Not just mental. Environmental.
On this page, you will NOT:
-Learn how to say fish spleen in three different languages
-Come to appreciate the letter Q
-Pet a manta ray
However, you WILL:
-Learn something about pirates you may not have known
-Learn how to say "Poor Penguin" in Spanish
-Discover the importance of opposable thumbs
Have you ever had a song or phrase stuck in your head, and you try and try to ignore it but it just keeps coming back? Is that not the most annoying thing? Almost as annoying as going to a fast food place and specifically ordering a burger without mustard, and yet when you unwrap that bovine carcass you find pukey mustard grinning back up at you, smeared ALL OVER everything. About as annoying as a mosquito bite on the pad of your foot, or a hair in your soup, or Kristen Stewart and her so called "acting abilities". But you know what? None of those things are nearly as annoying as disgusting, nasty, gross, icky, nauseating POLLUTION in the ocean!
Pollution's is a big issue for oceans nowadays, especially with all the silly (and by silly I mean stupid, greedy, money grubbing) oil companies spilling their oil in the water. But we, the average Joes (and Jills) are also responsible in a big way for grossness in the ocean. You know those plastic things that bottles of pop are held in? They are, in a way, hugely responsible for the deaths of millions of sea creatures. They're like a guillotine for fish (think slice) and a hanging noose for mammals and birds (think "arrck, arrhck, grrrgleck, spluuuuuuter.......*sink*). For those of you that have good taste and have seen Happy Feet, remember Lovelace's little "talisman"? That stupid plastic thing ended up nearly choking him to death and almost got him eaten by a killer whale. But he eventually got it off, which is more than we can say for the poor undiscovered fishies in the sea. So in honor of those noble marine heroes who lost their lives for stupid reasons, I give you.......Environmental-Issues-of-the-Ocean-Biome-That-Humans-Are-Largely-Responsible-For-and-Ways-We-Can-Fix-It-Because-It’s-the-Least-We-Can-Do!
Pollution's is a big issue for oceans nowadays, especially with all the silly (and by silly I mean stupid, greedy, money grubbing) oil companies spilling their oil in the water. But we, the average Joes (and Jills) are also responsible in a big way for grossness in the ocean. You know those plastic things that bottles of pop are held in? They are, in a way, hugely responsible for the deaths of millions of sea creatures. They're like a guillotine for fish (think slice) and a hanging noose for mammals and birds (think "arrck, arrhck, grrrgleck, spluuuuuuter.......*sink*). For those of you that have good taste and have seen Happy Feet, remember Lovelace's little "talisman"? That stupid plastic thing ended up nearly choking him to death and almost got him eaten by a killer whale. But he eventually got it off, which is more than we can say for the poor undiscovered fishies in the sea. So in honor of those noble marine heroes who lost their lives for stupid reasons, I give you.......Environmental-Issues-of-the-Ocean-Biome-That-Humans-Are-Largely-Responsible-For-and-Ways-We-Can-Fix-It-Because-It’s-the-Least-We-Can-Do!
Oil Spillage
The first major environmental issue is the spillage of oil. Oil spills can be either bad or devastating to an environment, depending on the size of the spill and the proximity to shore. This is simply because coastal areas harbor more concentrated and diverse marine life in a smaller area. All that diversity condensed in one area can lead to a marine massacre. But that’s not to say that more “rural” areas aren’t affected. Oil spills can drift to beaches hundreds of miles away from the original site, contaminating them. There are three ways oil can harm a marine environment- Habitat destruction, pollution by ingestion, and direct contact.
There are many ways an oil spill can happen and many places they could come from. Oil is being transported all the time, usually via a water route. Accidents can happen and ships can spill cargo, but another big way oil can pollute waters is through pipelines, refineries and storage facilities. The effects this pollutant has on the environment is (more often then not) devastating. The organisms who take the hardest hit are the animals of the biome. Either the oil enters their bodies and they die of suffocation, or their bodies get smeared with slick oil and they die within days, as it hinders their ability to keep warm (in the case of animals like otters) and to repel water (in the case of birds). Still others will attempt to clean themselves off and end up ingesting the oil after all. And since oil spreads rapidly over water, it becomes nigh impossible for an animal to avoid the deadly substance.
I got my info from: http://archives.chennaionline.com/science/Environment/oilspills.asp
How We Can Fix It
As you may have already guessed, oil is notoriously difficult to get out of an environment once it has spread. The more time oil has to spread, the harder it is to remove. Some major oil spills such as the Exxon Valdez spill can spread over such a wide distance that even today sixteen years later, the effects of the spill can still be seen in the wildlife, or lack of. Prevention is the best solution in this case. The government has been working on possible ways to prevent oil spills in the future. They have passed laws that make it illegal to dump waste in the ocean. Companies are now required by law to fix any old and damaged equipment if they plan on using it again, such as holes in boats. The government also sets aside funds to train people on how to clean up an environment polluted by a spill and to develop safer, more efficient equipment. And probably the most effective is the good ol’ fashioned fine. Any company found dumping or spilling oil has to pay to clean it up.
But it’s not just the big oil companies that are polluting our waters. Sure, a large amount of crude, concentrated oil can be devastating to an environment. However, gradual runoff caused by everyday spills can really add up. Even small scale spills caused by runoff from drainage systems can be very harmful to a marine environment. There’s no denying that we, the average Joes, are responsible whether we’re aware of it or not. So how can we fix this? Is there a good solution?
Yes. Yes there is. While we can’t do much to keep oil tankers from accidently spilling their cargo, we can prevent the pollution of water in little ways, such as disposing of oil properly instead of dumping it into the sewer or garbage And we can even skip a step, and just ride our bikes or walk. If we don’t need oil, less will be transported, and that will decrease the likelihood of an oil spill. Even though we think we have no control over tankers, we support them and all that they do just by depending on oil. So next time, take a bus, or just walk!
I got my information from: http://science.howstuffworks.com/cleaning-oil-spill.htm
There are many ways an oil spill can happen and many places they could come from. Oil is being transported all the time, usually via a water route. Accidents can happen and ships can spill cargo, but another big way oil can pollute waters is through pipelines, refineries and storage facilities. The effects this pollutant has on the environment is (more often then not) devastating. The organisms who take the hardest hit are the animals of the biome. Either the oil enters their bodies and they die of suffocation, or their bodies get smeared with slick oil and they die within days, as it hinders their ability to keep warm (in the case of animals like otters) and to repel water (in the case of birds). Still others will attempt to clean themselves off and end up ingesting the oil after all. And since oil spreads rapidly over water, it becomes nigh impossible for an animal to avoid the deadly substance.
I got my info from: http://archives.chennaionline.com/science/Environment/oilspills.asp
How We Can Fix It
As you may have already guessed, oil is notoriously difficult to get out of an environment once it has spread. The more time oil has to spread, the harder it is to remove. Some major oil spills such as the Exxon Valdez spill can spread over such a wide distance that even today sixteen years later, the effects of the spill can still be seen in the wildlife, or lack of. Prevention is the best solution in this case. The government has been working on possible ways to prevent oil spills in the future. They have passed laws that make it illegal to dump waste in the ocean. Companies are now required by law to fix any old and damaged equipment if they plan on using it again, such as holes in boats. The government also sets aside funds to train people on how to clean up an environment polluted by a spill and to develop safer, more efficient equipment. And probably the most effective is the good ol’ fashioned fine. Any company found dumping or spilling oil has to pay to clean it up.
But it’s not just the big oil companies that are polluting our waters. Sure, a large amount of crude, concentrated oil can be devastating to an environment. However, gradual runoff caused by everyday spills can really add up. Even small scale spills caused by runoff from drainage systems can be very harmful to a marine environment. There’s no denying that we, the average Joes, are responsible whether we’re aware of it or not. So how can we fix this? Is there a good solution?
Yes. Yes there is. While we can’t do much to keep oil tankers from accidently spilling their cargo, we can prevent the pollution of water in little ways, such as disposing of oil properly instead of dumping it into the sewer or garbage And we can even skip a step, and just ride our bikes or walk. If we don’t need oil, less will be transported, and that will decrease the likelihood of an oil spill. Even though we think we have no control over tankers, we support them and all that they do just by depending on oil. So next time, take a bus, or just walk!
I got my information from: http://science.howstuffworks.com/cleaning-oil-spill.htm
Overfishing and the Pirates Who Don't Say "Yarr"
Oh, Pobre Penguino!
This is Peter the Penguin. He's here to talk to you about overfishing. Please turn off your cellphones and pay close attention.
For thousands of years, we have depended on the ocean for food. And since the sea is so big, nobody even imagined that we would take so much from the ocean that it wouldn’t be able to continue to support us until recently. However, that’s exactly what’s happening. It’s this thing called overfishing. It means that boats are catching vast amounts of fish before they can reproduce, resulting In a steady drop in the fish population. We have no laws for fishing boats that restrict the amount of fish they can catch and sell. This has led to a steady decrease in many fish population’s numbers. There have been many discussions on how we can boost the fish populations, but nobody really wants to take the time and money to do something about it.
But it’s not just the fish that overfishing hurts. An entire ecosystem indirectly depends on fish. The majority of sea creatures eat small fish, as well as the birds, dolphins, and mammals. The smaller fish may not be pretty, but without them, we don’t have all the other marine species people go nuts over- dolphins, whales,sharks, seabirds. Honestly, guys, we can freak out whenever a dolphin gets caught in a fishing net, but the fish themselves are just scenery. Sounds kind of shortsighted to me, folks.
But there is hope for the poor, misunderstood fish populations out there. Environmentally friendly ideas have been introduced that not only help the fish population grow, but also let us greedy humans have some fish. Ideas such as wider mesh netting, for instance, to let smaller fish that haven’t had time to reproduce escape. There’s also this cool association called Ocean Conservancy. These guys are all for logical and diplomatic ways to keep the fish population up and the humans happy. You can visit them at this website if you want to know more about them: (http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_aboutus)
But don’t think that it’s just government owned fishing boats that are stripping the fisheries of fish. Nope, think pirates. Not the kind that says “yarr” either. The kind that goes around in illegal boats stealing vast amounts of fish in illegal fisheries. Yeah, those pirates. The only way to crack down on them is to catch them, bust them, and fine them. Now there isn’t much you and I can do about the pirates who don’t say “yarr”, but what we can do is avoid eating fish. It doesn’t have to be an extreme boycott thing, just enough to let the government know that we care about our fish and we want something done. And we can get out the message to others. Sorta like I'm doing by typing on this page. :)
For thousands of years, we have depended on the ocean for food. And since the sea is so big, nobody even imagined that we would take so much from the ocean that it wouldn’t be able to continue to support us until recently. However, that’s exactly what’s happening. It’s this thing called overfishing. It means that boats are catching vast amounts of fish before they can reproduce, resulting In a steady drop in the fish population. We have no laws for fishing boats that restrict the amount of fish they can catch and sell. This has led to a steady decrease in many fish population’s numbers. There have been many discussions on how we can boost the fish populations, but nobody really wants to take the time and money to do something about it.
But it’s not just the fish that overfishing hurts. An entire ecosystem indirectly depends on fish. The majority of sea creatures eat small fish, as well as the birds, dolphins, and mammals. The smaller fish may not be pretty, but without them, we don’t have all the other marine species people go nuts over- dolphins, whales,sharks, seabirds. Honestly, guys, we can freak out whenever a dolphin gets caught in a fishing net, but the fish themselves are just scenery. Sounds kind of shortsighted to me, folks.
But there is hope for the poor, misunderstood fish populations out there. Environmentally friendly ideas have been introduced that not only help the fish population grow, but also let us greedy humans have some fish. Ideas such as wider mesh netting, for instance, to let smaller fish that haven’t had time to reproduce escape. There’s also this cool association called Ocean Conservancy. These guys are all for logical and diplomatic ways to keep the fish population up and the humans happy. You can visit them at this website if you want to know more about them: (http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_aboutus)
But don’t think that it’s just government owned fishing boats that are stripping the fisheries of fish. Nope, think pirates. Not the kind that says “yarr” either. The kind that goes around in illegal boats stealing vast amounts of fish in illegal fisheries. Yeah, those pirates. The only way to crack down on them is to catch them, bust them, and fine them. Now there isn’t much you and I can do about the pirates who don’t say “yarr”, but what we can do is avoid eating fish. It doesn’t have to be an extreme boycott thing, just enough to let the government know that we care about our fish and we want something done. And we can get out the message to others. Sorta like I'm doing by typing on this page. :)
Somebody needs to tell this guy that skeletons are not nutritous.
In Conclusion, Ya'll
I would join the cause too if only I had opposable thumbs....
Soooow, ya'll, I howpe you learnt somth'n from theeus. Eeuff we gareeday humaauns keep up witt what we been doin' , we ain't gonna haf dem perty beaches no morrrre. Not to mention all the animals, plants and reefs we all know and love. So, even if it is just for the sad cowboy puppy, don't pollute and don't dump junk in the ocean! Thankths!
