The Importance of Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are considered underwater cities which provides food and shelter to an estimated one million plant and animal species that accounts for 25% of all marine life.  Over the last 240 million years, coral reefs have evolved to one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet. 

Coral reefs contribute to environmental protection by absorbing waves which reduces damage caused by hurricanes, typhoons, and tsunamis.  When reefs are damaged or destroyed, there is less protection from coastal erosion which can cause more damage to coastal communities in which over several million people live.  

Reefs also provide ecotourism which helps to generate revenue for local communities.  According to the Nature Conservancy, coral reefs contribute approximately $36 billion annually for global ecotourism.  

Even more so, elements found in coral reefs have also been used to create human medicine.  The value of coral reefs is insurmountable both to the health of the oceans and humans. 

As global temperatures rise, there are many threats to coral reefs systems which is affecting the health of these underwater ecosystems.  One such threat is coral bleaching.  Coral reefs has a small window of tolerance to temperatures and when the sea temperatures rises, it causes stress to coral reefs.  The result is they lose or eject the algae that live inside them causing the coral to lose its color as well as a food source for marine life. 

Another effect of global temperature rise on coral reefs is ocean acidification.  As CO2 rises in the atmosphere, the ocean absorbs generally 25% of it.   As the ocean continually absorbs the CO2, the chemistry of the ocean becomes more acidic making it more difficult for coral reefs and other marine life to grow their skeletons making them more vulnerable to disease.  

There are ways we can still help curb the acceleration of harm being caused to coral reefs.  Here are 10 ways to make a difference;

https://biospherefoundation.org/project/ten-simple-things-you-can-do-to-protect-coral-reefs/

I would also like to mention 4Ocean.  4Ocean is a company whose mission to remove plastic from our oceans and waterways as well as saving marine life.  For every bracelet they sell which is made from the plastic removed from oceans, they will remove one pound of plastic from our oceans. 

There are so many ways we can get involved in helping from taking action by cleaning up a beach to buying a bracelet.  Both are noble and helpful in making world a healthier place to live.  

References:

1.    https://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/reef-threats/global/

2.   https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/how-tourism-can-be-good-for-coral-reefs/

3.   https://biospherefoundation.org/project/ten-simple-things-you-can-do-to-protect-coral-reefs/

4.   https://www.4ocean.com/pages/about

No One Needs a Rhino Horn Except a Rhino

Rhinoceros’ evolved approximately 55 million years ago and have not changed much since then. 

There are five types of rhinos found in the world; African black and white rhinos, Indian, Sumatran, and Javan (Indonesia).  98% of black and white rhinos live in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, and  Zimbabwe. 

Rhinos are the second largest mammal and can weigh up to 5,000 pounds.  They are named for their giant horn in which they are being killed for. 

It was only 150 years ago, the rhino population was estimated in the millions.  Today the population is estimated at 27,431.  Three rhinos are killed a day.  The reason they are being killed is in some cultures, the keratin found in rhino horn is believed to contain magical powers to cure illnesses ranging from hangovers to cancer. On the black market, two pounds of rhino horn is worth up to $60,000.  Not one ounce of rhino horn harvested from a rhino does anything to support humans.

Rhinos are a keystone species which means other species and the health of the ecosystem they are a part of largely depend on their presence.  Rhinos eat only certain grasses which leaves other grasses for wildlife that would not be able to compete with the rhino for food and they create trails that serve as fire breakers in the wild. 

When a keystone species is endangered, not only is the world at risk of a species going extinct, we ourselves suffer the loss because these animals contribute to health of our planet and our very existence. These animals contribute more per capita to the ecosystem than we do by their sheer existence. 

Because of their rapidly declining population, here in the United States, there are currently eight states that have banned rhino horn from being sold. 

In Africa, the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF), a non-profit conservation is on the frontlines to help protect the rhino population.  IAPF believes in community-led conservation and helps to train and support game rangers in protecting and preserving the wildlife on over 4 million hectares of African wilderness. 

It is difficult to digest these animals are getting killed because there are beliefs that a rhino’s horn has health benefits and some people may feel there is not much we can do to help stop their demise. We may not be on the front lines, but we can help in small ways that add up to bigger progress.

Here are some ideas to help preserve the rhino population:

1.    Buy this coffee.  A percentage of the profit goes towards IAPF Rangers fighting rhino poaching in South Africa and helps save rhino butt.

2.   Post on social media what is happening to rhinos.  It is a great way to spread awareness.

3.   Donate.  Organizations like IAPF, The African Wildlife Foundation, and Tusk Task Force are working towards a better tomorrow for the wildlife. 

4.   Contacting your state and federal legislators can go a long way for animal or environmental advocacy.  Our legislators are the key to creating changes at the state and federal level to improve the quality of life for animals and improving environmental conditions. To contact your legislator, go to www.openstates.org, type in your zip code and you will get a listing of all of your state and federal legislators.

We all can make a difference.  A small amount of effort can lead to bigger and better changes.

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”   Vincent Van Gogh

Giraffes - The Silent Extinction

Giraffes, known as the gentle giant, are the tallest mammals in the world and are found in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Female giraffes are similar to female elephants in which they form close familial bonds with their calves and other giraffes.  

Giraffes have been in existence for over one million years.  It was only 100 years ago, that the giraffe population was estimated at around one million. The current population is less than elephants, estimated at 110,000. 

The reason we are witnessing such a rapid decline in their population is due to poaching as well as the product of trophy hunts.  Currently, the giraffe species has not been placed on the Endangered Species List.  

More than one giraffe per day is brought into the U.S., as our federal law does not prohibit importing giraffe parts into the country.  Giraffe tails are used to make bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry.   Their skin is used for jackets, bible covers, rugs.  Bones are used to make knives.  

Poachers kill the giraffes for meat and the brains and bone marrow are sold as fake cures for HIV/AIDS in China and Vietnam.  

Although this is very devastating, we can still help by making calls to our state legislators and asking to ban the sale and trade of giraffe parts.  In addition, we can call our federal legislators asking to ban the import of giraffe parts into our country.  

Please know when you contact your legislators to support issues like protecting wildlife, your opinion counts. Always.   One quick phone call or email can make such a major impact for the wildlife.  

You can find your state and federal legislators here.  

Can we have a sustainable future with plastic?

I have a love hate relationship with plastic.  It helps saves lives as plastic is found in bike helmets and airbags.  It keeps our food safe and fresh.  Plastic is found in our cell phones and televisions.  Plastic packaging helps lighten loads for transportation reducing carbon emissions and saving fuel.   

But there is a downside to plastic.  We use a lot of it and it’s difficult to recycle.  Globally, we produce about 400 million tons of plastic each year and only 10-13% of it gets recycled worldwide.   Just in the U.S. alone, 500 million plastic straws gets used daily. What makes matters worse is the average supermarket plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to break down.  

9 million tons of litter (most of it plastic) ends up offshore and it is estimated by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in our oceans.  Since plastic is ending up in our waters, marine life is ingesting it and now plastic has become part of our own food chain.  According to the Environmental Investigation Agency, microplastic fragments have even been found in beer from 12 U.S. breweries because microplastic is found in the water used to make beer.  

Right now, recycling plastics is just grinding it into smaller pieces and then it is reconstituted into lower quality plastic.  But researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is finding a new recycling program for plastics; biologically breaking down plastics through the use of microorganisms to the plastic’s original building blocks to make new materials that are more valuable than the original product.  These new materials could be manufactured into wind turbines and auto parts.  This research can help companies that use plastic to create better products while helping to save the planet.  If these scientists succeed, we will be able to coexist with plastic and keep recycling it into something useful.  

I am hopeful we will continue to find such innovative ways to recycle plastic and keep it out of our waterways and oceans. 

Want to learn ways to reduce your plastic intake? Click here. 

Learn how Seattle became the first U.S. city to ban straws here.

Want to make an impact locally?  Contact your state senator and/or representative here to voice your concern over single use plastic in your area.  

References:

www.globalcitizen.org

www.plasticfreechallenge.org

www.eia-international.org

Popular Science, Summer 2019

Wildlife Trade is the Fourth Largest Global Illegal Activity

Wildlife poaching is creating devastating and unsurmountable effects that are rampant and reaching far corners of the globe.  The effects can no longer be ignored.  Innocent human lives are being lost, our iconic wildlife is rapidly disappearing from the landscape, terrorist groups are becoming more powerful, our global and national security is at risk, global economy is being affected, the African ecosystem is dying, and here’s why:

Every 15 minutes an elephant is killed for its tusks and every 4 hours a rhino is killed for its horn.  That number adds up to 96 elephants a day, 35,040 dead elephants per year and over 2,000 dead rhinos per year.  Therefore, elephants and rhinos are getting killed faster than they are able to reproduce.   Within the next 10 years, elephants will be extinct and rhinos will be extinct within the next 5 years.  As you may know, poaching of wild elephants and rhinos has become a revenue generator for terrorists to fund their activities.  One elephant tusk can fetch up to $175,000 and one pound of rhino horn can be sold for as much as $30,000 (1).  Through these funds, terrorists have been able to bomb malls and colleges in Africa.  One of the terrorist groups, Boko Haram who is located in Nigeria has publicly stated it is easier to generate revenue through poaching than to extort money through hostage situations.   Another terrorist group, Al-Shabab, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, located in Somalia has approximately 5,000 militants and generates anywhere from $200,000 to $600,000 per month from wildlife trade (2).  Trafficking of ivory operates from the hands of transnational organized crime syndicates.  As in the case of Yang Feng Glan, who was sent to Tanzania in 1975 as a translator for China when China was helping to build a railway and then began trafficking ivory since 2006 to China.  She was recently arrested in Tanzania and has been taken to high court of Dar es Salaam facing a maximum sentence of 20-30 years imprisonment (3.)   Due to this aggressive poaching of elephants, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are revising the Endangered Species Act 4 (d) to place elephants on the list of endangered species. 

According to National Geographic, the United States is the second largest importer of ivory and rhino horn and as a result of our country importing ivory and rhino horn, we are in effect funding terrorism.  In 2012, Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton had stated wildlife terrorism has become a global and national security concern (4).   Are we willing to risk our nation’s security if we put this issue on the backburner?

 Wildlife trade has become the 4th largest global illegal activity and is a $19 billion dollar industry (4). We can no longer turn our heads and resolve that this is not a global concern.  Kathleen Garrigan, spokesperson for African Wildlife Foundation has stated; "What African governments are realizing and what the U.S. government has realized is that this is just not a conservation issue anymore because the money from this ivory is being used to fund terrorist activities and destabilize regions in Africa. These governments realize this is a peace and security issue. The U.S. government has definitely been getting more interested in this because a lot of work the state department does is being undermined by terrorist activities that are partially funded by trade in illegal ivory."

Wildlife poaching is not only destabilizing countries in Africa, it is taking the lives of innocent people trying to help.  Game rangers who risk their lives for the sake of their treasured wildlife are not well-equipped and are out-numbered to stand against terrorists and poachers who have sophisticated weaponry.  According to Criminal Nature by International Fund on Animal Welfare, it is estimated that between 3,000-5,000 game rangers have lost their lives trying to protect the dwindling wildlife that remains; leaving their wives without a husband and their children orphans.  These game rangers are the bread winners for their family.  Their loss results in a family desperate for help just to survive.  Their loss is due to greed; a person in the United States or Asia bought an ivory trinket to display in their home, seen in many cultures as a status symbol.  The demand for ivory and rhino horn is not solely taking a toll on our iconic wildlife, it is directly taking a toll on human life (5).

On a global scale, wild elephants and rhinos influence economy and the ecosystem.  Elephants and rhinos in the wild aide in generating billions of dollars in wildlife tourism that serves to help feed the hungry, finance education programs, and enable health-care programs that save lives in Africa (6).  In 2012, 63 million tourists visited Africa according to the African Development Bank Group.  These tourist dollars are providing support to many people in need of food, education, and health care that they otherwise would not receive. 

Elephants and rhinos’ presence in our delicate ecosystem is undeniably paramount in not only maintaining and supporting people who live in Africa but other wildlife as well.  According to SOS Elephants, elephants pull down trees and break up bushes to create grasslands for other animals to survive. They dig waterholes in dry river beds that other animals use as a water source as well as creating trails that serve as fire breakers and water run offs (7).  Rhinos also help to maintain the ecosystem of Africa.  Researchers from South Africa and Scandanavia reported in the Journal of Ecology that rhinos selectively graze on certain grasses, which leaves other types of grass available to other species that would not be able to compete with rhinos for available food sources (8).  In addition to rhinos grazing on certain grasses, they leave paths similar to elephants that serve as fire breakers. 

As you may see, there is a ripple effect how the rate at which these creatures are getting killed will forecast our national and global security, the delicate ecosystem, and the quality of life for countless people and wildlife. However, raising awareness of wildlife trafficking will also cause a ripple effect in the direction of helping those involved in protecting the wildlife have a chance to be successful in ensuring the wild continue to roam this planet freely for generations to come. 

References:

1.           Tusk Task Force; www.tusktaskforce.org

2.           Washington Times; Terrorists slaughter African elephants, use ivory to finance operations,  2013

3.           Elephantleague.org, Queen of Ivory Arrested, 2015

4.           IFAW; Criminal Nature, 2013

5.           Elephant action league, Human Toll of Willife Crime, 2016

6.           blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2015/06/china-promises-end-to-ivory-trade

7.           www.soselephants.com/about elephants

8.           www.Smithsonianmag.com

9.           Washington Post; China Pledges to end ivory trading – but says the U.S. should, too. 2015