Countries Dependence upon Fishing

These nations currently fish the most in the world. Many of them rely heavily upon the fishing industry for a main source of income and as a food source vital for people's protein intake, it adds up to approximately 1 billion people. There are some countries like the United States who are wealthy and large enough to survive if the fishing industry tanked but countries like Myanmar, the Philippines, and Indonesia would suffer economically while some of their people would lose basic nutrition and possibly starve.

You can Vote, You have the Power!

Besides being energy efficient on your own, you can wield your political right to vote as a weapon against carbon pollution and be the green warrior you always wanted to be!

Seriously though, a politician would do almost anything that their direct constituents wanted because it means popularity and reelection for them. Their two favorite things. Now I'm not talking about emailing President Obama here. You have to start small, like in your home town. Local governments is where the most change can occur and the place where your vote goes the furthest.

Writing or speaking to an elected official can do a lot of change, especially if multiple people do the same. If they know that enough of their voters want greener solutions and energy decisions they will vote that way when they have the chance. This can be applied to your own town council or mayor, state senator, county executive, state representative and congressman. 

Obviously you can vote for candidates from the Green Party because you know they will fight against carbon pollution. They don't win as much as Democrats or Republicans. If they get enough votes taken away from the two major parties to be a substantial decrease, than those parties will have to adopt greener stances in order to get those votes back.

Do you want to help prevent the acidification of our oceans? HERE'S HOW:

Reducing your carbon footprint, the amount of carbon dioxide you directly produce, is the best way to help prevent climate change. How to do so...

Alternative Energy:

This is a tough one to do if you don't own a house. But when you do look into solar and wind energy. Solar panels on people's homes can help reduce the average 7.4 tons of CO2 produced from a single households electric usage annually. Bonus: You also get to save money on electricity and the electric company will buy back any energy that was produced but not used. If you can't do solar panels that's fine, just speak with your energy provider and they have the option for you to choose where your energy comes from. Just tell them you want it to come from wind or solar, it'll cost a bit more each month than regular coal produced energy but it will be better in the long run. 

Driving:

• Buy cars with high MPG, hybrid, or electric cars.
• Don't drive as much. When you can walk, carpool, use public transportation, or ride a bike.
• Driving better lowers your carbon footprint. This means accelerate smoothly and don't speed like a maniac.
• Keeping your cars maintenance up. The more well-tuned your car mean the more efficient and the less CO2 produced.
• I know its impossible but try to avoid traffic. 

 Source: Carbon Fund

Shopping:

Buy energy efficient products and products made from recycled material. If companies see that consumers want more items like that they will definitely change their game plan as long as more money is the result.


When you are shopping I know you only look for the best deal but also try to see where the product you are buying is coming from. The more locally made items the better since shipping produces SO MUCH CO2.

15 OF THE WORLDS LARGEST CONTAINER SHIPS PRODUCE MORE CO2 ANNUALLY THEN EVERY SINGLE CAR IN THE WORLD COMBINED. HOLY @#%! Source: Gizmag.com

Oh and there are almost 5,000 of these ships sailing back and forth around the ocean. One gallon of gas moves these guys about roughly 20 miles, which isn't as bad as I expected.

Source: Worldshipping.org

French Climate Summit, will it produce the results we need?

The problem with coming to an agreement between almost 200 nations is the money. Developing nations do not have the capital to spend on lowering greenhouse emissions like developed nations do. Here is where the work will be cut out for the conference.

There are many who do not believe this conference will amount to what world leaders claim. And some disbelievers even point out that the meeting of this conference alone will create 300,000 tons of CO2 by itself and that's all that it will really create.

Links to articles criticizing the conference: 
Vox  
Wired

From my research I believe that this conference will produce long-term goals and agreements to lower countries carbon footprint. Why?

With all the worlds eyes upon Paris, the world leaders have pledged results.


President Obama (USA):

President Putin (Russia):

   
President Xin Jinping (China):

  

French Climate Summit

 

Currently, 193 countries have sent representatives and leaders to Paris this year for the 2015 Climate Summit. This meeting of the United Nations and over 5,000 international companies has been going on since November 30th, and will end December   11th. 

Image Source: Phys.org

 This conferences goals are too create lasting and binding agreements between countries and companies to lower their carbon footprints while stimulating the research of green energy.

You can go to the UNFCCC to watch meetings live: Here 

 Let's hope that these representatives in Paris can understand the importance of why they are meeting. These conferences occur every year in a different country but they don't always attract a lot of news coverage; at least not as much as this year's conference is receiving. I certainly didn't know this was an annual event. I believe this is because people are honestly fed up and want lasting and legally binding agreements to fight climate change.

More Zooplankton!

Real:






















Not Real:

 

Sources: Giphy.com - Plankton

What's so great about Zoo Plankton?

The ocean is filled with microscopic organisms called Zoo plankton. These organisms are fundamental to the way the ecosystem and atmosphere function. 

Source: Britannica



1. Plankton are at the bottom of the food chain in the ocean; little fish, crustaceans, shellfish, and even whales feed on plankton. Everything that doesn't directly eat plankton, depends on them indirectly through their own prey.

2. Plankton produce 50% of the world's oxygen!!!!

WARNING: Due to ocean acidification, plankton population levels are decreasing according to a report by MIT and the University of Alabama and many types of plankton will be eradicated by the year 2100. The report also suggests that the ocean will drop to a 7.8 pH acidity level.

Great Video on Understanding the Impact of Ocean Acidification

Besides the great animations and ocean puns, this video is a wonderful representation of the dangers of our dependence on fossil fuels.

Credit: Alliance for Climate Education

Coral Reefs Gone By 2050, Why will the world miss them???

I know when I think about coral reefs I imagine a tourist attraction that I cannot afford to go visit or something that is only good for a computer background picture. So why should I care if they vanish by 2050? I'll be 56 goddamn years old! Well, my views have drastically changed after even a little research on the subject.

What Coral Reefs do for our oceans?

• Provide habitat for early stages of Marine life. HALF of all fish species make their homes in coral reefs, the ones that we eat.
• Protect fish from their predators.
• Coral pulls carbon from the ocean in order to construct their calcium carbonate structures which helps regulate the amount of carbon in the ocean.

What would happen if they were gone?

• Its estimated that 1 billion people across Asia depend on coral reefs and the fish that inhabit them for survival. So people's livelihoods would be turned upside down.
• Nation's such as those in the Caribbean and South East Asia will have their economies crippled from a dramatic decrease of fishing and tourists.
• Organisms further up the food chain such as dolphins will have their populations drop off because of a lack of food.

One Green Planet

Huffington Post - Brian Skoloff

Who Does Ocean Acidification Hurt?

Shellfish (Clams, Mussels, Scallops, Oysters)

Crustaceans (Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimp)

Most Fish

Coral Reefs

And Then... US