Heal the Bay Blog

Ecosystems are fragile. They depend on very intricate foodwebs (rather than the foodchains described in older biology books) that thrive on balance. Unfortunately, people can have very real, and unintentional, impacts on the environment around us. Today, we are starting to see the impacts on the world’s oceans when we overfish and don’t harvest fish sustainably.

In a new study released by scientists at the University of British Columbia, fish populations are spinning out of whack. As we remove popular eating fish like tuna, cod and grouper, smaller foraging fish populations increase. While these smaller fish, like sardines and anchovies, are useful in fishmeal and fish oil, we might be facing a future without fish filets and tuna sandwiches.

The good news is there’s still time. Read more about UBC’s research, and how you can help put an end to overfishing at seaweb.org.

We all have our favorite air travel gripe; tiny plane seats, lenthy lines, tired kids. Well, if your biggest complaint was the amount of plastic water bottles sold, or the difficulty of bringing your own water with the liquid requirements, traveling to or from San Francisco just got a little more tolerable. SFO has installed free water stations throughout the airport. Remember water fountains? Sort of like that, only better.

Learn more at Food and Water Watch.

Photo:JunCTionS vis Flickr

The environmental movement appeals to people of all ages, from all walks of life. We each have important and very personal reasons for protecting the world around us.

But young people, in particular, are poised to become the new face of the environment. As they grow older and begin to inherit the earth, with all of its majestic open spaces as well as all of its pollution problems, more and more teenagers and other young people are embracing environmental activism as their legacy.

One of the coolest examples of the connection between teenagers and the environment is a group called Teens Turning Green. It’s a youth-led initiative that brings environmental education and awareness to young people throughout the country.

And we’re not just talking about environmental science. Teens Turning Green focuses on environmentally friendly lifestyles, including making smart purchases, avoiding chemicals in makeup and other products, and other important habits. One of their biggest campaigns has been against lead in lipstick, called Lips Against Lead.

Teens Turning Green is having a free environmental summit in LA on Feb. 26. If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, visit teensturninggreen.org.

That is, if Ethan Gauthier is any indication. The Sierra Madre teenager just won first prize in his school’s science fair for a project he called Runaway Runoff.

Basically, he took 4 samples of garden soil and added inorganic fertilizers to 3 of them. Then he added water, and measured the amount of nitrates and phosphates coming off of each sample.

The project is a brilliantly simple way to illustrate the impacts gardeners can have on the ocean. When inorganic fertilizers are added to gardens, those same phosphates and nitrates run off your yard, into the stormdrain system, and into the ocean.

Nitrates and phosphates are a huge source of harmful algal blooms in freshwater bodies like Malibu Creek. They contribute to dead zones by encouraging the overgrowth of algae. That algae blocks sunlight, inhibiting the growth of other plants and animals. And when it dies and decomposes, it sucks up all of the oxygen in the water.

Ethan’s answer? It’s even more simple. Follow the directions on your fertilizer packages, and don’t over-fertilize. Heal the Bay will take that one step further and suggest you use organic fertilizers, like compost, rather than chemical-based fertilizers.

Read more about Ethan’s project at Sierra Madre Patch.