My Green Life

As I am thinking more and more about my pursuit of attending grad school, I have become increasingly aware that I need to become more aware of the marine biology research being conducted currently. In an effort to do so, I have found it difficult to find articles available on-line that I am able view without paying hefty subscription costs. However, I did find one site (and will be looking to highlight others in the future) that contains open access to several scholarly journals. After listening to multiple harangues by a computer programmer regarding the importance of open source programming as a way to collaborate and access a greater source of information, I now have a brand new appreciation for the ability to access other scholar’s works for free. I found one article from an open source journal of particular interest.

The article is titled The short-term impact of dolphin-watching on the behaviour of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in western Australia. The focus of this paper was to determine whether or not the presence of dolphin-watching tour boats influences the behavior of dolphins. For a “control”, an investigator boat was sent out to note the dolphins’ behavior under “normal” circumstances. The scientists then sent an observation boat out with the dolphin-watching tour boat to determine whether dolphins acted differently with the tour boat present.  After reading the paper, I was reminded of the concept in quantum physics where a photon acts like a particle when an observer is present, and it acts like a wave when an observer is not present. The simple presence of an observer greatly influences how a photon acts. Which made me question, “Does simply the presence of an observer in a scientific experiment ever alter the intended results?” Now, in this case, it was found that the dolphins’ behavior was altered when the tour boat was present vs. when it was not present. But, if the presence of an observer affects the results of an experiment on a microscopic level, could it also affect the results on a macroscopic level as well? If there had been no observer boat present, would the behavior be altered even more significantly? The dolphins’ behavior was, most likely, affected minimally by the observer boat’s presence, but it is a factor to consider. More than anything, this article made me recognize the importance of making connections and coming up with the questions that will take an observation deeper.

Each year, 250,000 loggerhead sea turtles and 60,000 leatherbacks are caught in longline fishing gear according to a study conducted by Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and published in March 2004. Both turtle species are on the federal endangered species list, but even after warnings of their populations’ decline, the Obama administration has recently moved to triple the amount of sea turtles that can be caught off the coast of Hawaii by fisherman. In the Gulf of Mexico, sea turtle bycatch will increase 700 percent! As someone who has worked closely with sea turtles, I am very concerned about this action. The population is declining steadily due to habitat encroachment, hatchlings disoriented by bright lights on the beach, marine pollution and debris, and incidental take from commercial longline fishing and dredging. Most turtles fall victim to longline hooks that are meant for swordfish and other edible marine life. Turtles end up as bycatch, are caught by accident, and then they are dumped off the side of a boat.

Instead of increasing the amount of turtles that can be caught, I would suggest Obama’s administration implement some positive changes like using circular hooks instead of the typical “J” hook or altering the type of bait used. To take action in an effort to reverse the decision to increase turtle bycatch click here and send a letter to President Obama encouraging him to reconsider.

Organic Consumers Association’s voice is being heard! The Department of Justice is now accepting comments regarding the monopoly Biotech companies, like Monsanto, have over farming, food, and seeds. So spread the word and, at the very least, sign your name to the form letter included here.

An article was recently forwarded to me by an avid Ron Paul and personal property rights supporter regarding the harmful environmental effects of genetically modified organisms found in many of the crops we consume. Ever since a Botany college class trip to Monsanto to hear their side of the story, I have been interested in the ongoing discussion over the impacts of GMOs. Some argue that GMOs could prevent hunger in all nations, while others admit that there would be plenty of food without the use of GMOs, but the actual distribution of the excess is unevenly distributed. Some might argue that the chemicals are solely on the exterior of the plant and easily wiped off before consumption, while others insist that those unnaturally modified genes are inside the plant, unable to be merely washed off. What has been most frustrating to me, however, is the cross pollination that inherently occurs and results in organic produce being contaminated by pollen of plants that have been genetically modified. So, I have taken the challenge to avoid Monsanto’s GMOs as much as possible starting with purchasing organic sugar whenever possible. Bytestyle.tv states that “about half of our sugar supply comes from sugar beets. Monsanto introduced their genetically engineered Roundup-Ready Sugar Beets to the market last year, and this year, their beets will comprise over 90% of the US sugar beet harvest.” Another easy way to make a difference is to avoid the purchase and use of Roundup weed killer. Here are a few additional recommendations from that email:

HOW TO AVOID GMO FOODS:

1. Look at the stickers on fruit - there is a PLU code with either 4 or 5 numbers. If your fruit’s label has 4 numbers, it is conventionally grown. 5 numbers starting with a 9 means it was organically grown, and 5 numbers starting with an 8 means GMO. (I have blogged about this before.)

2. Buy local & talk to your farmers - this is the best way to ensure you’re eating real foods. It’s estimated that up to 85% of pre-packaged and processed foods contain GMOs, so buying fresh from the farm is a great way to avoid that. (My husband and I enjoy buying our produce from a stand run by a great Italian man passionate about good food who gets 90% of his produce locally.)

3. Avoid the Top Four GMO Crops of Soy, Corn, Canola and Cottonseed - most blended oils in North America contain canola and cottonseed. Replacing these with 100% extra virgin olive oil is a safe alternative. (EVOO is healthier too!)

4. Encourage your favorite food providers to label their food GMO-free. We don’t need the government to force companies to label their foods, and we’re seeing more and more that we as consumers have tremendous power, and if enough of us ask for GMO-free labels, and support the companies that use them, we’ll see a huge increase in labeling. And we’re already starting to see this.

5. Buy Organically Grown Food - For now, the organic certification process is a relatively safe bet to ensure your food is free of GMOs, although this may not be the case in the future. Help support global sustainability by purchasing certified organically grown food.

6. Conventional Sugar - Over 90% of this year’s sugar beet harvest will be Monsanto’s GM Roundup-Ready Sugar Beet. That means if you are using sugar, or eating anything with sugar in it, you’re eating GMOs. Alternatives to sugar are listed here.(I never knew!)

7. Grow your own food - Plant a garden using heirloom seeds! (Home grown produce tastes great, and it is incredibly satisfying.)

I just read a pretty interesting article in the Christian Science Monitor that went into more depth on a story I heard on the radio yesterday. Now, I’m not sure if this is just some PR blitz (which I’m sure it is to some extent) or if Wal-Mart is really taking an interest in becoming more environmentally friendly, but, whatever the motivation, Wal-mart has begun developing a method to compile and present on the packaging the environmental impact of each of the goods sold. They plan to rate factors such as emissions and water conservation in order to better inform the consumer so he/she can make more educated decisions on what to purchase. The software they are funding could then be utilized by other companies that are interested in displaying that information. I think this is a revolutionary concept, but I do wonder the impact it will have. Will Wal-Mart shoppers even bother to consider the environmental impact of a product, or will they just look for the yellow price tag? Also, will businesses be inspired to change their detrimental practices if they are aware that people could be judging the product not only on its durability and function, but its sustainability? I, like many others, am still skeptical about Wal-Mart’s business practices, but this seems to be a step in the right direction in winning back some respect from the environmentalists.

As my husband keeps driving into my head, all regulatory changes happen on a local level. It is impossible to expect the federal government to know each individual’s desires, but if you approach issues locally and in your community, change can happen over time. A small community in Australia has proven that the people can have a voice. Common citizens jumped on board with the banning of water bottles and spoke out against the destructive environmental impact the manufacturing and disposal of plastic bottles causes. The voting was near unanimous with all but two voters (one of which was a bottled water representative) among 356 siding with the environment. This story just proves how operating locally can be effective and people’s voices can be heard! Good work Bundanoon!

Day 9: We hopped aboard another shuttle that took us around curvy roads and scenic overlooks until arriving at the beach about two hours later. Manuel Antonio is a very small, tourist driven town near Quepos on the Pacific Coast.  Here, we took a day to soak up the sun, which was still elusive, and try our hand at surfing the Costa Rican waves. We started with fish sandwiches at a fun restaurant across the street from the beach and then rented a long board to test our skills. James was able to get up without too much difficulty, but I was not quite able to ride a wave like I hoped. After a refreshing shower, we headed back to the beach for a romantic dinner with views of the sunset over the beach. Not a bad day. But I think James’ favorite part was capping the day off with some NBA playoff action (in Spanish of course!).

Day 10: Our only free day at the beach and we wanted to make the most of it, so we woke up with the sun around 6:00 to walk the beach before the temperatures started to rise. We wandered back to the hotel (about a quarter mile) for breakfast of fresh fruit, pastries, and juice. A group of white-faced monkeys joined us navigating the ropes across the street that led them to the tree right above our table. The morning was then spent relaxing, enjoying the sun while trying not to get burnt, reading, body surfing, and eating burgers-which we found out are very popular among Costa Ricans. We thought it was just available for the tourists, but it turns out the Ticos are big fans as well! We had to get our surfing fix in, so even though it was raining, we decided to go for it. I got up this time, but then the thunderheads rolled in, and we decided to evacuate the water, but not everyone was as easily chased out. A group of about ten surfers continued surfing through a massive storm, but it made for good waves! So, we got enough surfing in to whet our appetites (for now) and we showered, ate dinner, and watched a movie before slumbering.

Day 11: We rode two hours down to Sierpe where we hopped on a boat that took us to Drake Bay and the resort we splurged on: Aguila de Osa. The boat docked right at the resort and the manager quickly ushered us to the restaurant for complimentary drinks followed by lunch. The resort was very community oriented and all the meals were family style with all the guests staying there (usually 8-14). We were upgraded to the larger suite where we enjoyed the views and a siesta. Then borrowed a kayak and headed up the river then out to the sea to discover a small, secluded island not too far away. Then headed back to clean up for appetizers and dinner. Appetizers consisted of guacamole and chips which were both amazing, and I don’t usually care for guacamole. Dinner was wonderful as well with good conversation flowing among the 6 couples (3 of which were on their honeymoons too). Then an early night to bed to rest up for our big day!

Day 12: We had breakfast then met our guides who were to take us snorkeling and diving on Cano Island, one of the premier reefs in Costa Rica. We loaded up our gear then headed out on the hour boat ride to our first dive stop. The day was clear and sunny, increasing the already decent visibility. James snorkeled while I dove with the guide. We both saw white tipped reef sharks, barracudas, lobsters, eels, parrot fish, and other schools of fish. We then resurfaced to the boat to head to the island for lunch at 10:30 and then relax in the sun. Afterwards, we headed back out with another tank to a new location for similar marine sightings. Overall, I was pleased with the sightings, except for the lack of turtles which I did not expect to see, but I was still hopeful. We were returned to Aguila for a free afternoon which we used to experience the local culture. There was a womens’ soccer tournament in the small town nearby, so we headed down to watch and take part in the excitement. It was a typical small town match like you would see in the movies with people standing around a field with no out of bound lines (there was a hill on one side and a fence that people sat on at the other side), no nets on the goals, and very few wore shinguards, but the crowd of about 150 people were enthusiastic and the women were fearless. It was great to watch the community come together in that magnitude. After the game, we headed back to get ready for dinner and play a little ping pong. Dinner, as usual, was amazing with fresh caught bass, steak, and veggies.

Day 13: Another full day of sightseeing and activity. We were shuttled by boat after breakfast to Corcovado National Park-San Pedrillo for a guided tour where we witnessed tapir tracks, scarlet macaws, agouti, wild turkeys, and lots of mosquitoes. We then had a snack of fresh fruit to re-energize before the big hike to the waterfall which led us up a large hill then back into the rain forest where we saw a group of spider monkeys leap from branch to branch as they made their way over our heads. At last, we arrived at the falls for a dip to cool down before spotting two poisonous snakes on the short hike back to the ranger station for lunch. There, we spotted a crocodile sunning across the stream before heading back to the resort for another relaxing afternoon followed by ping pong and dinner.

Day 14: A sad day. We have to leave our resort. We enjoyed our last breakfast at the resort and loaded up the boat to take us back to Sierpe where we caught a shuttle to the domestic airport. We climbed into the 18 passenger plane to take us the short (40 minute) trip back to San Jose. Once we got to San Jose, there was a misunderstanding, and our shuttle was not there to greet us like normal. So, we were resourceful and with the last bit of cash we had, hired a cab to return us to hostel Bekuo, coming full circle to where we started our adventure. We had a very lazy afternoon at the hostel, and ordered in casados for dinner to satisfy our craving for one last meal of chicken, rice, and beans. Then we played some more Wii, watched the NBA playoffs, and headed to bed.

Day 15: Long day of airport hopping to arrive back home in the United States. Overall, it was an amazing trip and James and I can’t wait to go back for our surfing trip!

For pictures, please click here.

Day 5: James decided just driving to La Fortuna was not adventurous enough for us, so instead, we went by horse, boat, and van. We met our caballero who did not speak ANY English. Almost everyone we encountered while in Costa Rica spoke some English, but not our cowboy! So, we acted out enough objects to communicate and started on our trek along the beautiful Arenal Lake. Unfortunately, it rained almost the entire ride so the views were not quite as easy to enjoy. But we made due, and survived until lunchtime where we stopped for pineapple and watermelon while joined by three little pigs from a nearby farm. Then we continued on after lunch until arriving at a very random boat in the middle of nowhere. We hopped on and were shuttled across the lake to meet our shuttle that took us to our Casa Luna Hotel. Then we took siestas, relaxed, and walked about 35 minutes into La Fortuna for dinner at 4:30. We, once again, had delicious casados and headed back to Casa Luna to watch some tv and head to bed early.

Day 6: Dined on omelets and cereal for breakfast at the hotel, then we were picked up by our canoe guide, Marcos, to head out to the river for some wildlife viewing. We had a leisurely float down the Penas Blancas (White Cliffs) River when James did all the work while I got to enjoy the views and take pictures. We saw lots of animals including basilisks (otherwise known as Jesus Christ lizards because they can run on the water), a group of about ten howler monkeys, two crocodiles, and a lot of birds. Of course it rained almost the whole trip until we stopped for some veggies and wraps then headed back to dry off at our hotel. On the way, Marcos stopped suddenly and pulled off to the side of the road. James and I looked quizzically at each other as Marcos was tossing pineapples from a harvested field to our driver as by-passers honked their horns. It was quite entertaining! Then we made one other unexpected stop at a little open air restaurant where Marcos told us to grab our camera. We went to the back and there were about 50 iguanas sunning in the sun. Marcos fed them papaya and cabbage which they devoured with pleasure. Then we headed back to the hotel until our evening at the hot springs. Eco Termales hot springs were naturally heated with about six different pools. We had a very relaxing evening with dinner included.

Day 7: Another beautiful morning on the Penas Blancas River, but this time in a raft where I had to do even less paddling! Another honeymooning couple joined us and the guide as we viewed a sloth (which actually looked more like a termite nest), monkeys, and a poisonous frog (wearing “blue jeans”). We had a snack of fruit after our float then headed to the La Fortuna waterfall after dropping off the other couple. We climbed about 450 stairs to get down to the bottom where the view was amazing. Then we headed back to town for lunch then joined a 2:00 tour to the Arenal Volcano where it was so wet and rainy, we did not get to go too far due to safety concerns. Then we headed to another Hot Springs, Tabacon, which was even nicer than the first and had a delicious Asian buffet for dinner where James tried one of everything. It was a very fun-filled day of adventure!

Day 8: We got to sleep in!! Victor arrived to pick us up at 10:00 for our day of canyoning and rappeling. We arrived, put on our gear, had a very brief lesson on rappeling ourselves down, and started on our first mini rappel. Our guides had a lot of fun with us, splashing us, having us cannonball into small bodies of water, and pose for the photography was we headed down the stream. We had two large rappels of about 200 feet each which were a little scary at first, but once you were descending it was such a rush. We took a short side track to a waterfall, then headed up the hill to lunch before heading back to town for a lazy afternoon and packing for the BEACH…

Target stores are banning plastic bags! Unfortunately this trend has not made it to the US yet, but at least Australia is doing their part.  As of June 1, 2009 (today!) 283 Target stores in Australia will no longer have plastic bags available for free. They are not leaving the customer in want, however, and instead they are offering reusable bags for a dollar and corn based compostable bags for 10 cents that will then be donated to a children’s charity. It’s good to see a retailer doing their part to encourage reducing the use of those plastic bags.

For our honeymoon, my husband and I wanted to go on an adventure somewhere neither of us had been. James planned everything, but we both wanted a trip that would involve eco-tourism: hiking, canoeing, kayaking, scuba diving, surfing. So, we headed off to Costa Rica to support a country that is protecting 25% of its land from development and hopes to protect even more in the future.  The following is an account of the first section of the trip (there will be three total).

Day 1: We left Dulles airport at a brutally early time of 6 am, but this meant we arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica in the early afternoon which meant time to do some exploring and research. Our first challenge after arriving at our hostel was to find food. James speaks very little Spanish, and I speak just slightly more than that. But, we found a “soda” that sold cheap casados (chicken, rice, beans, fried plaintain) and were able to make it by on what we knew. Then the typical wet season rains approached and we hunkered down for the afternoon to get our bearings. We got some food from the supermarket then played some Wii soccer to round out the evening.

Day 2: We woke up for an early 7:00 pick up to trek by van through the very rough mountains where we learned that drivers are a little loco. They are very aggressive, but there seem to be very few accidents (surprisingly). We arrived safely in Monteverde late in the morning and checked into the Don Taco Hotel. We exchanged about $80 to 55,000 colones at the very well guarded bank at which point James was spoken to in Spanish and returned a stunned, blank stare at the security guard with a large gun at his side. He proceeded to piece toghether the fact that he was not able to take our backpack into the bank. We wandered around the small three-block town, had some ice cream, explored some art shops, and took a siesta (we do that a lot you will learn). Then it was dinner at the Tree House Restaurant which is literally a restaurant built around a living tree. You had to duck your head to avoid the large tangled branches. Dinner was tasty and since the nightlife in Monteverde is pretty nonexistent, it was early to bed.

Day 3: We had a leisurely morning with breakfast at the hotel. Then walked about 45 minutes to get to the Childrens’ Eternal Rainforest. Here we saw a snake in the tree, toucans, great views, and the section we were in was only 80 acres of the total 55,000 acres the Childrens’ Rainforest contains. We headed back for lunch at the supermarket then in the afternoon we went on the Don Juan coffee plantation tour. A couple of fun facts we learned about coffee harvesting: from berry to coffee, it takes one year. It’s quality not quantity for Costa Ricans whose coffee was voted fourth best in the world. A lot of manual labor is required to ensure the quality with very few machines utilized. Workers make 10,000 colones (about $20) a day, and most are Nicaraguan. The ox cart is a national symbol of CR because it is how they transported coffee originally. One unprocessed green coffee bean has the equivalent amount of caffeine as 5-6 cups of coffee. Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia by a goat that ate the beans than acted a little crazy. Roasting of the beans was also accident-the silo holding the beans burned down and the people liked the smell of the cooked beans.

Day 4: Another early morning then off to our canopy tour. We went on the Sky Walk with several hanging bridges to see the canopy of the forest. We saw a quetzal which is the symbol of Guatamala and its threatened status makes it a rare sight to behold. We learned that if you get lost, you should find a group of monkeys and eat what they eat since our digestive tracts are similar. Then we joined a group of about 15 (mostly American) tourists and rode the gondola to the top to begin our zip line adventure. We climbed up about 100 stairs to a very shaky platform with some pretty fierce winds to start our fist line. Once you were clipped in and on the line, the ride was smooth and enjoyable, lasting close to 30-45 seconds. I got stuck once and had to pull myself about 30 feet to the end with my arms. We had some great views of the canopy on these lines! Then we returned all the gear, rode back to our hotel, relaxed, and had another dinner of casados before we packed and headed to bed. Then in the morning it is off to La Fortuna of San Carlos…