Monday, February 25

7 AM: I am heading to Panama this morning from Costa Rica to see what is happening with the proposal to capture wild dolphins for captive display. I am very concerned that the government will go ahead and approve this petition in spite of expert opinion recommending that it be suspended.

Randy Wells, a conservation biologist at the Chicago Zoological Society and a world recognized expert on dolphins who has been at the forefront of dolphin research for the past several decades, had this to say about the proposal by Ocean Embassy:

“I understand that Ocean Embassy Panama plans to collect bottlenose dolphins from the waters of Panama. Based on 37 years of research with dolphins in Florida and elsewhere, I am strongly opposed to the removal of dolphins from the wild, especially in the absence of adequate assessments of the wild populations, including their structure, abundance, vital rates, and factors affecting them, prior to the collections. Since 1970, we have been monitoring five generations of bottlenose dolphins that live in a year-round resident community in Sarasota Bay, Florida. We have found indications that disruption of the community through losses/removals can adversely impact the animals remaining in the wild, through decreased reproductive success and disruptions of the social structure (Wells 2000, 2003).

The Chicago Zoological Society and partner institutions ceased collecting bottlenose dolphins from the wild decades ago in favor of cooperative captive breeding programs involving dolphins already living in zoological parks and aquaria. These programs have been very successful, and they represent much more appropriate efforts toward effective conservation of dolphins than removal from the wild. I would expect more of a new dolphin program in Panama than to implement an out-dated and biologically-unsound program of collection from the wild.”

3 PM: I have a meeting with the mayor of Panama who seems to be very concerned about the proposal to catch wild dolphins for the captive industry. The mayor, Juan Carlos Navarro, has a colorful past as an avid environmentalist-most notably as the founder of ANCON (a Panamanian NGO for conservation). We talked about the project for a ling time and I am surprised at how vehemently he opposes the project and how enthusiastic he is to support us. To be honest, I couldn’t be more thrilled! We need an ally in the government and he seems more than happy to be the one. There is a press conference after our meeting and he makes his position clear to the media. “I will oppose this on ethical grounds! We will not let American businessmen pillage the resources of the country for profit!” And it seems the people agree with him since 82% of the population is “against taking wild dolphins for captivity.” I look forward to seeing how this all works out…

6PM: I have been granted a meeting with the directors of the Autoridad de Recursos Acuaticos de Panama-the new agency in charge of managing Panama’s aquatic resources. It was a very enlightening meeting and I better understand their concerns from a socio-economic perspective and their hopes that the Ocean Embassy project will breathe new life into their economy and help them address poverty issues. I have seen coastal communities in Panama and the struggles of the poor and I hope to one day be able to help them in really meaningful ways. I really understand the government’s desire to find solutions to address these issues but made it clear that I could not, in good conscience, support the construction of a dolphinarium as a solution. We discussed it at length and agreed to disagree on the merits of the Ocean Embassy proposal with a view to collaborate on other projects in the future. I am relieved that they understand my position on this issue-my opposition to capturing wild dolphins for captive display-and that we can maintain a productive relationship in spite of it.

12 AM: I have been awake for 19 hours and am going to bed! I’ll let you know what the next couple of days bring.

Signing off for the night.

Whoa, I know I have blogged about Mercury pollution before. But check out this innovative approach by Oceana to target the last few chlorine plants that still use mercury. It really is shocking that people still do this, even more so that we let them.

http://takeaction.oceana.org/signUp.jsp?key=2025

I know I’ve mentioned this in passing before, but it’s such an important and easy thing to do that I’ve decided to devote a whole entry to it. Why so much emphasis on household cleaners? Quite a few reasons:

• Over 90% of all reported poisonings in America occur at home—the leading reported cause is household cleaners.
• Cleaning products are not regulated and are full off chemicals. Many have ingredients that have hormone disruptors, carcinogens, respiratory inhibitors, and neurotoxins.
• A 2002 survey of contaminants in U.S. stream water found that 69 percent of streams sampled contained persistent detergent metabolites, and 66 percent contained disinfectants.

So if you still want a clean house (and most of us do) but don’t want to get sick or hurt the environment doing it, make the switch:

• Replace your chemical household cleaners with the organic version: There are many alternatives out there to be found in your local health food stores and, increasingly, in other venues as well. For instance, Target now carries Seventh Generation products. When buying organic or “natural” cleaners, don’t forget to check the ingredients and make sure you understand them. And of course, dispose of the toxic products responsibly. Some products are safe to dispose of down the drain, while others should be disposed of at a hazardous waste site.
• Make your own concoction: Use vinegar, baking soda, borax, lavender, lemon juice, and other natural ingredients to create your own cleaners. There are quite a few recipes out there—here are some great ones from CHEC (the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition . If you can’t be bothered to search for a recipe but still want to make your own, get a do-it-yourself kit.
• If you’re not switching, use at your own risk! If you decide to stay with the polluting, unhealthy alternative (no, I’m not biased, just honest), be careful! Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Read labels and look for the least toxic alternative.
2. Ask questions of the manufacturer if you’re unclear about the ingredients.
3. Don’t use chemical cleaners when children are present and keep them out of their reach!
4. Wear protective clothing and ventilate the space after use.
5. Buy limited quantities.
6. Avoid using hot water; this enables the volatile chemicals found in many cleaners to more easily evaporate and enter the air in greater amounts.
7. Never mix cleaners; this may accidentally create substances more hazardous than any of the individual cleaners alone. Same goes when disposing of them.
8. Rinse cleaned surfaces thoroughly to remove as much cleaning product residue as possible.
9. Avoid using products like waxes and floor polishes that are intended to make surfaces shiny; they are specifically designed to leave residues behind and usually contain dangerous solvents.
10. Use cleaners that are applied via sponges and rags; spray cleaners diffuse their chemicals into the air and distribute them across greater distances.

After all of the above, do you REALLY want to keep using chemicals to clean? I hope the answer is NO!

I am leaving tomorrow for Central America and will be in Panama next week to talk with policy makers, NGOs, and the media about a proposed project to capture up to 80 wild dolphins for display in a local water park. Imagine that—80 dolphins.

Dolphin populations in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (the coastal region that stretches from the west coast of Mexico down to Ecuador) have been decimated over the years by harmful tuna fishing practices. Even today, when more care is taken to make sure the dolphins are freed from the nets, those populations are not coming back. Some scientists think that the trauma the dolphins experience when they are taken in the nets is preventing them from being able to reproduce normally. To be honest, I am not surprised.

Think about it. Dolphins are highly social and intelligent animals that live in tightly knit family groups. Chasing them with boats, netting them, separating mothers from their babies—that’s bad enough. But taking dolphins from the freedom of the ocean and the comfort of their family to put them in a swimming pool where they have to learn to eat dead fish and do tricks for tourists is just wrong. I know people love dolphins—but is it right to hurt them so that we can spend a few moments with them in a water park? People I know who have been on what they call a “dolphin collection” told me that the process of capturing a wild dolphin is like a “kidnap” and a “rape.” Sometimes the ones left behind chase the boats leaving with a captured dolphin until exhaustion, calling out to the dolphin on the boat, following until they can’t follow anymore. How can we, as a society, feel good about this?

I have seen dolphins in the wild. I have spent hours swimming with them. Wild dolphins belong in the wild. Period.

So, I am going to Panama to add my voice to those who want to stop this project. What do you think?? If you agree with me, please visit Marine Connection and send the President of Panama a letter! Ask your friends and family to do the same. Please help me! It really would make a HUGELY positive difference.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and whether you have a special date, want to treat a friend, or are single and plan on treating yourself to something beautiful and/or sweet, there are lots of earth-friendly choices out there. Personally, I think Valentine’s Day is a commercial holiday, but I won’t say no to a box of chocolates or some beautiful flowers (hint, hint). So, whether you’re pro- or anti-V Day, here are some ideas for you:

• Traditionalists: Put less pesticides in the waterways and show your sweetheart you care about her/him AND the environment by buying organic flowers. For those more inclined towards sweets, buy Fair Trade chocolates and stop buying products that support child labor in West Africa, where much of the cocoa beans are picked. Personally, I love chocolate, so I have lots of recommendations. Three of my favorites are Endangered Species, Divine, and Dagoba. Jewelry is another good one if you like going the traditional route. I won’t go into the atrocities of the diamond mining trade, since I’m sure most of you have seen Blood Diamond, but needless to say, there are other alternatives when purchasing diamonds. And for those who like jewelry but not rocks, check out Eco-Artware for some fun and funky pieces.
• Romantics: If your idea of Vday is a nice bottle of wine with some, um, massage oil, indulge the natural way. We all know, by now (I hope) that moderate wine intake is good for you and for your heart, so have some that’s also good for Mother Earth (sorry if I’m bringing in any unwanted images while you’re trying to be romantic) and show your partner you care that much more with all-natural massage oils.
• Creatives: If you’re a little more adventurous, you can cook an organic meal or write a poem. Both are personal, use your creativity, and minimize the impact you have while showing you care. Plus you put some effort and thought into the gift - that counts for a lot, at least in my book!
• Anti-gift-givers: Some of you don’t believe in gifts for Vday, but still want to show that you care. Send an e-card or pick up a recycled card or just an eco-friendly knick-knack (you don’t have to give it on Vday, after all).
• Anti-Vday-ers: Are you totally anti-Vday, regardless of whether you’re single or part of a couple? Then forget the holiday, and just pamper yourself. Get together with friends, and crack open a bottle of wine - yes, the organic kind! Or if you’re in the mood for a quiet night, take a nice warm bath with natural oils. There are lots out there, though pick one that’s certified organic.

If you have other recommendations or ideas or products that you really like, we’d love to hear from you.

I recently returned from Rangiroa, an atoll that is part of the French Polynesian islands. This is an area that is well known for scuba diving and we were definitely not disappointed! We saw dozens of sharks, enormous eagle rays swimming in formation, sea turtles, dolphins and their babies, huge schools of fish and a giant moray eel! It is a rare privilege to be able to experience such a vibrance and diversity of marine life anywhere in the world and serves as a reaffirmation of the critical task facing us all to keep it intact!

photo by Laetitia Scuiller

Protecting marine life is something that the native Polynesians understand. On Rangiroa, you often see young men spear fishing for their family’s dinner. They tie buckets to cords tied around their waists and throw their fish into it as they move along the reefs in the turquoise blue waters of the lagoon. Knowing that sharks are attracted to spear fishermen, I asked one of them, named Joseph, if he had ever had trouble with sharks. He pointed to his upper thigh and showed me the bite mark of a small lemon shark. Here is how the rest of our conversation went.

Joseph: “Actually, I was bitten once. I had been spear fishing my whole life ever since I was a little boy and they never bothered me. But this one time, a shark was swimming around me acting strange. I should have gotten out of the water but I didn’t think it would bite me so I stayed.”

Alexandra: “Oh my goodness Joseph! That must have been terribly painful! Do you still get in the water to go spear fishing? Did your experience make you afraid of sharks?”

J: “Absolutely not! When we get in the water, we enter their world. Sharks are my companions on all my dives and have never hurt me. In fact, for many families here, sharks are their totem- a protective force that keeps families safe from harm. Lots of people spear fish every day here and hardly anyone ever gets hurt by a shark.”

A: “So if sharks aren’t considered dangerous to people, why did you get bitten?”

J: (laughing) “Oh that was my father’s fault! The shark isn’t to blame at all!!”

A: (dumbfounded) “Uh… how so?”

J: “Well, ever since the time of my great great great grandparents, everyone knows that you can’t fight at home when a member of your family is in the water because then a shark might bite them. When I saw the shark acting strange, I should have known. At the very moment I was bitten, my dad was yelling at my kid brother for something he did. And I got bitten by the shark. If my dad had been more careful about not creating tension at home when I was out fishing, I never would have been bitten. So it really wasn’t the shark’s fault.”

A: “Does that happen a lot?”

J: “Not really. Families here are really careful about not fighting when someone is out fishing. But the only other cases of shark bites happened because the families were fighting. That’s what does it every time!”

A: “So you really aren’t afraid of sharks. That’s so great Joseph. What do you think about people from the US and Europe who are so terrified of sharks. Did you see the movie “Jaws”? Did it scare you?”

J: “Well sure, it’s a scary movie. But the idea that a shark would attack a boat just to eat the people inside is ridiculous! And usually the bigger sharks are the more mellow sharks. The little ones are usually a little more skittish since they still have so much to learn about how to survive. But a giant shark attacking boats and people that way… it’s just silly. I think that the reason people are scared of sharks is just that they have never seen them in the wild. If people knew sharks the way I do, they wouldn’t be scared, they would want to protect them.”

Enough said. Thank you, Joseph.

I just got back from Paris where I spoke at the launch of the Shark Alliance and was SO thrilled with the response people had. It was cold and rainy and people still made the effort to come hear about the global shark crisis. I am so passionate about this issue and it was fantastic to see how people terrorized by Jaws actually became concerned for the continued survival of these amazing animals. Even my brother Philippe, who came with me and already knows a lot about sharks, came away from this event more concerned and enlightened about the shark issue. We are both more dedicated than ever to try to stop the massacre of over 75 million sharks a year for shark fin soup.

What do you think? Is this an issue you care about? If you would like to find out more, check out the Shark Alliance website at www.sharkalliance.com.

If you’re running after that ant with a can of pesticide, think twice before spraying it. Pesticides affect not only the insects we want out of our house, yard, or food, but they also affect our health. According to a Center for Disease Control study, 90% of people tested had 5 to 16 pesticides in their bodies and most of the 6–11-year-olds tested had four times the amount deemed acceptable by the EPA. Since 80% of contact with pesticides happens indoors, it’s better to forgo that spray can in favor of more humane ways (for you and them) of asking the pests to leave your house. Here are some things you can do to limit pesticides in your house and body:

• Eat organic food: Organic foods are those grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, petroleum- or sewage-based fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering, or irradiation. Even then, there are traces of pesticides, but they are in 13%–23% of produce tested versus 71% to 90% of conventionally-grown produce, per the USDA. Therefore, you should also always wash your produce. Also, check out the Environmental Working Group’s guide to determine which produce have the most pesticides. If you’re buying from your local farmer (also recommended) you can ask them if they use pesticides and encourage them to use alternative methods. You can find local farmers’ markets and family farms through Local Harvest.
• Do some home repairs: Keep pests out by installing or fixing door strips on doors leading to the outside, sealing baseboards, plugging holes and cracks around windows and doors with caulk or steel wool, and keeping window screens in good repair.
• Switch to non-toxic methods: Buy pest control products without chemicals.
• Keep the house clean: Do not leave food lying around in the kitchen and beware of dirt you bring in from the outdoors with your shoes.
• Green your lawn: We apply about 70 to 75 million pounds of about 300 different pesticide ingredients to our lawns and gardens yearly. STOP using toxic chemicals for your lawn and garden and change to non-toxic, pesticide-free lawn and garden products.

Did I mention the consequences for the animals and insects that aren’t direct targets of the pesticides but that are affected nonetheless? Pesticides contaminate soil, water, and other vegetation, and can be toxic to birds, fish, beneficial insects and plants that were not intended for obliteration. So, you’re keeping yourself and the planet healthier by not using them. Check these links out for alternatives indoors and outdoors and for more info.

Wow! I just got back into town from a Shark Alliance conference in Paris and I have been reading through the posts on the last blog entry. I am so happy that you all enjoyed the show. It was very difficult to finish but as so many of you said, the entire crew felt it was absolutely vital to do so. The message at the end is a strong one and I am glad that so many of you learned something. Just don’t forget the last message - that all of us can make choices every day to make this world a better place. Thank you for all your support, and keep coming back - let us know what you think is important, whether it has to do with the current blog or not. Many of you mentioned how you hope you can make a difference. You do, every day, through your actions and inactions, you make a difference. Thank you to all of you for making a positive difference.

A couple thoughts:

• Marianna, loved your quote, I’m gonna use it … “In the end our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy.” - John C. Sawhill
• Jo Ann, I am glad that Bush did recognize global warming in his speech but we have a long way to go.

Thank you all again for your comments, keep ‘em coming, and yes we are doing more shows - a six part series for Animal Planet called Springwatch airing April 14^th, and more shows with the BBC and Discovery.

PS - Melanie, your French was great.