Fish Food for the Soul

Up until the last few years, I didn't have to worry about where my fish came from because I didn't eat them. My recent affinity for our underwater friends has made me think more deeply about the sustainability, or lack thereof, of the fishing industry. In the last 50 years, poor fishing practices have caused an incredible decline in fish abundance. As a result, the industry actually earns $50 billion/yr less less than it could. Our lack of foresight endangers the future of big fish, particularly those that are difficult to farm.

"The big fish, the bill fish, the groupers, the big things will be gone. It is happening now. If things go unchecked, we'll have a sea full of little horrible things that nobody wants to eat. We might end up with a marine junkyard dominated by plankton.” - Dr. Daniel Pauly

It's up to us to make the right consumer choices. Instead of eating Atlantic bluefin tuna whose population has been reduced 90% since the 70's, masticate on some yellowfin/blackfin tuna, albacore, or wahoo (that's what you'll be saying when you try it). Replace Chilean sea bass (fishing of which threatens many other species) with Alaskan sablefish, aka black cod.  Farm-raised shrimp and sturgeon are great alternatives to their wild counterparts. For more subs to popular seafood, check this out.  Below are some notes to guide your seafood/sushi decisions.

Thanks to Greenpeace's supermarket seafood sustainability scorecard, Target was honored for their eco-consciousness, and retailers like Trader Joe's and Costco were motivated to increase the sustainability of their stocks.

Sustainable Seafood Guidelines (courtesy of the Monteray Bay Aquarium). Download regional pocket guides here.

Sustainable Sushi Guidelines

What Rising Temperatures Mean for Biodiversity Loss

Don't let the upcoming "snowstorm of the decade" make you forget that global temperatures are actually rising.

Both orang-utans and tigers are severely threatened by climate change

It is estimated that between 20-30% of the world's biodiversity could be lost in the next 100 years. Forget polar bears. Rainforest creatures will have to relocate hundreds of miles. Mountainous animals will have nowhere cooler to go. Think about what this will do genetic diversity, which provides tremendous insight for pharma and biochem research.

The WWF lists a few of the species threatened by climate change.

Unexplained: Thousands of Birds and Fish Found Dead

Washed up fish near Chesapeake Bay in Maryland

Birds are falling from the sky and fish are washing onto shore. From Sweden to New Zealand to Arkansas, people are reporting some pretty bizarre phenomena. Fireworks could be the cause for SOME of the bird deaths, but the rest are unexplained. Could global warming be the culprit?

A Planet Capable of Sustaining Life?

If we ever use up all of our resources, we can always invade another planet.