Shocking Human impacts on Oceans

Researchers unveiled the first detailed map of human impacts on the world’s oceans last week, and the news is not good. A team of 20 acclaimed marine scientists from around the world collaborated on the project, finding that humans are having a major impact on marine ecosystems, leaving only four percent of the world’s oceans unaffected by human activities.

“In the past, many studies have shown the impact of individual activities,” said lead scientist Benjamin Halpern of California’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. “But here for the first time we have produced a global map of all of these different activities layered on top of each other so that we can get this big picture of the overall impact that humans are having rather than just single impacts.”

Scientists from the U.S., Canada and the UK worked together building a complex model to handle large amounts of data on 17 different human threats to marine ecosystems. They divided the world’s oceans in small squares and took a close look at data on how humans are influencing marine environments. In creating the final map, they calculated “human impact scores” for each location and put the numbers on the world map accordingly.

“I think the big surprise from all of this was seeing the complete coverage of human impacts,” said Mark Spalding, a Nature Conservancy marine scientist who worked on the map project.

“There’s nowhere really that escaped. It’s quite a shocking map to see,” said Spalding, adding that climate change and over-fishing remain the two biggest threats to restoring the world’s oceans.

"The message for policymakers seems clear to me: conservation action that cuts across the whole set of human impacts is needed now in many places around the globe."

“There’s an element of wake-up call when you get maps like this,” said Spalding. “I think that it is a real signal to roll up our sleeves and start managing our coasts and oceans.”

If you had to choose between solar panels and trees…

People can get a little kooky when they feel their neighbors are encroaching on their property. Thankfully, most people just shoot icy glares over the fence; they don't shoot and kill the guy next door. But it isn't unusual for such feuds to end up in court, especially where trees are concerned, given that the tall beasts can be rooted in one yard but extend into another.
Meet Richard Treanor and Carolynn Bissett of Sunnyvale, California. This Prius-driving couple lives next door to self-described environmentalist Mark Vargas. You’d think the trio of greenies would get along...

'Food Grade' Organic Weed Killer?

So the Environmental Protection Agency has registered what is "the world's first food grade organic herbicide," according to a recent news release. Created by Pharm Solutions, Inc., the herbicide known as "Weed Pharm" contains 200 grain "food grade" vinegar -- that's a whopping 20 percent acidity. (In contrast, the stuff you get at the grocery store is usually around four or five percent acidity.) The weed killer is "non selective" which means it'll desiccate your purple coneflower just as readily as it takes out all that pigweed. And, sure, I can see how something like that could come in handy. It's likely perfect for zapping weeds in the cracks around building foundations, perhaps, but I can't help but wonder if we really need such a thing in our gardens.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not on the weeds' collective side, by any means. After all, they steal water and nutrients in the soil that my storage onions and spicy globe basil could be getting. It's just that I wish gardeners would go back to their roots and rely on mechanical rather than chemical means to control weeds. That means mulching with good compost, worm castings, or other organic matter or laying down soy-inked newsprint. You could also simply break out the hoe and hand cultivators and burn off a few extra calories. (Incidentally, I still recall the first time I laid eyes on a hand cultivator. I was working on one of the first Certified Organic farms in my area, and I'd said, "This looks like an implement of torture" to which the farm owner replied, "Yes, and after a while it will begin to feel like one, too." She was right.)

And what about a little old-fashioned hand-pulling? Yanking weeds out while they're still small is not so bad, and, besides, periodically getting up-close-and-personal with your perennial flowers and annual vegetable plants is a great way to spot nutrient deficiencies or insect pest infestations before they have a chance to get out of hand.

2008 National Biodiesel Conference

New feedstocks for biodiesel is really the main focus of this year’s 2008 Natl' Biodiesel Conference & Expo, with the theme “Navigating a Changing Landscape.” To emphasize the opportunities, Jobe unvelied a Mercedes Benz C320 that runs on algae-based biodiesel developed by Solazyme. Solazyme hopes to begin mass-producing Soladiesel at a competitive price within three years.

More about Solazyme.

U.S. Hemp Market

Perhaps one of the greatest ironies is that the more successful hemp products become in the marketplace, the more we rely on hemp imports to fuel the growth. This unsustainable model exists because of the defective and ambiguous legal status of the industrial hemp plant. So, it is even more remarkable that the state of the U.S. industrial hemp market is vibrant!

The U.S. hemp market has experienced steady growth since 2000. Food, body care, paper products, clothing, textiles, cordage and other items are currently widely available in the U.S. marketplace. A conservative estimate of the total retail value of hemp products sold in the U.S. in 2007 is $350 million.

An increase in sales of hemp food products in stores has been noticeable since 2004 when the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) won a three-year legal battle against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that permanently protects sales of hemp seed and oil for human consumption. In 2007 hemp milk became common in natural food stores and is one of the leading hemp food products in the marketplace. In 2007 hemp foods became mainstream, even appearing on the popular NBC TODAY Show. Hemp bread, shelled seed, cereal, frozen waffles, snack bars and hemp oil are widely available and can be found every in city and town.

Hemp is also widely listed as an ingredient in natural lotions, balms, soaps, shampoos and conditioners. Hemp clothing is also commonly sold in cities and towns everywhere. Dozens of designers of hemp clothing are manufacturing in the U.S. and importing the textiles from China. Much of the clothing is selling in medium to high-end retail boutiques. Hemp fabric is also routinely described by the media as a "green fabric" because it is pesticide-free and is linked to various solutions to reducing carbon emissions.

So, hemp is everywhere, in our major ports and in consumers' hands across the country — but it is not in the farmer's field.