Fish farming – aquaculture – has taken hold as a major new industry in the world , and in this period of an ever-expanding global market, it promises to continue growing. But there are some important issues to consider when we buy farmed fish for consumption. The foremost question on my mind is “Is this a sustainable industry? Do the inputs (feed, habitat set aside for farms, etc.) equal the outputs (the amount of fish that eventually goes to market)? A second question is “Is farmed fish as healthy as wild-caught fish?” Finally, “What is the cost to the environment?”
Time magazine recently weighed in on some of these issues and uncovered the following facts:
Nearly 40% of all fish consumed worldwide comes from aquaculture.
The industry has grown 9% per year since 1975 and demand for species such as salmon, tuna and shrimp has doubled since then.
To produce 1 kilogram of high-protein fish food that is fed to ocean-bred, farmed fish, it takes 4.5 kilograms of smaller fish.
There are plenty of things I didn’t know about the Hector’s dolphin. In fact, until recently, my only knowledge of them was the most troubling fact of all – that they’re among the rarest dolphins in the world. But seeing as how I’ve always been fascinated by these amazing creatures, I wanted to know more. And more importantly, I wanted to learn something less troubling about them. And what, if anything, we can do to help them.
Found only off the coast of New Zealand, the Hector’s dolphin was named for Sir James Hector (1834-1907), the curator of what is now the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand. The most influential local scientist of his time, Hector was the first to examine this particular species of indigenous dolphin. Primarily grey, black and white with a distinctive stripe running across its belly, this cetacean (air breathing, water living mammal) is the smallest dolphin in New Zealand’s waters and is most recognizable by its lack of discernible beak and its round dorsal fin. (The fins of New Zealand’s other dolphin species are pointed and crescent shaped.)
There are only an estimated 7,400 in left in the entire world
Aside from their beauty and playfulness – if you’ve ever watched dolphins, you can sense how much fun they’re having playing in the surf and exploring the shallow water – what has always fascinated me is the built in sonar they use to track down their prey. Using echolocation (seeing with sound), they send out streams of high frequency noises that travel through the water, bounce quickly off moving objects and then back, easily identifying what sort of fish is out there, where it is and how quickly it’s traveling. Incredible.
I’m a veritable addict for collapsible, multi-functional furniture. Panels that slide to reveal unexpected compartments and seemingly unlimited possibilities. So it’s no surprise I fell fell hook, line and sinker with designer Akemi Tanaka ‘s collection of “now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t” tables. The Tagei Table slides playfully into a bench for two with end tables to match. With this kind of versatile style and function any of us can live large in a small space.
“The convertibility factor makes it ideal for small spaces,” says Brooklyn-based Tanaka. “A lot of the time, for small spaces, you have to bring in kitchen chairs or stools when you have people visiting, and it doesn’t really fit the environment of people getting together and hanging out in the living room. But this encourages relaxation and communication.” If storage is more important to you than seating, remove the seat cushion and you’ve got a hideaway for your remote controls, magazines and other coffee table clutter. Continue Reading / Additional Photos / Videos
Imagine if you will, ladies, that you’ve got a big night out on the town. You have to look your best. What better choice than a sexy bamboo number like the beau rome by Beau Soleil?
Beau Soleil was founded by New York entrepreneur Anne Salvatore Epstein and her husband. Having worked with companies like as Marc Jacobs and IISLI, Epstein realized she wanted to create a organization that offered organically made – yet fashionably tasteful – clothing. Taking what she’d learned from her previous experience in the fashion industry, Epstein wanted Beau Soleil to be kind to both the environment and those who worked for it.
Beau Soleil’s products are created using organic materials such as bamboo, vegetable- dyed organic cottons and other recycled materials. They’re sexy, affordable, if you have $275 in your pocket, which seems to be the favorite price point for almost everything and of course the most important part, everything is completely sustainable.
You don’t need to be hard core wheatgrass chugging health nut to enjoy this zesty kale salad with a just a hint of spice. When it comes to dark green salads, I usually just watch other people eat them and look to see if I can find some more exciting and agreeable food to indulge in. When Rod Rotondi came into our studio and made us this kale salad, I was a little hesitant. I slowly sunk my fork into just a small corner leaf, expecting at best for it to be boring and flavorless. Fortunetly I was pleasantly surprised and it was both fresh and delicious, without being overpowering. It hasn’t turned me into a green leaf eater, don’t get me wrong. In fact, I think the last time I had a kale salad was that day. I would certainly eat it again though, it’s just not the first type of dish that comes to mind when I think of what to eat.
Rod Rotondi is an organic raw food chef who own’s Leaf Cuisine, a California based organic raw cafe that has expanded to 3 locations throughout Los Angeles. Just recently their food has made it’s way into Whole Foods and other health food stores in Los Angeles. Their cuisine is obviously a big hit with the health conscious crowd in LA. They feature very simple and fresh fast health food. Their food is not rich and indulgent and generally not bursting with flavorful seasonings or pungent condiments. It is however fresh and light and of course full of plenty of leafs, with just enough flavor to make it pleasantly edible, all while leaving you glowing and satiated and like you did something good for yourself to make up for all the debauchery. The salads are large and colorful and full of live nutrient packed sprouts and the price range is reasonable. Practical, healthy and functional spa type cuisine is how I would describe it.
If you’re like me and need some practical solutions for making nutritious dark bitter greens palatable enough to want to go for seconds, try this recipe! Right now!” – Indulge
Ever wonder what you could do to make a difference in the world? Hopefully we’ve all asked ourselves this question and have taken action in our own way. If your name is Paul Watson, you may have decided to dedicate your life to saving marine life by whatever means necessary –- including flying your own brand of the Jolly Roger at the head of your own “navy”, ramming whaling ships, and chasing illegal fishermen. But you might have also looked into the eye of a dying sperm whale during one of Greenpeace’s first anti-whaling expeditions and had a revelation peculiar to few terrestrial-bound “hominids,” coming to know that humans don’t have a monopoly on understanding and conscience.
So, who is Paul Watson? By his own immodest account, he’s the only true protector of marine life, policing marine sanctuaries across the globe with his rag-tag band of ships known as Neptune’s Navy, occasionally getting into a scuffle or two, and pulling miles of illegal fishing nets out of the water. A recent article in New Yorker magazine profiles the “Captain” of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and his resume reads as an impressive mix of 1960s anti-establishment hippie and full-scale environmental activist.
In its annual World Energy Outlook report, the International Energy Agency states that an immediate investment in sustainable energy is the only hope in preventing a global crisis in the complete depletion of oil. According to the report, the intensification of worldwide energy usage will, within a generation, create an immense global climate change, threaten energy security, and bring on the possibility of oil shortages worldwide.
Because of the enormous economic growth of China and India, the IEA has become more concerned about the situation at hand, and feels that we must find a way to move beyond fossil fuels in order to ward off such a crisis.
According to the 675-page report, China will surpass the USA as the world energy leader. By 2015, their energy needs will grow 5.1% annually. Their need for fuel will also quadruple for their growing fleet of vehicles which is estimated to reach 270 million by 2030. India’s projections are just as frightening. Even though the growth of these two countries has improved the lives of billions of people, the consequences create an alarming global energy demand. The IEA states that there is enough oil to last us through 2030. Yet oil in Mexico, Canada and the North Sea are rapidly depleting, causing an increase in global dependence on the unstable Middle East.
Medlock Ames Winery has vin-dicated my Granny’s gardening methods. Her approach was unusual to say the least, and we all thought the lush product of her idiosyncrasy was pure coincidence. Now I’m delighted to discover an up-and-coming family vineyard whose dynamic methodologies have put an ecologically modern-day spin on the age-old wisdom of Granny.
In 1996, two young men formed a partnership to make great wine. At the time, the success of California wines had created a glut of property purchases by owners who razed the land of the natural flora and fauna to put in their steel and grid rows of grapes, greedily using up every bit of space in order to maximize profits. But Christopher Medlock James and Ames Morison had other ideas.
From the onset, the Medlock Ames Winery embraced unusual techniques by utilizing Biodynamics, a radical method in which natural occurring plant and animal interaction replenishes the living soil, creating a vitality that supports and affects the quality and health of the plants that grow in it. Sounds pretty simple, but it isn’t. The exact science has numerous factors to take into consideration and the growers must be grounded in the precise ecological knowledge of nature.
I don’t know if there’s such a thing as one-stop shopping for the fashion-forward “G” set, but Eco Citizen is definitely the most earth friendly find of the week. This new boutique, located in San Francisco’s Russian Hill, caters to eco-fabulous fashionistas in search of high-end, sustainable style.
(From their website) “Eco Citizen strives to offer high quality, fair trade, classic fashion design and construction to the eco-conscious consumer. Our mission is to support the planet and its people while encouraging and implementing fair trade practices, sweatshop-free merchandise, and organic fashion products. Eco Citizen promotes a lifestyle choice that goes beyond the traditional allure of fashion, by transcending the self through transparent business practices, while providing fashion-forward and classic clothing for the 21st century woman.”
To answer the obvious question, The Good Home in Maui is good because it is the greenest home in Hawaii. It’s successful in meeting three of the most demanding green building standards: the Hawaiian BuiltGreen rating (three star), the National Association of Home Builders (gold) and it’s the only home built in Hawaii under the LEED for Homes Pilot Program, where they’re expecting a gold rating. Those are some Good ratings.
The Good Home is designed to be environmentally friendly in every way. Even during construction, they only used a portion of the site for construction activities and took care to separate and recycle materials. Drought tolerant plants are used for landscaping to reduce water use. Trees and shrubs are used as natural air conditioners to cool the air around the house.
I don’t care how green you are, if you’re going to live in Wailuku, you have to have a view of the water. Unfortunately, with the east and south facing windows, there is come significant solar heat gain. In The Good Home, you don’t have to sacrifice; the designers at Zilber, Ltd. just threw on some hanging lanais and deep overhangs, and the problem was significantly minimized.
What is Habode? It can be a vacation home. It can be a cluster of homes in a retirement community. It can be office space. It can be a three-bedroom family house.
A better question is, What do you want it to be?
Habode homes are environmentally responsible pre-fab buildings that are tailored to your specifications. All of the houses are the same size (80 square meters), but the floor plan, window placement and doors are all up to you. Rod Gibson, the creator, based Habode on happy childhood memories of clear waters and green grass. He wanted to create re-locatable, recreational homes that can be placed in areas where building by conventional methods is difficult.
The ability to take one of the world’s oldest sustainable fabrics and spin it into a sleek, luxury designer line is exactly what G Living looks for. And this writer has a special fondness for hemp. Enter Viridis Luxe, where hemp is sexy and luxurious.
Hemp as a fabric is a time-honored tradition dating back to the Italian Renaissance. History would have us believe that hemp denim was even used in the creation of the very first pair of Levi’s.
Focusing primarily on fabric made from sheer silk hemp (you have to see their jersey tops), the Viridis Luxe creative team of Hala Bahmet and Amadea West have designed a collection of fashionable sweaters, skirts, wraps and tunics. (There’s also a terrific line of exotic bamboo t-shirts.) Their hands-on approach to beautiful, sustainable creation involves long fiber hemp harvested by hand, along with the use of all-natural dyes and routine supervision to ensure healthy factory working conditions.