I think... we need to make the corporations... that dumped the millions of tons of deadly toxins into canals, rivers, and our oceans... accountable for their damages to our planet.
Research the data about which corporations did the dumping, and what they are doing to help clean up, or avoid the mess.
Also publish the profits they made, while exposing not only our generation, but also many generations to come, to their toxins, for their profit.
Help the organizations that are taking the actions needed to clean up the only known planet with life, instead of treating the only living Oceans in the entire universe, as a trash can.
I have worked in electronics and hospitals as an occupational therapist for too many years.
I have a BS (from FIU) and now live in Key Largo, Florida.
I have become alarmed at the current state of our oceans and the effects of global warming.
I want to spend the rest of my life working and learning more about ocean ecology and what we can do to prevent the destruction of our coral reefs and domino effect that will follow.
PCB's .... connecting the dots ..... plastic
-----------------------------------------------
Here is the PCB problem.... connecting the dots ..... with plastic pollution....
===============---------------------------------------------===============
( text_insert )
"Alguita, the oceanic research vessel from Algalita, just came back from one of its research expeditions in the Pacific Gyre, an area of the Pacific Ocean otherwise known as the Garbage Patch. They collected samples on the surface of the ocean and found evidence of record high concentrations of small plastic particles.
Birds and fish eat the plastic because it mimics the food they eat, zooplankton. Research data from the Algalita Foundation shows plastic particles outnumber zooplankton 6 to 1.
Especially concerning is the fact that the plastic pieces can attract and hold hydrophobic elements like PCB and DDT at up to one million times background levels. As a result, this floating plastic is a poison pill.
so... the "easy" solution would simply be to get industry to stop dumping millions of tons of toxins into the rivers/oceans....
( ... going back 50 years or so... )
... then just get the entire world to stop using plastic 'once',
and tossing it into the garbage/oceans....
then we can get back to work on that little global warming issue.... :-)
my Ocean, your Ocean, their Ocean ?
----------------------------------------------------------
i wish there was more that i / we / any of us could do...
but it really looks like "big industry" has used our beautiful Oceans as their "low cost dumping ground" for so many years.... and that coupled with global warming.... really looks to me like we are on a path to the "eve of destruction"...
sorry to sound so negative... and believe me, even with thing looking gloomy in the future... i still try my best to enjoy life, above all, loving one another and loving the planet we live on and the only living Oceans in the entire universe....
it's just so sadly ironic... that we have the only living Oceans in existence... and that "big industry" and "developers" could get away with destroying our Oceans, to save them some $... so they can make even more $... and they could care less about the cost of repairing their damage to the Oceans and to all of us living on the planet... and they call themselves "developers".
well... i better get off my soap box and take a breath..
Larry
(at)
OpenDoorWorld.com
Key Largo
ps: my brand new Magellan 210 portable GPS, Olympus 720 underwater camera with UW housing and new slim silver laptop were stolen in Key Largo (mm 106, OS)... (while i was attending a LandMark Forum/seminar alone in Dania, June 28)... so... i also lost all my old email and contacts... :-(
I am offering a $500 reward for recovery, no questions asked.... i had tons of coral reef photos and ecology video on the laptop and in the camera's memory chips... and no back-up... the underwater time to gather the data is worth it to me.
Jacques Yves Cousteau: The Silent World.
A Course in Miracles
Heroes
Jacques Yves Cousteau
-------------------------
Don Miguel Ruiz
-------------------
1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
If you live in the Florida Keys and you are interested in snorkeling on the reefs and
ocean ecology, please contact me via email.
http://OpenDoorWorld.com
OpenDoorWorld.com's Companies
University of Miami Miami, Fl US OT Health/ SCI Rehab
OpenDoorWorld.com updating palylist at http://OpenDoorWorld.com/play
Tons of plastic floating in the world's oceans is becoming the transport medium for Chemical Toxins carried to all Sea Life and finally, to us, sitting at the top of the food chain.
Petition to Help Remove the Plastic in order to save the Oceans and future generations.
Join Together in Requesting the TEAM-WORK of World Governments to remove and prevent more plastic in the World's Oceans.
This video always gets to me... i was in Europe when it was released and missing the states... having no idea what it was really about... just wanted to hear "The Boss"... and a movie from home... what a phenomenal story of Truth... winning and dying in the fight... proud to say i still get misty when i see Tom Hanks in the screen shot above... i feel confident that we humans... are moving in a more "caring" direction, as we learn of the caring within animals, like the way dolphins and whales care for their youngsters..... and as we feel our own inner emotions.. that touch our Souls... when we see acts of Love in nature... so i do have hope... that some brilliant young minds will solve the problems industry has left in our Oceans... toxins that now arrive on our dinner plates... and the developing child's brain... innocently arriving to life.... totally dependent on MOM... to know how to stay healthy in a polluted and toxic environment... it's time to bang the gong... beat the drums... GOOGLE: PCB, plastic, ocean, autism...
the Recycle Truth...
--------------------------
http://www.storyofstuff.com
-
About me:
I am just an ordinary easy going, eco friendly kind of a guy. I love the Ocean and want to do whatever is possible to help protect our remaining coral reefs in the Florida Keys and i am seeking my soul-mate to share the naure and waterways of the Florida Keys.
I enjoy boating, scuba, snorkeling, underwater photography and sunsets on the bay side at the Caribbean Club, here in Key Largo.
If you visit the Florida Keys and you are interested in snorkeling on the reefs, underwater photography and ocean conservation, please contact me by email, and also visit my home page: http://OpenDoorWorld.com.
I have posted lots of coral reef photos and info about the current conditions of the oceans, you can find it easily if you search for: "open door world" or "key largo coral restoration "
personal update: I am seeking a soul-mate, who is also interested in the ocean, nature, and photography, and who would enjoy nature in the Keys and the beautiful, calm, bayside waterways.
As scientist Jim Lovelock observed, "Although the weight of the Oceans is 250 times that of the atmosphere, it is only one part in 4,000 of the weight of the Earth."
1/4000 = 0.00025
Therefore, only 0.025% of Earth's mass is Water. Yet we tend to think of our Oceans as a vast and endless resource, free to everyone.
Scientists also point out, "If the Earth were a globe 12 inches in diameter, the average depth of the ocean would be no more than the thickness of a piece of paper, and even the Deepest Ocean Trench would only be a tiny dent, one third of a millimeter deep. (0.3 mm = 0.01 in)
Since the Ocean's mass is 0.025% that of Earth's mass, our Oceans can more accurately be appreciated as the priceless public reservoirs they are, the only living Oceans in the entire universe. Mars might have some frozen mud.
Knowing the Earth's "surface" is 70.8% water, often leads a popular conclusion... there might be more Ocean than Earth.
Unfortunately, this popular "solution" is legal and leads to a global assumption... that pollution might be absorbed and simply rendered harmless... within the Ocean's vastness.
Millions of Tons of toxic chemicals are discarded into rivers worldwide, while the industry leaders "cross their fingers" in a futile false hope that the chemicals will quietly be absorbed by the living Oceans.
To compound the problem, millions of tons of plastic, also dumped 24/7, by the barge load, into our Oceans, does not "break down" for almost 1000 years, but it does break into tiny bits of plastic "dust" or "snow. Then the PCB's, that are now major contaminants in the Ocean, are attracted to the plastic bits like a magnetic sponge. Marine animals can't differentiate the plastic snow from plankton, so they eat the plastic bits, and become toxic with PCB's, causing immune system failure.
As the toxins slowly distribute worldwide by the Ocean's conveyer belt currents, the entire food chain is affected, from the tiny coral polyps that make world's largest reefs, to whales feeding on plankton and other particles suspended in the water column, including PCB laden plastic "snow".
An impairment to the immune systems of living creatures is being observed globally, from the tiny coral polyps, to the giant killer whales, and finally the humans themselves, seated at the top of the food chain, consuming industrial leftovers that will not bio-degrade in nature for thousands of years.
ATSDR points out that every child born from a mother who consumed Great Lakes fish during their pregnancies were three times (3X) more likely to have lower IQs and twice (2X) as likely to be TWO grade levels in reading comprehension behind their peers. Other studies have shown children who's mothers consumed PCB-contaminated fish had lower birth rates, reduced motor reflexes and neuromuscular function, poor short-term and long-term memory, weakened immune systems and greater susceptibility to infections, among other problems.
Now tons of the sludge from water treatment plants, containing PCB's, are being dumped onto agricultural land. Scientists are scrambling just to name the new diseases as they discover them and counting the countless number of species that just became extinct, and the oil emperors fiddle in the stock market while making world record profits.
I know this is hard to believe, it was for me also, so Google it.
As a free nation... we the people... have spent more of our own tax dollars for exploring remote space and the mud on Mars than protecting the only "Living Oceans" in the entire universe while the planet become less inhabitable for humans. Who is really steering this over-heating planet, big business persons? Is bowing to the $tock market index given a higher priority than the World's Ocean Health index in Washington?
As we awaken to the collapse of our Oceans, we begin to see the consequences of giving the "green light" to industry for dumping millions of tons of "known toxins" into the only known living Oceans in the entire universe.
At age thirteen, Jacques-Yves Cousteau's book, "The Silent World" was presented to me by my scuba instructor, when I was first certified as a scuba diver. I was thrilled with swimming and breathing underwater, enjoying a view of nature referred to as the "Silent World."
Today, Jacques-Yves Cousteau must be looking down on the Oceans, and the dying coral reefs, with salty tears in his eyes.
---
I have worked in electronics and hospitals as an occupational therapist for too many years.
I have a Bachelor of Science (from FIU in Miami) and now live in Key Largo, Florida.
As a scuba diver and lover of seafood :-), I have become alarmed at the current state of our oceans health and the effects of global warming.
I want to spend the rest of my days working and learning more about ocean ecology and what we can do to prevent the destruction of our coral reefs and domino effect that will follow.
Here is the PCB problem.... connecting the dots ..... with plastic pollution....
( text_insert )
"Alguita, the oceanic research vessel from Algalita, just came back from one of its research expeditions in the Pacific Gyre, an area of the Pacific Ocean otherwise known as the Garbage Patch. They collected samples on the surface of the ocean and found evidence of record high concentrations of small plastic particles.
Birds and fish eat the plastic because it mimics the food they eat, zooplankton. Research data from the Algalita Foundation shows plastic particles outnumber zooplankton 6 to 1.
Especially concerning is the fact that the plastic pieces can attract and hold hydrophobic elements like PCB and DDT at up to one million times background levels. As a result, this floating plastic is a poison pill.
so... the "easy" solution would have been simply be to force industry to stop dumping millions of tons of toxins into the rivers/oceans....
( ... going back 50 years or so... :-(
... then just get the entire world to stop using plastic 'once',
and tossing it into the garbage/oceans....
then we could get back to work on that little global warming issue.... :-)
Plastic is everywhere. And the benefits of most of it's properties have resulted in it's success and proliferation.
Each of us casts a vote for it's use when we buy the products, and often there is no other choice. But like the "Kubla Ross stages", we all have to go through the steps of first becoming aware of the catastrophic severity of the problem, while most mass consumers would rather continue living in denial, we have to wake up, and get others near us to wake up, only then can we change the direction of the greatest number of consumers.
When i connected the dots between PCB's and plastic bits in the ocean, i felt a deep sense of hopelessness... how can we ever fix this... how can we ever get the plastic and the toxins out of the Oceans, that industry has put there... and asking each of us to save energy by changing a light bulb, seems like such a small drop in the bucket when compared to the millions of tons of known toxins and industrial pollution, knowingly and legally dumped into the oceans and atmosphere, clearly for industry to make greater profits... without concern for human health or the health of our Oceans.
So... i do what i can, i consume less, i use cloth shopping bags, i try to think positively and love nature, i take underwater photos of nature, and i am trying to get the word out through my website. I just got my captain's license and hope to find a soul mate who will help me to take tourists out on the water to see the nature and raise awareness through eco-tours here in the Keys.
I think raising awareness, although it sounds cliche, really is important. I talk to everyone about global warming and it amazes to me, how many people think it is not a real concern for them, since they won't be here for the worst of it.
It really seems that many people are happier living in denial, continuing on the mass consumption merry go round, than waking up to what industry is getting away with, while keeping the politicians happy, wearing stylish green blind folds.
my Ocean, your Ocean, their Ocean ?
----------------------------------------------------------
i wish there was more that i / we / any of us could do...
but it really looks like "big industry" has used our beautiful Oceans as their "low cost dumping ground" for so many years.... and that coupled with global warming.... really looks to me like we are on a path to the "eve of destruction"...
sorry to sound so negative... and believe me, even with thing looking gloomy in the future... i still try my best to enjoy life, above all, loving one another and loving the planet we live on and the only living Oceans in the entire universe....
it's just so sadly ironic... that we have the only living Oceans in existence... and that "big industry" and "developers" could get away with destroying our Oceans, to save them some $... so they can make even more $... and they could care less about the cost of repairing their damage to the Oceans and to all of us living on the planet... and they call themselves "developers".
Larry
(at)
http://OpenDoorWorld.com
Key Largo
ps: my brand new Magellan 210 portable GPS, Olympus 720 underwater camera with UW housing and new slim silver laptop were stolen in Key Largo (mm 106, OS)... (while i was attending a LandMark Forum/seminar alone in Dania, so, i also lost all my old email and contacts :-(
I am offering a $500 reward for recovery, no questions asked.... i had tons of coral reef photos and ecology video on the laptop and in the camera's memory chips... and no back-up... the underwater time to gather the data is worth it to me.
February 15, 2008 · Researchers have published a new
map highlighting the human impact on oceans worldwide.
Their findings show oceans are in serious trouble,
with disappearing fish stocks, disappearing coral reefs
and changing Ocean chemistry.
"Our results show that when these and other individual
impacts are summed up, the big picture looks much worse
than I imagine most people expected," says Ben Halpern,
lead author of the paper published in the journal Science.
In a special live broadcast from Boston, Mass.
— site of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science annual meeting — top ocean experts discuss
the prognosis for the world's aquatic ecosystems —
and their inhabitants.
Tons of plastic floating in the world's oceans is becoming the transport medium for Chemical Toxins carried to all Sea Life and finally, to us, sitting at the top of the food chain.
Help Remove the Plastic in order to save the Oceans and future generations.
Join Together in Requesting the TEAM-WORK of World Governments to remove it.
Who I'd like to meet: --
You!, if you live in or visit the Florida Keys please contact me :-)
If you enjoy conversation about life, nature, and why we humans are here on the planet... a walk in the evening, gazing at the stars... enjoying the incredible beauty that exists only in nature and not in material possessions, nor in materialistic persons, lets talk.
I need your hand to hold... and your shoulder next to mine... i don't want to go through life, alone... two souls united create a strength and enjoyment of life that is truly worth living for...
also, please see my home page at:
Here is my "message in a bottle"
----------------------------------
I am an easy going, eco friendly kind of a guy. I love the Ocean and want to do whatever is possible to help protect our remaining coral reefs in the Florida Keys. I enjoy boating, scuba, snorkeling, underwater photography, just starting to work with welded metal art. Also enjoy the calm sunsets on the bay side at the Caribbean Club, here in Key Largo. These days i ride my bike or swim for exercise, years ago i did run in 10k races in Miami, when i was working at UM.
I am not the typical beer drinking, loud and boisterous Keys boat captain type. My spirit is kind, gentle, honest, and probably a little bit too gullible, but I'd rather be this way. Openness, honesty and monogamy are the only way to create a relationship that will last forever.
If you are interested in nature, the water and photography, please contact me by email, (Larry(at)OpenDoorWorld.com) and please check out my home page: http://OpenDoorWorld.com
If you enjoy conversations about life, nature... and why we humans are here on this planet... a walk in the evening, gazing at the stars... enjoying the incredible beauty that exists only in nature and not in material possessions, nor in materialistic persons, lets talk.
peaceful breezes to you,
Larry Lawhorn, OT (ret)
Key Largo, Fl
home page:
http://OpenDoorWorld.com
and
http://my space.com/opendoorworld
"face book" home page:
http://face book.com/profile.php?id=649735282
First Date:
------------
Watch the sunset, maybe a movie, a nice dinner, conversation about nature, the ocean, protecting the coral reefs, global warming and what we can do about it.
_______________________________________________________________
The Fine Print: The monogamy part is a must, failing this is a deal breaker. Everything else is optional, if we enjoy sharing our dreams and even the routine activities together, then we will have found that magical "chemistry".
If i am not "the one" for you, please pass me on to the one you feel in your heart is "the one" for me.
-----------------------------------------------
RE: Worldwide Ocean conditions
-----------------------------------------------
Thank you for the inspiring replies,
-----------------------------------------------
The beautiful colors of the ocean is one of the
things i love about life in the Florida Keys.
I love to look at the colors of the waters,
while driving or out on the water in the boat.
While scuba diving, I love to look up at
the colors of the sky shining through the
water. I love the oceans and the waves.
When i was young, surfing was my favorite sport,
then water skiing, scuba, sailing and boating.
Someone once said, if you're lucky enough to
live by the ocean, you're lucky enough :-)
What industry has done, is an incredible crime
against the oceans, life in the oceans, and life
on land. The toxins they dumped do not bio-
degrade and will be there for thousands of years.
And now, the industrial left-overs are coming back
in the food we eat, the air we breath, and the water
we drink.
And nobody can get it out of your body once it
is there.
I am "up there" in years... and i have lived a
wonderful life... and hope to enjoy many more years.
The greatest problem will be the legacy we leave
to our children and their children, for a thousand
years. Literally.
It is for them that, today, i will "fight the good fight"
against the industrial mega profit makers.
And i will volunteer my time to help with
the coral restoration projects, and anything
that i can do to help reverse the tide of the
damage done by industry, for their profit...
and for no other reason, but for their profit.
Industry dumped thousands of tons of known
deadly chemicals into the rivers and oceans
and i don't understand why people, scientists
and researchers are not outraged.
Global warming is just around the corner,
but the PCB problem has been here for years.
Researchers are now finding 6 times
more bits of plastic than plankton in all
the oceans.
PCB's were dumped by the tons into rivers,
and it's not like they didn't know the chemicals
were toxic, in fact they dumped them because
they knew they were toxic.
Industrial giants apparently do not respect the
ocean, nor the life within it, only a greater
profit margin appears to be the prime motivation.
I know... i know... we all want to just enjoy life...
but we cant just live in denial forever, and let it
go on and on... while we just watch another
entertaining TV program... or whatever we do
to keep ourselves entertained.
About now, you might be thinking..
why am i reading all this stuff..
i don't even know this guy...
and you might be thinking.... wow...
this guy is really getting wound up about this....
take a breath! :-)
so... i 'll get off my soap box :-)
and thank you again for your kind reply.
Enjoy the water... :-)
It looks so beautiful on the surface.
Most people are not aware of the "PCB and plastic"
crisis unfolding, so please Google for some words like:
plastic, PCB, PBDE, toxic, autism, child brain development, cancer
after an hour or two... write me back and let me know
how much more profit industry should make, while dumping
more toxic chemicals into our public rivers / oceans.
