Visions of Green and Blue

What is in our water?

Labels: water

Image: www.metaefficient.com

In recent years there have been numerous studies regarding drinking water around the world. In most cases these studies have revealed that there are a large number of pharmaceutical ingredients present.
In 2004 the Canadian Government released its findings from its first study of pharmaceuticals in Canadian drinking water. The test samples were taken near 20 water treatment plants in Southern Ontario. Nine different drugs were found in the samples, ranging from painkillers to Prozac. Testing of drinking water in Philadelphia revealed that 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts were present in treated drinking water. And the New York State health department tested the source of the city's water and found heart medicine, infection fighters, estrogen, anti-convulsants, a mood-stabilizer, and a tranquilizer.

So how is all of this getting into our drinking water?
Living in a society where it is possible to pop a pill for any pain or ailment is the primary pollution problem. IMS health global services records show that in 1999 the world drug consumption amounted to $342 billion and in 2006 the number almost doubled to $643 billion. A significant proportion of the drugs that we consume are designed to breakdown slowly and are excreted through urine without being fully metabolized by our bodies, and end up in municipal waste water. The human body is able to metabolize 80% of drugs such as the pain-reliever acetaminophem and the antidepressant fluoxetine; however, chemotherapy (methotrexate), diabetes (metformin), and high blood-pressure (atenol) products are excreted practically unchanged, with the body only absorbing 10-20% of the drug.

What are the effects?
The effects on the human body are still widely unknown; however, environmental effects are already visible. Pharmaceuticals seeping into the waterways are disrupting wildlife. The most visible and documented effect is the feminization of male fish. It has also been noted that fish that are exposed to an anti-depressent drug startle less quickly and impairs its ability to eat. There is growing scientific concern that the ingestion of certain drugs, or combination of drugs, may harm humans over decades of consumption through water. There has been speculation over the possible long term effects from the various drugs: chemotherapy medication could act as a powerful poison, hormones could hamper reproduction and development, depression and epilepsy medication could damage the brain or change behavior, and antibiotics could allow human germs to mutate into more dangerous forms.

What can we do?
Some companies, mainly in Europe, are beginning to use 'Ecolabeling'. This labling can be used on a range of products from over the counter medication to shampoo and house cleaners. The lables provide consumers with trustworthy information regarding the ecological soundness of the product.
If you live in Canada look for Product take-back programs ( www.medicationsreturn.ca)in your area. These programs accept expired or unused medications for environmentally safe disposal.
The two most important steps that we need to take is to educate ourselves and share our knowledge with others. And most importantly reduce your own personal medical consumption. Next time you are about to pop a pill think about this: "Studies show that half the antibiotics prescribed by General Practitioners surgeries are unnecesary. Likewise more than 30 percent of pills work because of a placebo effect: the actual chemicals do nothing" (ECOLOGIST May 2009).

Sources:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/mostread/s_556442.html
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/emma_holister/2004/11/16/prozac_painkillers_hormones_found.htm
http://watertreatment.ca/2009/medication-present-in-st-lawrence-river/
www.medicationsreturn.ca
http://www.ec.gc.ca/INRE-NWRI/default.asp?lang=En&n=C00A589F-1&offset=22&toc=show
http://www.imshealth.com/portal/site/imshealth/

The Mannahatta Project

Photo: Mannahatta Project/Wildlife Conservation Society

http://themannahattaproject.org/home/

The Mannahatta Project at the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York city has made it possible for you to imagine what Manhattan looked like circa 1609. In a time before the steel high rises and never ending concrete, the inhabitants were mainly wildlife and the landscape consisted of forests, valleys, hills, and streams.

The website allows you to search by address or by simply clicking on the map. You can explore the wildlife, landscape, and about how the Lenape people possibly used the land before 1609. You can also compare the 1609 map with the map from today.

“The goal of the Mannahatta Project has never been to return Manhattan to its primeval state. The goal of the project is discover something new about a place we all know so well, whether we live in New York or see it on television, and, through that discovery, to alter our way of life. New York does not lack for dystopian visions of the future…. But what is the vision of the future that works? Might it lie in Mannahatta, the green heart of New York, and with a new start to history, a few hours before Hudson arrived that sunny afternoon four hundred years ago?”

- from Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City

Whales being attacked by seagulls.

Labels: ocean, whales

Photo: Mariano Sironi, Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas, Argentina.

Another threat to the survival of southern right whales off the coast of Argentina has been added to the list; seagull attacks.
As the whales surfaces the gulls land and peck through the skin in search of blubber, which is an important source of calories. The bites leave big open wounds, which can reach a half a meter across and have a possibility of transmitting germs. This is not the first time that these attacks have been witnessed. "The attacks around Peninsula Valdes were first noted about 35 years ago but systematic studies have only recently begun. The proportion of whales attacked annually has soared from 1% in 1974 to 78% today"1.
The attacks focus on mothers and calves, as they spend more time at the surface and the calves have softer skin. "The gulls attack force whales to dive and flee, interrupting resting and feeding periods. The animals lose energy normally used to fatten for long migrations or milk production"2. "The mothers spend less time nursing, and we're seeing thinner calves"3.
The gull populations increased with the supply of food from landfills and development of fish processing plants in the areas. Researches fear that if the problem of the gulls is not solved the whales will attempt to travel elsewhere where they could be placing themselves in greater danger.

Photo: Mariano Sironi, Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas, Argentina.

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8116551.stm
2. Marcelo Bertellotti of Argentina's Patagonia University. http://news.softpedia.com
3. Roxana Schteinbarg Director of the Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8116551.stm

Edible and not-so-edible fish

Labels: fish, ocean, seafood

There is an incredible amount of information available on the subject of the declining fish populations of our planet; yet many people continue to consume vast amounts of seafood, ignoring the inherent danger of destroying our oceans as we know them.
Below are two quick lists of the seafood we should and should not consume.

Fish we should not consume:
Atlantic cod
Atlantic halibut
Atlantic haddock
Atlantic salmon (farmed)
Bluefin tuna
Caviar
Chilean sea bass (Patagonian toothfish)
Grouper
Orange roughy
Sharks, skates, and rays
Snapper
Swordfish

Fish that is okay to consume (occasionally):
Blue whiting
Herring
Hoki
Horse mackerel
Lobster
Mussles and Oysters
Pacific halibut
Pacific salmon
Pollock
San eel/sand lance
Sardine
Striped bass
Tilapia

There are also many sites that offer endless amounts of information on the ethical consumption of seafood as well as printable seafood and sushi guides.
http://www.blueocean.org/sushi
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_whatsnew.aspx

Earth Alert, A Photographic Response to Climate Change- Seoul, S. Korea

India Ghoramara Island, Sunderbans 2007. Image by: Robin Hammond/Panos

The British Embassy Seoul and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea UK have come together to put on a fantastic exhibition of 90 photographs commenting on the effects of global warming around the world. The images of destruction and devastation which were taken by 13 British and Korean artists, are beautiful and depressing. Images likes these make it impossible for us to ignore the ruin that we have and continue to bring to our planet and makes it clear that we can no longer continue to live the way that we do today.

Curated by Colins Jacobson, Stephanie SeungMin Kim:

Many people are confused by the concepts of climate change and global warming. They understand there is a problem but cannot quite get to grips with the implications. Millions of words have been written on the subject but photographers have found it challenging to find an effective way to tell human stories that involve the audience. In this exhibition, we offer different photographic perspectives from Korean and international practitioners who have tried in their own ways to relate to the magnitude of the problem. In some cases, this involves the perceived causes of climate change such as industrial pollution and deforestation but in others, photographers have tried to engage with those directly affected by climate change in their everyday lives. By incorporating both the physical evidence of climate change and the human cost, this exhibition seeks to encourage a broader audience to participate in the debate about global warming; to gain a wider understanding of the issues at stake; to take personal responsibility for their contribution to the problem and to demand concerted action from their leaders. Moreover, by providing this platform for those photographers who have already sought to confront environmental issues head on, we hope to encourage other photographers to seek new and thought provoking ways of influencing public opinion.

The exhibit is showing at the Daelim Contemporary Art Gallery in Seoul. It will run until August 23 and will then move to the Korean Cultural Center in London, England from October 13 - November 28.

To get to Daelim Gallery take line Number 3 to Kyongbokgung station and take exit number 4. Walk towards the Palace and turn left at the intersection. Walk approximately 10 minutes and the gallery is on the left.
It is open 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m (Closed on Mondays) and admission is W4,000.00.
Daelim Contemporary Art Gallery website: http://www.daelimmuseum.org/e_index.jsp

The unnecessary paper trail.

Labels: paper

My generation seems to be transfixed by the internet. Truthfully I cannot imagine living without it. I do everything from check the weather to watch my favorite tv shows online. One of the most important uses of the internet for me is checking my financial balances. For each bank account, credit card, or loan I have an online account so that I am able to check my status from anywhere in the world. As I moved away from home after high school this became a necessity, as I was no longer living at the address where my statements were going, and I did not always want my parents to witness the balance in my accounts.
When I went home to visit I would always find that my mother had stacked my mail in a pile on my desk. The majority of the envelopes always came from banks or my credit card company. Most of the envelopes contained statements but others were cheques that my credit card company was trying to get me to sign up for and other various 'junk mail'. I always followed the same routine of disposing of the paper with personal information by shredding each piece. And then I began to wonder; "Why is it that I receive 2-3 pieces of mail per month from the credit card companies when I already get all the information that I need online?". The answer was staring me in the face the entire time - all I had to do was click one button while I was on the companies website to stop the endless flow of unwanted paper: "Stop receiving paper statements".
If you have not yet created an online account for your banking, I suggest trying it out. It makes it much easier to keep up with your finances, as you can check it anywhere, and anytime. Once you have gotten online find the 'Stop receiving paper statements' button and help minimize your contribution to the destruction of our worlds forests. And if at anytime you require a paper statement it is just as easy to find the 'Start receiving paper statements' button.