices for the ocean.