Overpopulation

The following is from the column "Earthweek: A diary of the Planet" by Steve Newman and appeared in the April 4, 2009 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune: "One of the United States' most influential science advisors says that the number of humans on the planet has exceeded Earth's "limits of sustainability." Speaking prior to a conference in Paris of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, State Department chief scientist Nina Federoff said that famines affecting a billion people could threaten global food security this century. The world's population has already exceeded 6 billion and is predicted to rise to 9 billion within 50 years unless action is taken soon. "The planet can't support many more people," Federoff told the BBC. Her warning echoed comments by John Beddington, Britain's chief scientist, in which he forecast a "perfect storm" of dood, water and energy shortages by 2030."

Ocean Litter

The following article appeared in the March 11, 2009 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune. The author is Brian Skoloff of The Associated Press. "West Palm Beach, Fla.- Nearly 7 million pounds of debris were collected from waterways and shorelines around the world on a single day last year, illustrating that careless people are discarding trash just about everywhere, with much of it eventually finding an aquatic home, according to a report released Tuesday.

Nearly 400, 000 volunteers scoured about 17,000 miles of coastline, river bottoms and ocean floors during the Ocean Conservancy's 23rd International Coastal Cleanup in September.

The group's report said more than 3.2 milion cigarette butts were picked up, the item most commonly found. The butts were followed by about 1.4 million plast bags, 942, 000 food wrappers and containers, and 937,000 caps and lids. Volunteers also collected 26,585 tires, enough for 6,646 cars-and a spare.


Volunteers collected about 11.4 million items overall, which weighed a total of 6.8 million pounds. They snagged more than 1.3 milion cigarette butts in the U.S. alone, about 19,500 fishing nets in the United Kingdom and more than 11,000 diapers in the Philippines


"Our ocean is sick, and our actions have made it so," said Vicki Spruill, the Ocean Conservancy's president and CEO.


During the event, participants found 268 marine animals that survived being entangled in debris. But 175 weren't so lucky and died."




About a week ago, I cleaned up a local beach on the Puget Sound. I found several plastic bottles, styrofoam and a number of small pieces of plastic. Plastic does not dissolve, it just breaks into smaller pieces. Sometimes marine animals injest the plastic pieces mistaking them for food. The plastic eventually clogs the digestive system, causing the animal to starve.

There is no excuse for discarding trash in the water or on land.

Endless Winter

March 15, and It is still snowing. I can't remember what it felt like to be warm outside. I often wonder how the wildlife survives such a brutal climate, but I guess they have adapted over thousands of years.

world population

A recent newspaper article (Seattle Times, March 12, 2009.) said that the world population will reach 7 billion people in early 2012 and will reach 9 billion by 2050. Already we are having serious water and food shortages around the world and climate change willl only make those

Octuplets

Regarding the birth of eight babies to a mother that already has six children. The media needs to stop promoting irresponsible human breeding. The Earth already has nearly seven billion human beings. Billions of people around the world do not have enough to eat, or have access to clean water or adequate health care or education. Instead of focusing on artificially induced multiple births, the media should talk about the effect humanitys numbers are having on the natural environment.

Sunday Trip

Yesterday, I took a trip to a small island in the Puget Sound near Tacoma, Washington. Anderson Island is about a 20 minute ferry ride from the town of Steilicoom. Steilicoom is just west of Tacoma and is one of the oldest towns in Washington state. The ferry rate for walk on passengers is a little over 4 dollars a person, cars are about 15 dollars per vehicle. The ferry ride is very scenic. There are excellent views of other islands and the two narrows bridges. A couple of miles east of Anderson island is the Federal Penitentiary at McNeil Island. McNeil Island does not have as much notoriety as the former island prison at Alcatraz, but several famous criminals have been inmates at McNeil Island including Charles Manson.


Anderson Island is named after one of the early settlers and is about 5 miles wide and 7 miles long. The population is about one thousand. There are plenty of places to hike, but as with any other destination, private property must be respected. Anderson island is the perfect place for a day trip of hiking or bicycling or just for the ferry ride.