Coral reefs are some of creation’s most strikingly beautiful places. Clean and clear blue water, graceful whales and sea turtles, swarms of dazzling fishes, and amazing coral. We can’t get enough of coral reefs, so we adorn our walls with paintings and photos. Saltwater aquariums abound in households, restaurants and businesses around the world. Naturally, […]
PBS and the False Narrative of “Slowly Dying” Coral Reefs Learn More »
The History of Axis Deer in Hawaii As the 8-seat Mokulele Airlines plane approached the Molokai airport, I noticed the very overgrazed Molokai Ranch below. Surely, the ranch owners know better than to let their cattle overgraze like this. And besides, don’t they know cattle produce catastrophic levels of greenhouse gases? Why do they have
Hawaii’s Axis Deer Mismanagement is Causing an Ecological Disaster Learn More »
So Many Salmon By late July, salmon runs and the brown bears that pursue them are winding down at Brooks Falls. So I was skeptical about my daughter’s desire to visit this treasure in Alaska’s Katmai National Park in early August. Until she showed me the live webcam. We secured a last minute flight that
Alaska’s 2021 salmon harvest sets new records, defying doomsayers again Learn More »
Ali Tabrizi’s Seaspiracy is a popular and controversial new Netflix documentary which details overfishing and what to do about it. Tabrizi brings many important points to light. However, he draws several questionable conclusions. In particular, his “final solution” to overfishing — a real problem — is mistaken. And, like most environmental films, Seaspiracy misses the real “whale in the
The Good and the Bad of Netflix Documentary “Seaspiracy” Learn More »
On Oahu’s west side, a Hawaiian green sea turtle snuggles up to a reef for an afternoon nap. But this is no ordinary reef. It’s the warm water outflow structure for Oahu’s biggest electric power producer, the Kahe Power Plant. Built in the early 1960’s, the 651 megawatt (MW) workhorse often provides over 40% of
Oahu’s Energy: Irony, Hypocrisy … or Both? Learn More »
The latest red tide outbreak on Florida’s Gulf Coast, with its awful stench, is in its 11th straight month. The noxious bloom started in November 2017, and the latest reports from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before Hurricane Michael, whose effects we won’t know for some time, showed that the end was not
11 Months and Counting—Wrapping our Heads around Florida’s Raging Red Tide Learn More »
On July 3, Hawaii became the first state to ban the sale of sunscreens considered harmful to coral reefs. The bill received bipartisan support. Banned sunscreens contain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, which, as I’ll explain in a moment, can harm coral. Personally, I’m against excessive environmental regulations that keep people from enjoying creation and shut down businesses for
Hawaii’s Sunscreen Ban: A Good Law or More Needless Government Meddling? Learn More »
Turtle Traffic Jams? On Oahu’s North Shore, Hawaiian green sea turtles are everywhere, but a recent study claims that may not be the case in the future due to climate change. But is it really true that disaster is looming for green sea turtle populations? Tourists flock here daily to see them, with cars and
Is Climate Change Causing a Sea Turtle Disaster? Learn More »
Mr. Obama, here are three points to consider during your Alaska trip this week: 1. Roughly 70% of Alaska is federally owned, and much of that is off-limits to any kind of economic use of natural resources. Compare that with 10% or less in most of the original 13 U.S. colonies. Instead of “helping” native
Stewardship Advice For President Obama’s Alaska Trip Learn More »
Ecosystems are complex. I learned that in a very real way during two summers on Alaska’s Pribilof Islands in 1993 and 1994. Participating in a joint U.S/Russian research project, our goal was to collect as much oceanographic data as possible around tiny St. Paul Island. Imagine a treeless island with the lush green hills and
Seabird Ecology and Scientific Panaceas Learn More »
