Ghost Nets - Pollution of Epic proportions

As many of our regular readers know there are two critical problems about which we are concerned, no actually very passionate about. These are accelerating climate change and pollution.

Today, I am appealing to the international community to look at a problem that certainly we were unaware of the magnitude of - Ghost Nets!

Apparently, the commercial fishing industry in SE Asia, and no doubt many other places, has a common practice of cutting loose ( dumping) fishing nets that they no longer wish to repair. Where do they dump it? Into the sea. What happens next? These nets then travel freely as flotsam in the currents and gulf streams and arrive in pristine coastal areas where they ensnare sharks, dolphins, turtles and other precious marine life - and of course waste it!

50% of the species found in these Ghost Nets off the Northern Coast of Queensland and NT in Australia, are endangered, critically endangered or listed species. There is a clean up project active that has found, and removed thousands of nets over the past few years, in this very remote and pristine part of Australia. Sadly only about half the wildlife tangled in them could be saved.

The 7PM Project show aired footage by Serge Negus, marine biologist who was flown over the gulf and could actually see nets floating in the currents making their way towards shore. These nets were clearly murdering the marine life in Australian protected waters.

It is an international pollution issue of epic proportions, and one that I believe will be repeated off the Pacific coasts worldwide including Canada, The Americas, and our Pacific Islands. Just look where the currents travel that are the commercial fishing waters of the Asian countries. Thats where the nets will travel.

In the meantime, the work starts at home - there is no easy solution except for these teams to continue to try and capture nets, free, treat and release any wildlife still lucky enough to have survived.

EasyGreen appeals to any retired marine biologists that can maybe advise how can we at the grass roots help this situation, and please lobby the fishing industry to do what we ask any other land based industry to do - clean up your own mess.

Meanwhile consider this - what if another nation was dumping noxious chemicals or oils into the Australian oceans and currents - would we take any more effective action? This is no different, our newly elected Federal government needs to take action on Ghost Nets - lobby the Asian fishing industry, provide more funding for ongoing trapping and clean up of these nets, and take a tough stance against other Nations dumping their rubbish where it can arrive on pristine Australian shores!

Send your Minister or Representative Member an email - ask for urgent action to further support the clean up, and while you are on the topic give them a jolly good kicking about lack of affirmative action on accelerating climate change!

Whilst I appreciate that the 7PM project brought this to the attention of many Australians, when I went to their website to give you a link to the story - it did not appear on their Top Stories of the Day - however topic number 2 was about something completely unimportant to the future of our planet - the alleged sabotage of the Miss Universe pageant! So the program lost some respect in our eyes for their obvious lack of priority to such a critical issue.

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Earth Day - Time For Reflection and Celebration!

Today, 22 April is Earth Day. I wanted to think about the past year and what has happened. No, I don't want to regale you with more horror stories from the Grass roots today, I want to instead tell you some of the things I notice about this past year.

The awareness of the damage we are doing to our precious Earth, with pollution, extinction of species, contribution to acceleration of global warming and reckless pursuit of industrials in fragile areas - has never been so high!

Thanks to everyone at the grass roots that tried to make a small difference.

Thanks to the people who wrote blogs, created green awareness websites, talked about it on Facebook and Twitter, who lobbyied and petitioned governments to save wildlife, stop deforestation and mining. Thanks to those who invested their own time and money trying to invent a better way to do things, knowing they would probably have to wait a lifetime to get their investment back! To those who calmly accepted being labeled a nutter, or a greeny because they cared. To those who failed at job interviews because they mentioned they were an environmentalist!

One year ago people in my street, my clubs, my shops did not talk much about the environment. Eyes glazed over when I started, people said 'it didnt matter' - Now many of those people, thanks to all at the grass roots who care - are changing to smaller cars, driving less, turning off lights,using saver bulbs, recycling more, taking re-usable bags shopping and actually thinking, and even talking, about the planet and two that I know of STOPPED cutting trees and grew some instead!!!

Tonight, to celebrate Earth Day I will eat uncooked, delicious sustainable food (a salad) from fresh ingredients and have a glass filled with delicious wine that has had minimum impact on our environment. Even more important than turning off a light once a year for an hour, I will talk to a stranger about Earth!

Each one of you who thinks you cannot make a difference, has never tried to sleep with a mosquito in your room!

Before April 22, 2011 lets all become mosquitos and ensure we, at the grass roots, show that collectively we have power and we will make a difference!

We Care and We Know You Do Too!

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NASA Satellites Capture Increased Coal Mine Forest Damage in USA

Make sure you scroll to the latest NASA pic, it is devestating.

http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0302-coal-nasa.html

The new alternative for the US administration seems to be Nuclear back on the agenda.

http://www.enn.com/business/article/41218

Whilst nuclear may appear green, it is only greenish as long as there is no disaster.

We doubt the previous residents of Chernobyl would agree Nuclear is Green!

Mr Obama, EasyGreen is committed to true green alternatives such as Bio-Fuels, Wind, Ocean and Solar generating technology. We believe we are speaking for the grass roots of the worlds communities, especially indigenous communities many of whom do not imagine a life with coal power! or any power for that matter, yet these are the very same people who are losing their homes due to global warming. Their heart beats as yours, but votes do not matter. Their air is clean, but their homes and traditional methods of sustainability are threatened because globally large administrations like yours needs votes.

Mr and Mrs Obama, how will you explain to your grandchildren that votes meant more than the wildlife and indigenous communities they can no longer see or hear? What will you tell them you did when some of their friends are affected by a Nuclear accident? What excuse will you give them that solar and wind technology was not fully supported instead?

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Amazing Contribution To Our Earth

Enjoy this as I think Miguel deserves a Nobel Peace Prize!

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_barber_how_i_fell_in_love_with_a_fish.html

I just hope global farming can follow suit.

It starts with us, The Chefs, the consumers, we must make demands for more sustainable food and we must support Chefs that use those foods.

We Care and We Know You Do Too!

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Australian Wilderness Society Needs Your Support for Forests

The Australian Wilderness Society has been at the UN climate talks in Bangkok, urging countries and NGOs to support the inclusion of forests in the global climate solution.
The Wilderness Society say

'Forests help tackle climate change by sucking in and storing large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. Approximately 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to the clearing, logging and degradation of the world's intact forests.
Protecting natural forest is a simple, fast and cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions and help protect the world from dangerous climate change. Read more Â»

Take Action - Sign the forest pledge today and ask Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to secure a safe climate for our future, by making sure the next global climate deal protects the world's forests. Please Sign Here.

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EasyGreen 'Blog'

Ghost Nets - Pollution of Epic proportions

Earth Day - Time For Reflection and Celebration!

NASA Satellites Capture Increased Coal Mine Forest Damage in USA

Amazing Contribution To Our Earth

Australian Wilderness Society Needs Your Support for Forests