Following recent comments by the Environment Minister in Northern Ireland, Sammy Wilson MLA, it has become apparent that the environmental lobby still has a lot of work to do before some people are convinced that anthropogenic activity has any effect on the global climate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7879963.stm
Although it is faintly ludicrous to have an environment minister that has no scientific background there is another reason to make all reasonable efforts to conserve energy.
The fact is that the vast majority of energy consumed globally is derived from fossil fuels. No-one can deny that they are a finite resource. The rate of extraction vastly outweighs the rate of oil generation in sedimentary basins globally. Oil, ultimately, is not a sustainable resource.
The uses of hydrocarbons are many and varied. From the mundane filling the car petrol tank and electricity generation through to the obvious uses in plastics manufacture. From the clothes most of us wear to the medically vital production of surgical instruments, medicinal drugs and equipment, hydrocarbons are an essential part of modern life.
Surely in this case it makes sense to conserve a diminishing resource?
Can it not be argued to the likes of Sammy Wilson that whether or not he believes that climate change is an anthropogenic issue it makes sense to save energy? Or when he is 70 years old and in need of a hip replacement would he rather be told that because he enjoyed the “personal freedom” of leaving his TV on standby for the last 30 years the procedure will have to be performed without pain killers?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What do we think as individuals about an issue? How is possible to build an opinion that satisfy us? What can we do about it?
Some questions emerged when I was reading about the polemic experiment LOHAFEX, a cooperation between the National Institute of Oceanography, India and the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany. The idea of the experiment was to fertilize a stable offshore area of the Southern Ocean with iron sulphate to induce a phytoplankton bloom. The given reason for the experiment was to understand the role of iron in our oceans, especially in relation to the role of ocean fertilization in removing atmospheric carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Opponents including conservation groups, some scientific organizations and some governmental agencies consider this experiment unnecessary, dangerous (ocean acidification, pollution...) and partially motivated by the potential commercial use of this technology in large scale. The researchers denied this, alleging that they oppose large scale fertilization in the oceans, that the experiment does not cause any damage to the environment, that the results will bring invaluable information for the scientific community and the mayor motivation was the necessity of filling knowledge gaps.
The problem was that it was difficult for me to build an opinion based on the information found. For me the reasons for the experiment were more or less valid since the role of anything that may affect the global warming should be studied. Also interesting for me was the idea that carbon dioxide sequestered in waters deeper that 3000m could remain there for centuries before re-entering the atmosphere (only few months in shallower waters). How can we ensure that the outcomes of the experiment will not be used for anything possible such as large scale commercial fertilizations? What happen after those centuries? Why should we postpone the problem to future generations? Is this only a palliative? Are we really solving the causes? Are we as individuals powerful enough to influence something big?
Unable to think further in the experiment as a scientist and feeling uncomfortable about this, the thought arose in my mind that having the facts is not sufficient, science by itself is not enough to transform things in a positive way, positive for the majority and positive for the environment. We have to find in our selves our core values and relate them to science. The way we handle our environment, the way we are treating our seas, in that way we are treating ourselves and the future. To be successful as individuals in addressing conservation issues and sustainable management, we need a long term intrinsic motivation powered by our set of core values and our search for knowledge. As Mohandas Gandhi said “we have to be those changes we want to see in the world”...
The problem was that it was difficult for me to build an opinion based on the information found. For me the reasons for the experiment were more or less valid since the role of anything that may affect the global warming should be studied. Also interesting for me was the idea that carbon dioxide sequestered in waters deeper that 3000m could remain there for centuries before re-entering the atmosphere (only few months in shallower waters). How can we ensure that the outcomes of the experiment will not be used for anything possible such as large scale commercial fertilizations? What happen after those centuries? Why should we postpone the problem to future generations? Is this only a palliative? Are we really solving the causes? Are we as individuals powerful enough to influence something big?
Unable to think further in the experiment as a scientist and feeling uncomfortable about this, the thought arose in my mind that having the facts is not sufficient, science by itself is not enough to transform things in a positive way, positive for the majority and positive for the environment. We have to find in our selves our core values and relate them to science. The way we handle our environment, the way we are treating our seas, in that way we are treating ourselves and the future. To be successful as individuals in addressing conservation issues and sustainable management, we need a long term intrinsic motivation powered by our set of core values and our search for knowledge. As Mohandas Gandhi said “we have to be those changes we want to see in the world”...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Diving: Enough controls?
Diving is a sport that has really taken off in the last fifty years. With groups like PADI and BSAC allowing more and more people to take up diving, there are more divers than ever. These divers are travelling the world seeing the sights which for so long have been unseen in marine ecosystems.
In places like the Red Sea, off of the shores of Sharm El Sheik in particular, divers are now flocking to see coral reefs and large numbers of fish. The currents moving around this area carry lots of nutrients which cause an abundance of fish to come there to breed.
However, to go diving and see these sights is to share the sight with hundreds of other divers. Several dive boats pull up to the same sites with three boats sitting at each mooring. A current limitation is set, although several moorings are often at each site meaning overcrowding can occur. The abundance of fish, whilst still appearing large is believed to have decrease
d over the last forty years.
People have the right to see these animals living in this environment, and the educational value of diving is high, but are the number of divers and boats affecting the marine ecology? Should there be more limitations in the numbers of divers set up to protect these areas?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Welcome to sustainable seas....a blog for the oceans
We live in a time of significant pressures, challenges and changes in our ocean and coastal environments. Overfishing, habitat loss in coastal, shelf and deep sea ecosystems, ocean acidification, dead zones, and multiple development pressures in populated coastal zones present just some of the complex array of issues that require solutions. In addition we are seeing ocean issues rapidly move up the political agenda. This is due to a growing societal awareness of our links and reliance on the oceans for many ecosystem services such as climate regulation, provision of food and resources and places to relax and play. The oceans sustain the global economy and maintain our quality of life - their management and conservation is essential for continued existence on this planet.
Like many, I was raised in a coastal environment in Australia and spent many years growing up surfing, snorkelling and swimming in the marine environment. Sometimes one can forget what it is like to be able to swim in a clean sea, and to take it for granted that the sea will stay the same in perpetuity. Being able to experience the scale of oceans by air or by boat leaves one with a feeling about their scale - how can something this large possibly be under threat? How can marine resources or the habitats that sustain them be threatened? This however, is exactly what is happening on a global scale with the cumulative over exploitation in fisheries, impacts on deep sea habitats, mineral exploitation, dumping, and pollution just a few of the myriad problems that face ocean systems. The emerging threat of climate change also raises a global challenge as species respond to altered oceanographic conditions and ocean acidification becomes a threat to the biogeochemical infrastructure of the ocean.
The management and conservation of the oceans is moving up the agenda, presenting an opportunity to shift to a sustainable and ecosystem based management approach. Recently, an article from the Worldchanging blog highlighted a demand for a new global marine agreement that strengthens the Law of the Sea and creates limits and opportunities for extraction of living and non living resources. Its a big ask - but a worthy goal that we should use to move towards the closing of the many loopholes in international law that allow for unsustainable practices like illegal, unregulated & unreported fishing.
The mix of problems relate to the ecosystems, economies and societies that occur within a particular region. It is this regional scale that must addressed to deliver ecosystem based management of marine resources. There are clear opportunities for new developments and sectors such as renewable energy, tourism and sea cage aquaculture but the development of these new sectors will compete with existing uses and users of the ocean. Finding the means to integrate economic sectors and balance with environmental protection is a major challenge for the research community and decision makers.
This is challenging as we are attempting to manage a complex natural system(s) through highly political processes. While we currently manage the various interests and sectors in isolation, there is change afoot. The past decade has seen the growth of the oceans policies or marine bills around the world, with the UK, Scotland and the EU recently getting on board with this type of integrated 'joined up' thinking. However, as is being discovered, particularly after a decade of practice in Australia and Canada, this is not a particularly easy or cheap task.
A part of this blog is to highlight and support the ideas of new and up and coming marine scientists and social scientists, many who will be faced with these challenges in the near future. Over the next few months and in addition to our regular updates, we will be hearing the thoughts on a range of marine issues from the students of the SAMS Bachelor of Marine Science: Marine Resources module. We look forward to the exchange of ideas, knowledge and debate that will support the transition to Sustainable Seas.
Welcome to the blog of the Blue Planet.
TP.
Like many, I was raised in a coastal environment in Australia and spent many years growing up surfing, snorkelling and swimming in the marine environment. Sometimes one can forget what it is like to be able to swim in a clean sea, and to take it for granted that the sea will stay the same in perpetuity. Being able to experience the scale of oceans by air or by boat leaves one with a feeling about their scale - how can something this large possibly be under threat? How can marine resources or the habitats that sustain them be threatened? This however, is exactly what is happening on a global scale with the cumulative over exploitation in fisheries, impacts on deep sea habitats, mineral exploitation, dumping, and pollution just a few of the myriad problems that face ocean systems. The emerging threat of climate change also raises a global challenge as species respond to altered oceanographic conditions and ocean acidification becomes a threat to the biogeochemical infrastructure of the ocean.
The management and conservation of the oceans is moving up the agenda, presenting an opportunity to shift to a sustainable and ecosystem based management approach. Recently, an article from the Worldchanging blog highlighted a demand for a new global marine agreement that strengthens the Law of the Sea and creates limits and opportunities for extraction of living and non living resources. Its a big ask - but a worthy goal that we should use to move towards the closing of the many loopholes in international law that allow for unsustainable practices like illegal, unregulated & unreported fishing.
The mix of problems relate to the ecosystems, economies and societies that occur within a particular region. It is this regional scale that must addressed to deliver ecosystem based management of marine resources. There are clear opportunities for new developments and sectors such as renewable energy, tourism and sea cage aquaculture but the development of these new sectors will compete with existing uses and users of the ocean. Finding the means to integrate economic sectors and balance with environmental protection is a major challenge for the research community and decision makers.
This is challenging as we are attempting to manage a complex natural system(s) through highly political processes. While we currently manage the various interests and sectors in isolation, there is change afoot. The past decade has seen the growth of the oceans policies or marine bills around the world, with the UK, Scotland and the EU recently getting on board with this type of integrated 'joined up' thinking. However, as is being discovered, particularly after a decade of practice in Australia and Canada, this is not a particularly easy or cheap task.
A part of this blog is to highlight and support the ideas of new and up and coming marine scientists and social scientists, many who will be faced with these challenges in the near future. Over the next few months and in addition to our regular updates, we will be hearing the thoughts on a range of marine issues from the students of the SAMS Bachelor of Marine Science: Marine Resources module. We look forward to the exchange of ideas, knowledge and debate that will support the transition to Sustainable Seas.
Welcome to the blog of the Blue Planet.
TP.
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