Moirs Environmental Dialogues

Carl Safina talks about, and reads from, his book The View from Lazy Point. A year of observations is presented in gripping details from the tip of the swallowtail that is Eastern Long Island. Carl takes us beyond the mysteries of fishing into deep connections with place and fish. Discover the compatible yet distinctive natural history of the Common Tern and its close relative the Roseate Tern. Three things that we need to understand are: that life is a fully networked community; we ought to act with reverence and caution; and “that the story we write with our lives affects those living near and far, and not just now but in the distant future.” To sail these complex and opaque waters with treacherous shores looming large to leeward, we must be more nibble in our steering and find our way with a “compass of compassion.” Carl’s television series on PBS is “Saving the Ocean.” His next book is Sea of Flames. For more info visit http://carlsafina.org

In 1979 Raffi was kissed by a beluga whale. In that gentle gesture Raffi knew that for people to save wildlife or cleanup degraded environments there must be love for the other. Raffi’s Baby Beluga and Down by the Bay are songs cherished by families whose children are now adults continuing on. Raffi’s original philosophy of Child Honouring: How to Turn This World Around has become, more than a book, a covenant of nine principles: Respectful Love, Diversity, Caring Community, Conscious Parenting, Emotional Intelligence, Nonviolence, Safe Environments, Sustainability, & Ethical Commerce. Raffi tells how his work evolved from troubadour to champion of a global ethic that views life and communities through the lens of child honoring. Hear Raffi weave in the importance of stewardship and respect for families and environments from imperiled whales to global warming and climate change. Be inspired by a peacemaking culture of responsible stewardship for our world and all inhabitants on earth.

Kelly Mitchell, Greenpeace Coal Campaigner and Chicago resident discusses the citizen-led efforts to shut down the Salem Harbor coal plant in Massachusetts and the Fisk and Crawford coal plants in Chicago, IL. These power plants are polluting our air with toxic soot and water with toxins and making our families sick. Coal-fired power plants are an enormous source of carbon, causing global warming. Atmospheric carbon stays in air after soot settles out on residents. Fortunately, communities across the US are coming together to shut down coal-fired plants in their neighborhoods.

Dr. George Divoky has traveled to remote Cooper Island in the Arctic for nearly 30 years. Braving the elements and the occasional polar bear, his mission is to study the Black Guillemots — seabirds closely related to the extinct Great Auk. Because no other animal is so closely tied to Arctic ice flows, George’s research is contributing to the understanding of climate change on wildlife in Arctic. Climate change is the reason for more puffins and polar bears on Cooper Island. George explains why this is bad for guillemots. He concludes on a hopeful note on how pelican boxes built for nesting sites can save guillemots. George invites school teachers and informal educators to join with Friends of Cooper’s Island to build their own nesting habitats for “the penguins of the north.”

Dolphins in Florida are dying from too much nutrients washing into waterways. This episode Captain Nancy Beaver of Sunshine Wildlife spoke with Rob on Moir’s Environmental Dialogues about the plight of Indian River Lagoon, where human activities are colliding with wildlife resulting in marine mammal unusual mortality events. Captain Nancy has observed much while educating school groups and families out on the water with Sunshine Wildlife Tours. She is a certified Coastal Master Naturalist by Florida Atlantic University and has been directing education programs since 2000. Captain Nancy is very concerned and spoke at length on the natural history of bottlenose dolphins, manatees, turtles, wood storks, ibises and magnificent frigate birds of the Indian River Lagoon. Listen to Captain Nancy’s recommendations on what we each can do to help save Indian River Lagoon wildlife. Save dolphins, join in our efforts to write letters to Commissioners to cap lawn fertilizers.

Dr. Jamie M. Cournane talks herring and gave an excellent report to a committee of the New England Fisheries Management Council in Portsmouth. Blueback herring and alewives are river herring. They are anadromous, ascending rivers to reproduce. These fish school with similar-sized euryhaline fish that spawn in estuaries, Atlantic herring, shad and menhaden. River herring spend many years at sea feeding on zooplankton. Plankton migrates vertically through the ocean, up during night, down during the day. Currents move fish and forage food horizontally creating a merry-go-round of fishing opportunities. Jamie mapped hot spots of river herring bycatch by trawlers and seiners that target Atlantic herring. Where fish are more likely to be found during specific months of the year was charted. Fisheries managers can use this spatial/depth/time information to better manage for survival of river herring. Also told is how one became a marine biologist and what we can do to help river herring.

Dyan DeNapoli, author of the newly released book The Great Penguin Rescue, tells the remarkable story of the largest and most successful wildlife rescue ever mounted. On June 23, 2000, an iron-ore carrier named the Treasure foundered off the coast of Cape Town between two of the main breeding islands for the African penguin. Already classified as a species vulnerable to extinction, the oil slick threatened to destroy nearly half the world population.

Dyan DeNapoli, author of the newly released book The Great Penguin Rescue, tells the remarkable story of the largest and most successful wildlife rescue ever mounted. On June 23, 2000, an iron-ore carrier named the Treasure foundered off the coast of Cape Town between two of the main breeding islands for the African penguin. Already classified as a species vulnerable to extinction, the oil slick threatened to destroy nearly half the world population.

Tales of Russia’s Sacred Sea, Lake Baikal are told by Peter Thomson, Environment Editor at the public radio program The World. Peter describes visiting the world’s deepest, oldest, and largest supply of fresh water in his new book, “Sacred Sea: A Journey to Lake Baikal.” For scientists, Baikal is an enigma: at once both a healthy and a dying ecosystem. Peter eloquently describes diving deep beneath cold, shimmering seas. The waters are unbelievably clear thanks to “the zillions of epischura trawling at any one time like a vast armada of aquatic vacuum cleaners, filtering Baikal’s water with extraordinary efficiency.” These shrimp-like critters are consumed by remarkable fish called “golomyonkas.” These fish swim perpendicular like seahorses and are, in turn, food for nerpas, the Baikal Seal. Despite the clash of two very different fundamental faiths, complete with mirages and miracles, Peter finds hope in those struggling to save Lake Baikal.

Dyan DeNapoli, author of the newly released book The Great Penguin Rescue, tells the remarkable story of the largest and most successful wildlife rescue ever mounted. On June 23, 2000, an iron-ore carrier named the Treasure foundered off the coast of Cape Town between two of the main breeding islands for the African penguin. Already classified as a species vulnerable to extinction, the oil slick threatened to destroy nearly half the world population. Penguin experts, including Dyan, were flown in from around the world to manage a battalion of 12,500 volunteers who worked more than 556,000 hours force-feeding, washing, and rehabilitating 19,000 oiled penguins, and moving another 19,500 penguins from their islands to prevent them from getting oiled. Dyan’s account is an endearing tale of perseverance to overcome devastatingly daunting obstacles to bring the African penguin back from the edge of extinction.

Tales of Russia’s Sacred Sea, Lake Baikal are told by Peter Thomson, Environment Editor at the public radio program The World. Peter describes visiting the world’s deepest, oldest, and largest supply of fresh water in his new book, “Sacred Sea: A Journey to Lake Baikal.” For scientists, Baikal is an enigma: at once both a healthy and a dying ecosystem. Peter eloquently describes diving deep beneath cold, shimmering seas. The waters are unbelievably clear thanks to “the zillions of epischura trawling at any one time like a vast armada of aquatic vacuum cleaners, filtering Baikal’s water with extraordinary efficiency.” These shrimp-like critters are consumed by remarkable fish called “golomyonkas.” These fish swim perpendicular like seahorses and are, in turn, food for nerpas, the Baikal Seal. Despite the clash of two very different fundamental faiths, complete with mirages and miracles, Peter finds hope in those struggling to save Lake Baikal.

Vanessa Rule and Eric Becker of the Somerville Climate Action explain how one goes from rallies to taking up pick ax to de-paving an urban core. Vanessa was part of the leadership behind thousands of people rallying in David Square for Step It Up, 2007. Vanessa describes how her approach has changed since then with more listening to the people of watersheds. We must do more than shrink carbon-footprints; we must become pro-active to help ecosystems, reverse our damages, and restore the earth. Eric Becker describes adapting the Climate Emergency Initiative from Cambridge to become an organizing principle for Somerville. His goal is to bring all interests and sky-stakeholders of Somerville together with government to a summit meeting where people will develop ideas, plans and recommendations for a multiplicity of actions that will address the unfolding problems of too much carbon in the atmosphere.

Eric Jay Dolin’s latest book is Fur, Fortune and Empire. His is an epic history of beaver, buffalo, seal and sea otter. Fur animal populations were heavily exploited and only survived because market forces drove hunters westward. Finally on the west coast sea otter are so over harvested that many of their populations never return. Dolin ends his book with the 1900 advent of conservation laws. Dolin describes how he became an eminent environmental policy expert and Switzer fellow from collecting shells as a child to Woods Hole and beyond. Ocean Champions Mike Dunmyer picks up where Dolin leaves off in his book with what specific House members have done on Capital Hill to save otters. Mike recognizes the good work for oceans being accomplished by both Democratic and Republican Representatives.

Friends of Casco Bay (Portland Maine and north by east) BayKeeper Joe Payne and Associate Director Mary Cerullo talk with Rob about the slithering of green slime over the benthos. With increasing regularity and alarming spread green algal mats are covering clam flats and gobbling up oxygen making life difficult for ground fish and ground dwellers including lobsters. Joe tells of hypoxic, low-oxygen regions of Casco Bay where fish swim in and die. These assaults on ocean ecosystems are caused by too much nutrients, nitrogen and phosphates, flowing, washing and seeping in. Mary Cerullo describes BayScaping, a six-step program for homeowners on environmentally friendly lawn care. Whether you live in this watershed or another, BayScaping will save you money, free time for you on Saturdays, and save marine life, too!

The dolphins of Florida's Indian River Lagoon were dying at such an alarming rate that the situation was declared a marine mammal unusual mortality event. Most distressing is to see dolphins covered with skin-eating fungal infections. To save the dolphins, we must lessen the phosphorus and nitrogen entering the ecosystem. Rob talks with Stephen McCulloch, Founder/Manager of Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Program, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University at Fort Pierce. Steve rescued dolphins, manatees, and even Arctic seals in Florida. Since 1999 more than 200 marine mammals have been rescued. Steve recently helped transport and release almost 400 sea turtles; in FL effort that released 4,000 turtles. We can greatly reduce nutrient pollution in the Indian River Lagoon and lessen our subsequent role in the death of the lagoon dolphins by not using fertilizers with phosphorous and quick release nitrogen. Take Action with the Ocean River Institute.

Dr. Greg Bossart has been researching bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon for many years. He continues to be astonished by how many different ailments dolphins must deal with including viruses, skin-eating fungal infections, heightened resistance to antibiotics and high levels (21x acceptable limits) of mercury. Hear about the suite of sufferings and learn what we can do to help the dolphins of Indian Lagoon. Aaron Viles, Campaign Director with the Gulf Coast Restoration Network joins us for an update on further unexpected developments following the massive oil leak. Aaron tells how a twenty mile in diameter, thousand foot depth oily plume may have vanished. Chris Laughlin, Ocean Champions, called in to say ocean protection paddler Margo Pellegrino (featured in last episode) was welcomed to Santa Cruz Harbor beach. Margo’s off to San Diego shaded by an OC cap. Mike Dunmyer completed the episode with ocean conservation actions on Capital Hill for this fall.

Margo Pellegrino is paddling an outrigger canoe along the Pacific Coast to bring attention to the urgent need for ocean conservation and to address ocean health issues. More challenging than Margo’s message is the distance she chose to go, paddling from Seattle, WA to San Diego CA. During this broadcast Margo was unable to talk, preoccupied with passage off California’s Lost Coast, rounding a fearsome far-flung prominence called Punta Gorda, whose Lighthouse, dreaded by keepers, was known as the “Alcatraz” of lighthouses. Instead, June Barnard, Margo’s “land crew” talks with Rob after driving halfway between Petrolia and Honeydew to get cell service. Hear why Margo is distressed by the state of this coast. Discover what she encountered, learned along the voyage, and what you can do to better oceans.

The Mystic River Watershed Association works to protect and restore the Mystic River, its tributaries and watershed lands. Executive Director, EkOngKar Singh Khalsa tells us about one of the most urban and densely populated watersheds in Massachusetts. Three Superfund sites are within its borders. The river is home to various Environmental Justice communities. The Mystic has a history of industry most evident along its banks. Liquid Nitrogen Gas (LNG) tankers go into the lower reaches where the river meets Boston Harbor. Herring surmount the Amelia Earhart Dam in Somerville to spawn above. At the Mystic Lakes a fish ladder was recently completed. MyRWA folk need no longer help the fish up to the higher lake every spring. The Mystic is home for ducks, herons and turtles. It provides winter respite for bald eagles. EK Khalsa addresses the challenges that face the Mystic today, what people are doing to restore natural systems, and what Mystic prospects are for the future.

Mary S Booth, PhD ecologist tells of how wood-burning electric biomass generators were found to be an answer, good for the nation’s carbon-footprint as well as a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels. Massachusetts sought to add 135 megawatts of electricity. Into the permitting process went three new biomass plants, in Springfield, Russell (Westfield River), and Greenfield (Deerfield River). The Ocean River Institute got involved defending taking &warming of water in a coldstream salmon river, the Westfield (oceanriver dot org). Meanwhile, Mary researched the impacts on Massachusetts forests, carbon emissions overall, and air quality. Biomass generators work at best with 24% efficiency meaning one needs to burn 4 cords of wood to get 1 cord of wood energy. Informed by good science, the state is less gung-ho for burning construction debris. Recently, the state did a turn around to no longer view wood-burning biomass generators as a green solution for climate change concerns.

Four New England Climate Summer Riders recently rode into Somerville,Margaret Fetzer-Rogers, Sara Finkle, Yingying Chen, and Bliss Parsons. Together, they have dedicated nine weeks this summer to inspire and inform communities as to how one can reduce carbon footprints and use of fossil fuels. Following a week orientation program in Wilmot NH,Margaret, Sara, Yingying and Bliss were given a lift to 25 miles north of their first community, North Andover MA. Astonishingly, what four bicycles were carrying filled an SUV and a trailer. The riders have ridden from North Andover to Beverly, to Somerville often staying in churches. They set up at farmers markets, attend church dinners and meet with municipal leaders. The culmination will be Aug 8 when all three rider teams converge on Boston. The riders will be fitter and hopefully breathing air less polluted by excess carbon. To follow their adventures visit: www.newenglandclimateriders.org