Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship Green Sanctuary Program

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Topic: Water Conservation "It is a curious situation that the sea, from which life first arose, should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life." ~ Rachel Carson Support the Seaweeds: 50 Ways To Save the Oceans by Emily Main July/August 2006 National Geographic Green Guide http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/115/50ways Most of us relish the beach: fresh salty air, sand between our toes and the reassuring crash of waves. But our oceans bring us more than a respite from daily life. "While the rain forests have been called the lungs of the planet, tiny plankton in the world's oceans actually absorb most of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and return 70 percent of the oxygen we need to live," writes David Helvarg, president of the Blue Frontier Campaign (bluefront.org) in 50 Ways to Save the Ocean (Inner Ocean Publishing, 2006, $12.95). Here are a few steps Helvarg suggests that even the landlocked can take: Choose Green Power In response to rising prices, the national Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorized a gas and oil survey of protected waters off the U.S. coasts; next came pressure on Congress to open these areas to drilling. Using these fossil fuels for energy and transport releases the greenhouse gas CO2. And coal-burning power plants release neurotoxic mercury, sulfur oxide (SO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), components of smog and acid rain. Rain carries these toxins into bays and oceans. See our Green Power Utilities Product Report for how to choose cleaner energy in your area. Drive Less: Carpool, Bike, Walk or Take Public Transportation Another source of the NO2 in smog, as well as CO2, is your car's tailpipe. Helvarg notes that NO2 emissions may account for more than 25 percent of the nitrogen buildup that causes oceanic dead zones. Create Ocean-Friendly Outdoor Space Impermeable surfaces such as asphalt and concrete increase the amount of storm water that runs off your driveway into storm drains, carrying oil and other contaminants into waterways and out to sea. One gallon of oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of seawater. So maximize plant cover, which absorbs water, and use gravel or other permeable materials for driveways, patios and paths. Also, wash your car at a do-it-yourself commercial carwash, which drains oil and other automotive contaminants to wastewater treatment plants, not your storm drain. B.Y.O. Shopping Bag Landlubbers take heed: "There's an international ban on dumping plastic [in the ocean], so most of the plastic in the ocean comes from land," Helvarg says. Plastic bags are often mistaken for jellyfish by endangered sea turtles and other wildlife, which die from ingesting them. Other plastics "stay in the ocean and form a fine dust which then becomes a toxic sponge" that absorbs synthetic chemical toxins like polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT. The dust concentrates these poisons tens of thousands of times more than seawater can, and it winds up in the fish we eat. To recycle plastic bags, check www.earth911.org for nearby drop-off spots. Green Your Aquarium Tropical fish for saltwater aquariums are often irresponsibly harvested in the wildÑ90 percent of them die and coral reefs are harmed. "Fish collectors use a dilution of either bleach or cyanide [to paralyze fish]," Helvarg says. "It's better to choose a tropical freshwater aquarium, for which the fish are domestically raised in tanks, not taken out of the wild." For help, use the consumer guide to fish at www.reefprotect.org. When cleaning or dismantling an aquarium, dispose of contents properly. Like ships' ballast water, your aquarium's contents could introduce "tropical, non-native species or microbes to surrounding bodies of water," Helvarg says. For instance, a decorative seaweed called Caulerpa taxifolia, reportedly discharged from an aquarium in Monaco, is smothering the Mediterranean. If you're giving up on your aquarium, "give the fish and flora away," Helvarg advises. Place unwanted materials in the land trash. Don't Flush Pharmaceuticals When we discard pills and medicines down the toilet, they wind up in waterways, where they can disrupt the reproductive systems of aquatic organisms. Sewage treatment plants aren't designed to remove chemicals from consumer products. Seal securely and put in the land trash. Get Involved Join the "seaweed rebels" by participating in a beach clean-up or buying a license plate that supports conservation efforts. The important thing, Helvarg says, is to do something. You can start by buying 50 Ways to Save the Ocean at www.thegreenguide.com/books.