Heal the Bay Blog

Jeremy Irons Voices the Fight Against Plastic Pollution

02.27.2013 | Heal the Bay

On May 16, Heal the Bay honors three supporters who’ve lent their formidable voices to protecting the ocean from plastic pollution at our annual benefit gala Bring Back the Beach.

In 2010, Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons narrated our mockumentary The Majestic Plastic Bag, lending gravitas to the story of a single-use plastic bag as it migrates to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The film screened at the Sundance film festival and remains popular on the film festival circuit. To date, The Majestic Plastic Bag has been viewed more than 1.8 million times on Heal the Bay’s YouTube channel.

We honor Jeremy Irons, not merely for sharing his rich, haunting voice with us, but for his ongoing work to stop the proliferation of trash. In his new feature documentary “Trashed: No Place for Waste,” Irons takes a different journey, this one following the migration of rubbish, the tons of waste that goes unaccounted for each year. Irons serves as the film’s chief investigator as well as the executive producer.

Heal the Bay will also honor our longtime champion Mark Gold for his years of laser-like focus and tireless advocacy in support of clean water. Mark was Heal the Bay’s first employee and served with our organization for 25 years, leading and inspiring our work as our executive director and president. He continues to support us as a researcher, fundraiser and board member. We can count on Mark as a sounding board, resource and guiding force as we tackle future attacks on clean water.

Philanthropist Dr. Howard Murad will be honored on May 16 for raising awareness for environmental issues and causes. Employees from Dr. Murad’s skincare company Murad, Inc. have joined us on numerous beach cleanups, as well as solidly supporting our efforts in curtailing marine debris.

You’re invited to join our celebration of these eco warriors on May 16, 2013 at the Jonathan Beach Club.

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Plastic Bag Bans Making Folks Sick? Not So Fast

02.25.2013 | Heal the Bay

About Us California Bag Ban News

Reusable bags are often hot topics of discussion, as they became again recently when professors of law Jonathan Klick and Joshua Wright from the University of Pennsylvania and George Mason University, respectively, released a research paper titled “Grocery Bag Bans and Foodborne Illnesses.” The study looked at emergency-room statistics in San Francisco County and found a 46% increase in deaths from foodborne illnesses after the county banned plastic bags in 2007, which the authors implies correlates to an increase of 5.5 deaths year.

Is this the first time we’ve seen reports trying to link reusable bags to foodborne-illnesses? No. But as with previous studies on this topic, the most effective way to respond to them is using sound science. That’s what Tomás Aragón, Health Officer of San Francisco, did to respond to the Klick and Wright study. In a memo composed in response to the study, Aragón notes that “Based on review of this paper, and our disease surveillance and death registry data, the Klick & Wright’s conclusion that San Francisco’s policy of banning of plastic bags as caused a significant increase in gastrointestinal bacterial infections and a ’46 percent increase in the deaths from foodborne illnesses’ is not warranted.” Aragón also reminds us of several important research considerations, including:

Law professors and epidemiologist use different study designs to infer causality.
Research studies with alarming conclusions can alarm the public, so be cautious.
Collaborating with experts in other disciplines often leads to better science.

Once again, sound science prevails!

Read Aragón’s full response to the Kick and Wright study here.

Want to learn more about the high cost of plastic bags? Consult our list of Frequently Asked Questions.

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Thank You Thursday – 2.21.13

02.21.2013 | Heal the Bay

News

“You survived! It wasn’t the end of the world in 2012, as the Mayans presumably predicted, so we celebrated in big ways on Tuesday with our Not the End of the World Volunteer Party. There are many people to thank for making this party so successful.

First, we want to give a big thank you to Greg Seares and his team at Bodega Wine Bar for hosting our party! This swanky venue worked out perfectly, with its crooks and crannies well suited for various activities, from crafts to photos to raffle entries. And the food was amazing, as always.

Heal the Bay Volunteer Party 2013 at Bodega Wine Bar, Santa Monica - Arbor Collective Skateboard We also have a long list of shout-outs geared to our generous sponsors who graciously donated fun raffle prizes to our dedicated volunteers. Arbor Collective donated a beautiful swallowtail skateboard, our neighbors at Starbucks gave their famous Pikes roast with a reusable tumbler, while Dive N Surf provided a beautiful Body Glove wetsuit as well as two beach towel/mat sets!

We had some generous friends at the pier with Pacific Park donating a pair of unlimited ride passes and Santa Monica Pier Bait & Tackle coming through with gift certificates for four fishing poles and bait for a day.

REI was honored as a Super Healer for their huge support to HtB in 2012, and continued the tradition by donating multiple chances to win their camping cookware set of plates and bowls. A big thanks to Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Huckleberry Cafe for the gift cards, Yoga Works for the complimentary one-week passes, Magicopolis for their very generous 10-ticket package to a show, and Planet Bike for the LED bicycle lighting system set.

Not to be out-done, our crafty staffers Tara Treiber (Education Director) and Amanda Jones (Education Specialist) shared their appreciation to our cadre of volunteers, by donating prizes that they made themselves!

Thanks to our amazing volunteers for the work you do for cleaner watersheds and healthier, informed communities. Thank, thank, thank you to the sponsors who donated the space and great prizes to honor our volunteers!

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Bottoms Up! Cheers to the Aquarium

02.20.2013 | Heal the Bay

Heal the Bay Aquarium Santa Monica

When the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium asked our neighbors to help us celebrate the marine center’s 10th anniversary throughout the month of March, they jumped at the bait, creating ocean-inspired concoctions to serve in their establishments.

We’re looking forward to spending a week making our way through the signature libations and food specials at these seven Santa Monica businesses – beginning March 1st to allow time for return visits!

The Basement Tavern will be serving up the Green Barnacle cocktail: jalapeño and honey dew infused vodka, citrus, agave, mint, and cucumber over ice.

· Beachy Cream Organic Ice Cream will be scooping the flavor of the month, Peanut Butter Jellyfish.

· The Hungry Cat will be pouring Neptune’s Muse (pictured right): gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, liquore Strega, Creme de Violette, served up with a black lava salt rim.

· Lago Santa Monica presents the Santa Monica Starfish cocktail: fresh oro blanco grapefruit, blood orange, Tru Organic Vodka, splash of sparkling prosecco.

· The Lobster, featuring the Heal the Bay Tide Pool: Rain organic vodka, Midori, Malibu rum, chambord, splash of pineapple and orange juice, served straight up, with 10% of the proceeds going to the Aquarium.

· Rusty’s Surf Ranch premieres the Rubyfish Red: Absolut Ruby Red Vodka, white grapefruit juice and grenadine, served in a souvenir Rusty’s glass. Mention the Aquarium’s anniversary and receive 10 percent off the check.

· Mariasol Restaurant will offer a 10% discount on all food (not alcohol) for all those who mention the Aquarium’s anniversary.

Many thanks to our 10th Anniversary Party Partners!

As we commemorate a decade operating our Aquarium, we’re highlighting our history, previewing our plans for the NEXT 10 years and encourage all to celebrate with us.

If you haven’t already, come visit our Aquarium, located beach level at the Santa Monica Pier, just below the carousel. Join us the first weekend of March to celebrate our 10-year anniversary!

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Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Wins Enviro Awards

02.15.2013 | Heal the Bay

Heal the Bay Aquarium Santa Monica

We try to practice what we preach, so it’s gratifying that our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is receiving recognition for being a green business.

The Aquarium was chosen to receive two awards — one for stewardship of the natural environment and the second for sustainable economic development — by the annual Sustainable Quality Awards program. The Santa Monica Chamber, the city’s environmental department, and Sustainable Works run the annual competition each year, acknowledging businesses in Santa Monica that have made significant achievements in the areas of sustainable economic development, social responsibility and stewardship of the natural environment.

With 19 businesses vying for the awards this year it’s a true accomplishment to receive honors in two categories. The Aquarium and the other winners will be honored at a luncheon next month. These awards will be added to the Sustainable Quality Award the marine science center received back in 2005 and our certification as a Santa Monica green business. It might be time to build a trophy case!

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Thank You Thursday – 2.14.13

02.14.2013 | Heal the Bay

About Us

We need lots of support and love as we work to green our communities, whether it’s room to gather or fuel to keep us going (some of us can’t get very far with an empty stomach and no caffeine). So today we show some love to the folks who helped us make our recent Beyond Local workshops a success.

First, we thank the Talking Stick coffee lounge and the Boys and Girls Club in Venice, which graciously donated their space to this local activist workshop. Our eco-leaders-in-training also enjoyed warm beverages from our local Starbucks (which also donated items to our Beauty by the Bay fundraiser in December) and the yummy sandwiches from our newest neighbor Jersey Mikes.

MacMall proved to be an amazing holiday partner, selling microfiber cloths to their customers with proceeds benefiting Heal the Bay. Then they threw a free concert (featuring the hiphop fusion band Dirty Heads), and surprised us with the presentation of a larger-than-life-size check of the impressive proceeds. We are blown away by that amount of love!

Now we offer a sneak peek at the month of March, when the following local establishments will partner with us to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of our Aquarium!

Here’s wishing you lots of love today and beyond!

Want to REALLY green your community? Become part of the solution to ocean pollution, join our elite Speakers Bureau team!

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Sick Sea Lions In Need of Rescue

02.12.2013 | Heal the Bay

About Us News

Hundreds of sick sea lions are overwhelming marine mammal rescue centers up and down the Southern California coast this winter.

According to the Daily Breeze, it’s not uncommon for the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro to see an influx of young sea lions and elephant seals during certain months of the year. But this influx—85 animals are currently being cared for—is record-setting.

“They’re coming in starving and in record numbers. Nutrition is their biggest challenge,” David Bard, operations director at the Marine Mammal Care Center, told the Daily Breeze.

Now staff at the center and its Laguna Beach counterpart the Pacific Marine Mammal Center find themselves seeking help to handle the increase in dehydrated, malnourished sea lion pups.

There are many theories as to what is causing so many ill young sea lions, but overall, scientists are stumped.

“We currently do not know the reasons for the poor condition of California sea lion pups,” Sharon Melin, research biologist for NOAA in Seattle told SoCalWild.

It could be a few factors or a combination. “Starving pups at this time of year usually means that the mothers are having trouble finding enough food to support the energetic cost of lactation,” says Melin. “It could also mean that mothers are dying from disease…but we do not have evidence that suggests this is occurring.”

Want to help?

The Marine Mammal Center seeks cash donations, as well as Karo light corn syrup, safflower oil with vitamin E, household bleach and back-up electric dryer. Consult their wish list for up-to-date needs.

You can also donate to local marine mammal rescue groups such as the California Wildlife Center, who have rescued over 100 sea lions so far in 2013, many of which are then transported to the Marine Mammal Care Center.

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Declare Your Love for the Ocean

02.11.2013 | Heal the Bay

News

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but it’s not too late to let us know about your love for the ocean. Post a photo, make a YouTube video, create a Vine, or write on our timeline about your love for the ocean.

We’ll send the most creative poster a pair of matching Heal the Bay T-shirts! To enter include @HealTheBay and the hashtag #ProtectWhatYouLove on your post or put it on our Facebook timeline.

Meanwhile, flowers and candy are typical Valentine’s gifts. Why not let your loved one know that you care about what they care about: The ocean.

Here’s a selection of gifts to help you show your love:

A Heal the Bay Membership: Like the human heart, our members fuel our activity—from ensuring that our beaches and local waters are clean to educating tens of thousands of kids on the hows and whys of combating pollution.
A Clean Beach: Bring your sweetie to our next Nothin’ But Sand, conveniently scheduled for the Saturday after Valentine’s at Will Rogers State Beach.
Whale of a Weekend: How big is your love? Celebrate the annual migration of the Pacific gray whale, which completes one of the longest migrations of any species. The migration can sometimes be seen from the west end of the Santa Monica Pier. Festivities take place at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium all weekend.
Moonjelly TLC: “Adopt” a moonjelly (or select another of our nine animal options) in your beloved’s name, via our Aquarium’s Aquadoption program.

A swanky reusable water bottle: Artist Erik Abel continues to support us, adding U.S.-made “Kelpafornia” aluminum water bottles to the collection of items he’s designed just for us. Fifteen percent of sales benefit Heal the Bay.
A Heartwarming View: Take a walk along the shoreline or favorite waterway, confident in knowing that you’re supporting a clean and healthy ocean.

Don’t see anything quite right for Valentine’s? Visit our Shop page for a wider selection.

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Thank You Thursday – 2.7.13

02.07.2013 | Heal the Bay

California Sharks News

What better time to thank the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, than Valentine week. Find a recording of Ella singing “My Funny Valentine,” you’ll soon discover what we mean….

But we love Ella for more than just her three-octave range. We also love Ella because a few years before she passed away in 1996, she formed the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation to help create educational opportunities for children.

Her foundation recently funded resources for our “Lunch ‘n Learn” field trip program (pictured left) to help foster a love of the ocean in students from regional schools. Each year, Heal the Bay provides marine education through Lunch ‘n Learn to 500 underserved Title 1 students, bussing them to Duke’s Malibu for a day of beach exploration and learning games.

Although we live in Southern California, winter mornings at the shore can still be chilly. We’d like to thank Venice Ale House owner Tom Elliot for serving free hot coffee to our Nothin’ But Sand volunteers who’d gathered in January to clean up Venice Beach.( Some of us at Heal the Bay also appreciate the spirit-warming benefits of Venice Ale House’s selection of craft beers… one pint at a time!)

White sharks off our California coast are safer now, thanks to your advocacy efforts. We are grateful to all of you who signed and shared our petition supporting the listing of the Northeastern Pacific population of white sharks as endangered or threatened. Yesterday, the Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted this population of white shark to candidacy under the CA Endangered Species Act. This is an exciting decision! Thank you for your support!

Learn more about our science-based educational efforts. Lunch’ n Learn is just the beginning!

Warm your heart and come to our next Nothin But Sand beach cleanup on Saturday, February 16, 10 a.m.-Noon at Will Rogers State Beach.

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California's White Sharks Head for Safety

02.07.2013 | Heal the Bay

About Us California Sharks News

In a step towards better understanding whether our local white shark population needs protection, the Fish and Game Commission unanimously advanced the Northeastern Pacific population of white shark to candidacy on February 6 under the California Endangered Species Act. This means that Department of Fish and Wildlife staff will spend the next year collecting data and assessing whether a threatened or endangered species listing is merited for this species.

As a wide-roaming, apex predator, it’s hard to get a strong understanding of white shark population estimates and trends. Some studies estimate that the adult population count in the Northeastern Pacific is in the hundreds of individuals, while other research shows that numbers may be on the increase in the past few years. White sharks are slow to mature and reproduce, so changes at the population level can take time.

Southern California is an important spot for juvenile white sharks. They’ve been spotted off Redondo and Sunset Beaches as well as Malibu, and some have even been caught by anglers in the Bay – most recently off Venice Pier and Manhattan Beach Pier. But, they are vulnerable to ongoing threats, such as incidental catch, pollution, and other issues along our coast, and we don’t have a comprehensive sense of how their population is faring. This effort over the next year will help better understand how these sharks are doing in our local waters and throughout their range, and identify any protection that may be needed.

Stay tuned for updates and how you can engage. Meanwhile, keep your eyes on the water – you might just be lucky enough to spot one of these elusive elasmobranchs.

–– Sarah Sikich

Coastal Resources Director, Heal the Bay

Want to learn more about these mysterious creatures? Join us for Shark Sundays at our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

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