Sunset Illumination
Ah .. the shoreline, the water base .. the viscous quality that makes up 76% of our spinning blue planet. The marble headed to the beach for sunset .. met up and was gifted to Cathy Cox and Carlos Mendizabal. Together we watched as the earth turned away from the sun and slowly our water world drifted toward darkness.
Cathy Cox
Carlos Mendizabal
Sustainability .. Balance and harmony with the sea. What an apt place to explore ways to commit ‘random acts of ocean kindness’ than with the sushi chefs – and staff – and patrons – at “O” Sushi in Laguna Beach. What was delightfully surprising was the depth of their relationship and commitment to the sea. For the chefs and staff, the health of the ocean and the planet supports their livelihood. For the clientele, healthy seas mean a healthy planet .. and in the case of a sushi bar, a place to gather and eat healthy – clean nonpoisonous foods. Everyone loved the gift .. and was excited to play it forward.
Associated Press Photograph from Huffington Post
More oil drifting. More of man’s madness on display. The blue marble weeps ……
The spill in the Gulf of Mexico has already begun it’s deadly march. Tendrils of oil spread toward the shoreline – reach down to the depths where they cannot be seen – fouling the marine life chain – threatening endangered species – killing off life.
Officials have estimated that the leak is gushing oil at a rate of 5,000 barrels a day. But if things go badly, representatives for the companies worried that that figure could turn into 60,000 barrels a day, or 2.5 million gallons. Just four days at that rate would exceed the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez off Alaska, the worst spill in U.S. history.
I feel ashamed to drive my car. I feel ashamed to consider hopping into a plane. I am embarrassed that I haven’t converted most of my house to solar or wind, that I am a part of the addiction to fossil fuel. I pledge to do more to reduce my own footprint. I pledge to be a better citizen and to work tirelessly to bring a measure of sanity our human resource consumption.
It was a great day for new friends for the marble. Loretanos Alejandro and his wife Imelda and Rigo and his daugher Aram now gifted with beautiful blue orbs. Alejandro dice que – “hay potencia” and “es necessario para protegerle” … Aram spun the orb in her hands and told me about the world – about caring for it, it’s importance. Rigo & Aram had participated in the Loreto Pride Campaign held last week, and trash load by trash load experienced first hand both the negative effects – all the dumped garbage in the Arroyo Candeleria, and the positive – the pristine environment after a small army of volunteers scoured the dry river bed of trash and refuse.
Marble at sunrise ....
Daylight whispers through translucent clouds, painting a carpet of color across the surface of the sea and wet sand. We walk together in contemplation of oceans and marine life. What can we do to protect the habitat? The species? What skill set can we bring to the table to increase awareness of the human population’s actions?
So many concerned citizens of earth. So many seemingly blind, deaf and dumb to their actions. A greater number more concerned with the bottom line – with immediate profits and corporate success – than with the long term viability of marine life – which ultimately affects all of life on our spinning blue planet.
Water Relations
The clarity of the tide pool was exquisite. The runoff from recent storms had settled either to the bottom or father out to sea. The marble rolled exuberantly in a warm sea grass laden pool.
While the day was joyous and the sun shimmered on the sea’s blue surface, I was reminded, that even through the obvious clarity, several days after southern California storms, the local waters are carry toxic levels of bacteria.
Those bacteria are the source of ear and bronchial infections, along with skin invasions through scratches or open wounds. If it’s not healthy for humans, how can it possibly be healthy for sea life?
We continually dump our shit (excuse me) into the water and expect that the ocean will magically transform garbage into clean habitat.
Wouldn’t it be magical to see the oceans 10,000 years ago?
Imagine the abundance of sea life.
The push/pull issues of corporate profits vs the health of the seas – and ultimately us – confuses me. I find it unfathomable that any person with any kind of conscious cannot see the relationship between actions and consequences.
Dump oil. Kill sea life. Dump chemicals down the drain. Poison shellfish and local species. Toss plastic bags. Strangle pelicans and terns.
The marble wants to know what it will take to wake up ALL the inhabitants of the planet?
Sei Whale
No doubt about it, we are on the top of the food chain – unless we happen to be caught on the African Savannah in the jaws of a hungry lion.
We have commanded this position for such a long time, and in most cases, have been unconscious of the affects of our activities. Not to go on a tirade about knowing where one’s food comes from, but how many of us would actually bite down into that steak or burger if we had to kill the cow or steer that is it’s source? Not many. I think the world would be more vegan if the real connection between what we eat and how it gets to us were more visceral.
When the story broke this morning, linking Typhoon Restaurant in Los Angeles with serving sei whale meat, bits of my heart broke – and I could hear the marble sobbing. This particular whale is an endangered species, aside from all other issues surrounding the killing of whales, it shocked me that a restaurant so close to home was serving up one of my treasured friends.
Marble Marvels at Heron Prints
The heron forages at the edge of San Ignacio Lagoon. His feathered topknot unfurls up the back of his neck in a lacy pattern of reddish hues. A ruddy heron, his buddies the night heron, great heron, yellow-crested night heron, blue heron, etc … all have passed through in my days by the water.
Dance of the Heron
I marvel at their beauty, their grace, their tenacity, and the extent of their habitat. Herons can be found spread across the globe with slight shifts in speciation and coloring.
Fish foragers, the herons depend on clean waters and a bountiful supply of small fish that makes up their diet. Like all seabirds, their health, and the health of their segment of the avian chain of life, depend on us – humans – to stop the degradation of the waters that has been our past, and turn clean water and conservation into items that are not merely spoken about, but acted upon.
From Surfrider Foundation:
Have sewage or stormwater recently polluted the water at your favorite beach? Did you know that many of the 2 million miles of pipes in our drinking and wastewater infrastructure are now operating 50 – 100+ years beyond their predicted lifespan? In addition to their age, these systems were originally designed for populations half their current size. While these pipes might be out of sight and out of mind, the dirty, polluted water that can end up on our beaches is often hard to miss.
Over the next two decades we would have to spend $500 billion more than we are currently spending to fix all of the problems with the water infrastructure in the US. Our state and local governments are not going to be able to afford these costs unless we find a new source of revenue.
The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009 would establish a trust fund dedicated to fixing our clean water infrastructure and supporting other clean water initiatives. Ask your Representative to support this bill. Just click here.
To learn more about this bill and America’s water infrastructure crisis, visit the Know Your H2O Blog.
Travels of the Blue Marble 