Crows Not so Birdbrained

I have known for a long time that crows were a very smart species of birds, but not until recently, while having a conversation with a co-worker, did my respect for their intelligence grow. My co-worker mentioned about a murder of crows that would use cars to crack open nuts and shells. Surfing YouTube, I stumbled upon another stunning video of crow intelligence, probably smarter than a lot of my friends, that's for sure.

The video below is an excerpt from a BBC documentary.


And this video shows the first non-human test subject to use a sequence of tools!


Humans often underestimate the intelligence of animals, but these two videos alone prove that human kind must respect nature. Recent studies suggest that crows have the same cognitive abilities as many primate species and are not "birdbrained."

Ocean Acidification

Increasing man-made carbon dioxide is synonymous with climate change. Emissions from vehicles, factories, and airplanes along with decreasing forests and vegetation to photosynthesize the CO2 are used to explain why changes in temperatures and weather patterns have changed so drastically in the last two centuries. But there is another consequence of increased CO2 in our atmosphere that has, so far, gone under the rader - ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification is a term used to describe the ocean's pH levels dropping due to increased absorption of carbon dioxide. Very little is actually known about ocean acidification and whether it is a real threat or not. Some believe that an increase in acidity could benefit life in the ocean, as suggested by Dr. J Floor Anthoni in 2005 (see link). The majority of the scientific world however, goes against his train of thought. They believe this is a major threat to the ocean.

Recent studies done by the National Research Council have detected a change in pH from 8.2 to 8.1 since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Considering how large the ocean is, and how much carbon dioxide it can absorb, this is a significant change. They predict that by the end of the 21st century, this pH level may drop another 0.2 to 0.3 base units, to below 8.0.

The long-term consequences are unknown, but recent data could be used as a bell weather for what's to come if the trend does not reverse. Studies on a plethora of marine organisms have shown changes in photosynthesis, reproduction, and biological processes. Coral reefs are also in danger because of increased water temperatures and acidity. Mongabay.com posted an article last year relating to the Australian coral reef system (see link). Increased temperatures kill off or scare away protozoa, called zooxanthellae, that live in the coral reefs providing it nutrients. This causes 'bleaching' which has become a major problem in Australia.

As well, "acidification ... reduces the availability of free carbonate ions in sea water, making more difficult for marine organisms to extract calcium carbonate to build the aragonite and calcite shells and skeletons they need to survive. Some of the most affected creatures are tiny polyps that build coral reefs... leaving them vulnerable to weathering from wave action and other stress."

These tiny creatures are the foundation of nearly all marine life food chains. The survival of plankton and bacteria are key to the survival of the entire ocean ecosystem. Since much of the sea life in the ocean ends up on our plates, this should be a concerning thought for seafood lovers.

Recent data suggests that commercial fish stocks will disappear by the year 2050, unless drastic conservation efforts are ramped up, because of over fishing. Take into account ocean acidification and its potential, these estimates could bring the extinction of seafood even closer than we think. At the current pace of fish losses, the last currently commercial fish stock would disappear in 2048 (see link).

Ocean acidification is a problem I wanted to bring to light. It has not been given the same level of publicity and attention that it deserves. Although we don't know for sure if the threats are real, humans should still take care of the ocean. BP's oil spill shows us that the ocean's ecosystem is fragile and it can not resolve our negligence on its own. Spread the word if you care about all the little Nemos out there.

Photo: http://www.maths.uq.edu.au/~nb/research/pictures/whitecoral.jpg

Tap Water vs. Bottled Water

The debate between bottled water and tap water has raged on for... well about a decade. Since the inception of bottled water, a clear division has been created between the two sides. Misinformed? Maybe.

I discovered an awesome video that I thought I would share on my blog that provides information on bottled water. It is an eight minute video (worth your time) about the follies about bottled water and the lies consumers have been fed. Bottled water is a large contributor to green house gases and ocean pollution. If we could all drink less bottled water, we would be doing a large part in making this world better for us and future generations. If you don't have time to watch the video, book mark my page or read the summary below. Enjoy! :)



I urge you to make the change. Carry a re-usable water bottle around. Make sure that it is stainless steel, because these last longer and are actually healthier than plastic bottles. Remember, just ten years ago, we thought it was silly charging people for water that was free, but now it is a hot item. We can be smarter than that.

I'm also aware that the ads on my page might be selling you bottled water, unfortunately I can not control what shows up, because it picks up on keywords in my blog.

Summary of the video
- Fiji bottled water compared itself to the "dirty" tap water of Cleveland. Lab test showed that Fiji bottled water was lower quality, tasted worse in blind taste tests, and costs 2,000 times more than tap water.

- 500,000,000 bottles of water are sold in the United States every week, enough to circle the earth five times.

- Bottled water companies are divisions of soft drink companies, like Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

- Bottled water companies were unable to sell bottled water a decade ago, so they scared people into thinking tap water was dirty, seduced us with mountains and forest pictures.

- 1/3 of bottled water companies use tap water as their source of water.

- The amount of oil used to make bottled waters in America in a single year could fuel one million cars. This does not even include shipping and transportation fuel.

- About 80 per cent of bottles end up in landfills. The remaining 20 per cent that are supposed to be recycled either ends up in dumps in Asia or are used to create other non-recyclable products.

- Cities spend millions of tax dollars disposing of bottled water we throw out which could be used else where.

- The cost of one package of bottled water can provide five years of tap water in Africa to an entire village. This is a fact directly from their website, not the video.

The Answer is the Fork.

Last week, the International Panel of Sustainable Resources Management, a part of the United Nations Environment Program, released new statistics on the agriculture industry and its impact on the planet.

Achim Steiner, head of the UN Environment Program, said "agricultural production accounts for a staggering 70 per cent of the global freshwater consumption, 38 per cent of the total land use and 14 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions."

Years have passed since the ad above was published, and in that time, little has changed. As the world's population increases and emerging markets produce wealthier middle class families, the consumption of meat has never been higher. Western lifestyles devoid of conservation are being mimicked all over the world. So what can we do as individuals to help this cause and even better our health?

The UN suggests being more vegetarian. I'll admit, it will be hard for me to become a vegetarian, because many of my favourite foods have meat, like pizza and donairs, but reducing my intake on these foods would help my moral values of environmental sustainability and my waistline.

Here are a few simple diet tips that will help you save the planet:

1. Go vegetarian for a day: A former co-worker of mine did this every Sunday not for environmental reasons, but for health reasons. Red meat is the main cause of obesity. Men who regularly eat red meat tend to have beer bellies, even if they don't drink beer.

2. Buy locally: It's often recommended to buy locally for economical reasons. You can save a lot of cash buying at the farmer's market and you are providing for your fellow neighbours. But buying locally is also healthier and better for the environment. It requires limited transportation and you can ask the grower directly if they use pesticides or not. Hopefully you get an honest answer.

3. Plant a garden: Fun, good exercise, and the food tastes way better. Growing your own food ensures that the food you are eating has no chemicals on it. You also save hundreds of dollars a year on food and driving. Ever run out of carrots and don't feel like driving to the store? I know I have. Now, just go to your backyard and get a few. Wash and eat.

4. Drink tap water: Many people have succumb to the marketing campaigns of bottled water producers. Unless you live in a remote village with no water infrastructure, consider drinking tap water. Bottled water requires fossil fuels for transportation and bottles. Only 20 per cent of bottles are recycled, and many of these bottles still end up in landfills, sometimes shipped thousands of miles to India or China. Blind taste tests performed across the United States showed that tap water was highly preferred. The bottled water industry is less regulated than our city's tap water. So please, drink tap water. It's safe and affordable. And 1/3 of all bottled water companies use tap water as their source, not the pristine mountains and lakes. A future blog is already in the works.

I don't think the UN was asking us to make extreme changes to our life, but these four minor adaptations above can reduce global greenhouse gases by 25 per cent!

Facts on Agriculture and Our Food
Before you leave, here are some other facts about meat that you might want to know.

- Pound for pound, beef produces 13 times more greenhouse gases than chicken and 57 times more than potatoes.

- One hamburger produces the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving 16 km or 10 miles.

- Vegetarians have a 97 per cent less chance of heart disease.

- Reducing meat can reduce cancer by 59 per cent.

- The body uses four times more energy to digest meat, making you hungrier later on.

- 69 per cent of the world's water usage is for irrigation, at least 15 per cent is not sustainable.

Hair Cleans up Gulf of Mexico

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been the biggest story of the year. British Petroleum has spent almost a billion dollars trying to stop the spill and clean it up to no avail, but there's still hope.

A non-profit organization called "Matter of Trust" posted a unique method of cleaning up oil using our hair! It was well-timed because the video was posted early April. Three weeks later, the oil spill occurred.



If you are affiliated with a hair salon or have a strong relationship with your hair dresser, I urge you to visit their website and see how you can help the clean up efforts. Families of the coast have lost their livelihoods and the environment has taken a toll. I've included the link below.

Matter of Trust Website.
Watch them on YouTube! They have new videos up with real-life experiments.

The Little House That Could

Hong Kong is not exactly the spacious suburbs of Los Angeles, but Gary Chang, a 24-year old architect, was able to turn his 344 square-foot apartment into a unique and stylish domicile that comprises of moving walls. It's green, it's ingenious, it's great. Check out the video.



He calls it "Domestic Transformer." It is a prime example of how innovation can make anything possible.