Happy World Oceans Day 2009

[Shaka Doug]

Happy World Oceans Day 2009 Everyone! Please spread the word and celebrate mother ocean in any way you can.

I found this on the web when I looked up what exactly World Oceans Day was all about:

(From: World Oceans Day 2009 | Manila Bulletin)

The world oceans generate most of the oxygen we breathe, supply us with food, regulate our climate, clean the water we drink, and offer a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines.

The United Nations (UN) had officially declared June 8 each year as World Oceans Day (WOD). The concept for a WOD was proposed by the Government of Canada in 1992 at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. Since then it has been celebrated annually.

The theme of 2009 WOD is "One Ocean, One Climate, One Future" to emphasize that we live on a blue planet where 70 percent of the surface is covered by ocean waters, and to raise public awareness of the key connections among a healthy ocean, a healthy climate, and our future. Regardless of where we live, we are dependent on the state of health of our shared bodies of water.

To mark the daylong celebration, UN member countries will host various activities, including coastal cleanup and mangrove planting, film showing celebrating the oceans and the seas, lectures and forums on relevant topics, essay writing competitions, and theatrical plays on environmental conservation.

The burning of fossils fuels, deforestation, and certain agricultural practices produce increasing amounts of carbon dioxide that our oceans can no longer absorb, resulting in the altering of their chemistry. This has resulted in some marine animals and corals failing to form calcium carbonate shells and in the creation of a habitat conducive to the survival of invasive alien species.Let us work together to do everything we can to conserve our "Blue backyard" to make sure that our progeny will continue to benefit from and enjoy our beaches, the coral reefs that have the potentials to yield new medicine and valuable proteins, and the limitless inspiration provided by the ocean's magnificent Landscape. "Our oceans have life, let us keep them healthy."

Here's something that is happening in our state:

From KITV 4 News, 6-7-09



Check it out if you can and once again, Happy World Oceans Day Everyone!!

PS: Don't mind my excitement, I'm just "Jacked on the Juice!"

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Right on Doug, keep up the fight!

Speaking of fighting, what do you all think about this recent action?

Suit filed against Maui County

In a combined effort to preserve and protect the coastal waters of South Maui, five Kīhei residents have taken matters into their own hands by filing a civil complaint against Maui County for its use of wastewater injection wells.

 

[rgbmatt]

Injection wells are a horrible system for a tropical island and need to be changed ASAP. How come we can have ten times as many people on Oahu and not have the same level of algae problem as Maui?

But, this sort of litigious mentality needs to stop. If it persists, nobody will be able to enjoy the ocean any more without all sorts of inane restrictions. The ends don't justify the means here.

 

[KrisB]

Injection wells are a horrible system for a tropical island and need to be changed ASAP. How come we can have ten times as many people on Oahu and not have the same level of algae problem as Maui?

I says, pardon?

The reefs I've dove out of Maunalua Bay were atrocious compared to ANYTHING I've seen off Maui. And those Oahu reefs were so far off shore compared to our shore-diving reefs on Maui... there's a bigger problem in effect over there!

I suspect the biggest difference is some of the Maui County treehuggers abilities to blow stuff out of proportion. I admit, there is algae (and probably more than should be) on our reefs... but look at what happened with the Superferry, etc. as an example of our over-zealous treehuggers here.

 

[Shaka Doug]

Let's say the county stopped injection wells today. What would they do with all the waste and reclaimed water?? It would become a big problem on land real quick, wouldn't it?

Oh yeah, did anyone on Oahu go to the talk tonight? I didn't get a chance to see if it made the TV news. I'd like to know how it went.

Hope you had a Happy World Oceans Day. I cancelled dives due to high surf on the south shore. It was looking pretty sloppy today over here on Maui.

 

[KrisB]

Good point, Doug... what do you do with that nutrient-rich water if you stop injecting it? Water lawns? Then it's going to leach into the ocean MUCH quicker!

 

[Black_3000psi]

wow this conversation is way out of my league but very interesting please continue.gentlemen this is very educating. I am about to look up injection wells unless you guys care to give me a crash course.

see and people call me a know it all.

 

[KrisB]

wow this conversation is way out of my league but very interesting please continue.gentlemen this is very educating. I am about to look up injection wells unless you guys care to give me a crash course.

see and people call me a know it all.

crash course:

An injection well is a deeper-than-wide pipe that is placed vertically into the ground. Injection wells are located downstream of any potable water sources. The County of Maui uses Class V injection wells as a means of disposing the treated domestic, commercial and industrial wastewater that has been processed at County of Maui sewage treatment plants. The EPA estimates that there are over 1.7 million injection wells throughout the United States.

More answers here: http://www.co.maui.hi.us/faq.aspx?searchTerms=&TID=83

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I attended the EPA community meeting for the Lahaina injection wells this fall. The West Maui processing plant is mauka of the highway just North of Airport Beach (Kahikili Beach Park). A small percentage of the waste water is processed to a grade suitable for irrigation (brown) and used for golf course and resort irrigation in the Ka'anapali Resort area. The main obstacle to using more brown water for irrigation is the lack of delivery system (pipes).

Irrigation grade water has a final treatment of UV irradiation. The algae blooms that have been proven to be due in significant part to the injection wells would be less damaging to the reef if it was also UV irradiated. The County of Maui does not think it needs to make the injection well water irrigation grade, even though a strict interpretation of the Coastal Water Act (sic) probably makes this and many other common Island practices violations of Federal Law.

South Maui has a similar system, although the main injection wells that probably destroyed over 80% of the reef in Ma'alaea Bay are old private wells for the condo developments, which are less regulated and much shallower.

 

[Black_3000psi]

now theres something i know "law" if state practices are in violation then a complaint should be filed a against both the state and the epa. I have seen the epa here at work they are shaddy. i was head of security at dole cannery while they were building costco. they told the head of the construction company when he got to a certain spot to call them. so he did. they told him that if they wanted to continue they would have to remove the sludge that was at the spot indicated. the epa knew it was there and had known about it all along .but had never done nothing about it while it seeped into the the ocean.for ten days they worked to get that stuff out of there and it was toxic too i was told to make sure nobody entered into that area or even the back lot during that time. but if nobody says anything then it will continue.