I regret to inform you that in the midst of a hectic weekend, I was completely oblivious to the
first ever Coral Triangle Day.
Woe is me!
Here are some pictures from the occasion, and information from the founders at WWF.
Huzzah! Coral!
My shocking failure may have been despicable, but there is indeed a silver lining.
And that silver lining is an EcoSphere.
On Friday, I joined a facebook photo contest with the Georgia Aquarium (you had to write about a sea-creature you love and why you want to protect the oceans for them), and the person with the most 'likes' upon their glorious photo would be declared the winner.
The glorious winner would be declared the owner of a glorious EcoSphere, which is the absolute coolest thing since cheese in a can. It is a self-sustaining aquarium (closed glass) which has little shrimp inside it, and said shrimp have actually been known to stay alive for up to ten years!
My entry was as follows:
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In January of this year, the first hybrid shark was discovered off the coast of Australia. Scientists have theorized that the Common black tip and Australian black tip have mated for the purpose of mobility! The merge in DNA has allowed them to leave their normal territory for cooler waters (more than 2,000 kilometers down the coast). While this discovery is amazing, it is proof of the dangers sea creatures are now facing with pollution and global warming. If we all do our part, we can protect the oceans for future generations. Happy World Oceans Day!
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People began sharing it around, and I won by over 100 votes! *Faints*
So I have sent my information to the Georgia Aquarium and I can't wait for my latest nerdtank to arrive!
I will include the website for these lovely EcoSpheres for anyone who requires more detailed information :)
On the News Front:
Well, it's official. Scientists are now asking questions that everyone already knows the answer to.
For example:
"Are We Pushing the Planet to the Brink of Irreversible Environmental Change?"
LOL.
When I saw this article, I couldn't help but mentally quote my father, who typically uses this phrase sarcastically when people ask silly questions they should already know the answer to.
Are we pushing the planet to the brink of irreversible environmental change?
Ummmmm. If there is a 'brink' for this planet, we've already crossed it. We as a country have been causing irreversible environmental change since Lady Liberty was wearing plus size diapers.
Humans have been damaging the planet since we stood up on two legs and grunted something along the lines of, "Uuunghhhha. Kill everything that moves!"
Has everyone forgotten the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010? That it released over 5 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and may still be seeping? That the dolphins and whales in that area now die at twice the rate they did before?
Has everyone learned to live with the fact that cars spew out toxic fumes into the air every few seconds? Hate to break it to you geniuses, but fish and humans need clean oxygen to breathe.
(Those of you who were wondering, that means no oil or toxic fumes, thank you.)
I mean, your Emission standards are dandy, but it's not okay to say, "Oh we've set a limit on the amount of pollutants that can be released into the natural environment."
You're saying it's okay for a certain amount of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and carbon monoxide to be released into the natural environment?
Cool story, bro.
But I don't believe it.
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| Yeah, that white stuff? That can be seen from outer space? That's an oil slick. And it shouldn't be there. |
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| The beautiful ocean. |
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| "Look closely at this optical trick. Do you see a bird, or an oil blob?" "I see both!" "That's correct, Johnny. This is both a bird and an oil blob." "Is that natural?" "No, Johnny. It's not." |
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| A turtle, either dead or swimming about in crude oil. |
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| Welcome to Earth. Would you like a complimentary gas mask? |
Please excuse my nerdrage. That article was ridiculous, and so twentieth century.
On to better science news.
This next tidbit documents one of thirty young scientific minds meeting with Nobelists soon at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany (Lake Constance).
I must say I am not the hugest fan of physics in the world, but the field is at the forefront of modern science and technology, so kudos to this young man.
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| Physics, for the win! |
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A past lecture at a Lindau Meeting.
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For more information on the Lindau Meeting, you can visit the website:
I have also found a page full of other science blogs if you are interested in checking them out!
Very cool stuff here, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for reading :) Science rules.
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