Climate Change: Arctic Ice Melting and Five Nations" Deal - http://clapway.com/2015/07/16/climate-change-arctic-ice-melts-and-five-nations-make-deal678/

With the effects of global climate change mounting, international politics are being forced to adapt to the migration of other species caused by human pollution. Specifically, currently, the Arctic ice sheets are breaking down into ice floes and arctic ice melting. The United States and Russia are two among three other countries whom have signed a major deal to prohibit commercial fishing in the Arctic sea ice surrounding the North Pole.

ARCTIC SAVVY NATIONS CONVENE IN OSLO

Other signing nations include Norway, Canada and Denmark. The agreement took place in Oslo, Norway. One might think coming this far in talks regarding fishing rights and prohibitions is premature because the Arctic is not predicted to have reliable fish stocks for a long time, but scientists have recently suggested the opposite more likely because of the thinning ice expected to occur this summer.

WHY CAN’T WE ALL GET ALONG UP THERE

The deal became necessary when several neighboring nations all submitted claim over Arctic territory. Considering these contradictory claims is a 21-member UN arbitration panel. A main geographic object of legal elocution is the Lomonosov Ridge, which is a 1,120 mile (1,800 km) long underwater mountain range, splitting the Arctic into two halves.

VARIOUS CLAIMS AND TRANSGRESSIONS

Denmark claims right over Arctic territory by proxy of Greenland, which is technically an autonomous Danish territory. Increasing complicity is the fact that earlier this year the Russian Deputy Prime Minister named Dmitry Rogozin actually opened a drifting Russian base on an Arctic ice flow, defying an already established Norwegian travel ban.

There was a deal almost completed last year which would have successfully barred fishing, but it was halted in March 2014 when Russia annexed the Ukrainian Crimea peninsula.

US WANTS INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS IN ARCTIC

US support the creation of a “precautionary approach” in the Arctic area, as a fail safe to any uncomfortably political encounters or transgressions that may still be yet to come. A US statement said that these five countries involved in the deal agree to allow fishing in the area “only once one or more international mechanisms are in place to manage any such fishing in accordance with recognised international standards.”

NORWAY WANTS GLOBAL CONSENSUS

Boerge Brende, the Norwegian Foreign Minister also added in a statement that it’s imperative to persuade other nations not part of the deal to respect these five countries’ agreement; to stay their fishing hands when it comes to the Arctic.

GREENPEACE IS DISCONTENT

Greenpeace was thrilled about the agreement, but when they learned it was only temporary, they protested that most of the involved countries were merely doing this to preserve to possibility of resource extraction indifferent to local populations, and that the “protect the Arctic” theme was just a façade.

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Climate Change: Arctic Ice Melting and Five Nations" Deal

Keep safe from shark attacks with this technology! - http://clapway.com/2015/06/24/great-white-nope/

I love the beach. I feel so calm lying on the warm sand with the sound of the waves hitting the shore around me, until my feet hit that water and I’m reminded of the menacing creatures that lurk further out. For the water-wader, you really only worry about jellyfish or the sea shells cutting your feet (depending on what beach you’re on of course.) But for those of us who like to be out in the water either swimming, surfing, diving or fishing, we have much bigger worries swimming through our mind. I have this terrible fear that if I get too far out, I’m going to get attacked by a great white shark. I’ve never even seen the movie Jaws (shocking, right?) but I just know that will be my life the minute I exceed ankle-deep water. Maybe it is a somewhat irrational fear. Statistically, shark attacks are pretty rare — and great white shark attacks even rarer, by that logic.

Recently, I read about a shark encounter that really got me thinking. There were 2 men surfing at Hermosa Beach in California last week around 10 A.M. and they encountered a shark. This is reportedly twice now that this same shark has been encountered and it seemed to be growing less weary of humans. After reading this, I became intrigued and started researching more shark sightings and apparently, they’ve become more frequent this year…

While reading more stories, I came across a study done by the University of Western Australia’s Ocean Institute in which they tested different kinds of shark deterrent to see which caused the shark to avoid bait. They tested strobe lights, loud underwater sounds (natural and artificial), a bubble curtain, and an electric field.

Shark Shield

Of these results, the electric field was most effective. This device is actually already commercially available. The Shark Shield can be found on their website, and also at Amazon and Scuba.com. Unfortunately, the cost isn’t just some extra cash you might have lying around (for most of us) but it’s definitely a legitimate investment for someone who spends quite a bit of time out on the water. It’s perfect for the daily surfer or fisher to take with them, because like I said, you never know. While a shark attack (great white or other) is pretty unlikely, as I said before, you never know when it could happen to you! Wouldn’t you want to take the best precaution, especially one that is environmentally-friendly?

Wetsuits That Might Fight Off Sharks

The University has also been doing research to try and figure out some pattern of why sharks attack people, though we’ll never really know for sure. It’s been an assumption among surfers that the reason they get attacked most is because they resemble a shark’s favorite dinner swimming on top of the surface. Unfortunately, there is still limited research to back up any circulating theories.

The theory that the surfers look like seals, however, sparked an idea a while back. Maybe by making the wetsuits look different, it would deter the sharks from the surfers. Dr. Nathan Hart, from the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute and school of animal biology, has been working on this research for quite some time. He has also had his hand in helping to make two anti-shark wetsuits. The suits are designed with a specific combination of colors and patterns intended to differentiate the person from a seal.

I love marine life and I am so interested in learning about it, especially sharks. As scary as they are, they’re incredibly interesting animals and it seems often times they’re misunderstood.

I will love them as long as I’m far, far away from them safe in my house. It’s safe to say I will probably always remain terrified of the deep end of the ocean, but it’s cool to think that we have the technology to keep ourselves a little bit safer in the sea.

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Great White...Nope!

New Zealand: Rare Species of Dolphin Near Extinction - http://clapway.com/2015/05/26/new-zealand-rare-species-of-dolphin-near-extinction-123/

Our fragile planet contains many rare species which are threatened or endangered by our manipulation of the circle of life. The latest victim in a series of species threatened to near extinction is the Maui’s Dolphin. Most conservation experts are calling for drastic measures to be taken In order to ensure the rare species does not go extinct. Currently only about 50 of these dolphins exist in the wild making them a critically endangered species.

The Main Threat to the Maui’s Rare Species of Dolphin

The Maui’s dolphins are only found off the coast of New Zealand, only live in shallow water, and their primary killer is large fishing nets as well as other man made devices. These marine mammals get tangled in the fishing nets, and aren’t able to surface to breath so they suffocate under water. Efforts have been made in the past to restore the species to a larger population, but not enough was done. Hundreds of experts have gathered for the annual International Whaling Commission meeting, and conservation efforts for the at-risk dolphins will be discussed.

Dr. Barbara Maas discusses the significance of the data regarding the remaining Maui’s Dolphins, “These new figures are a loud wakeup call: New Zealand has to abandon its current stance which places the interest of the fishing industry biodiversity conservation, and finally protect the Dolphins’ habitat from harmful fishing nets, seismic air-gun blasts, and oil and gas extraction.” She believes that if direct intervention is not made immediately, it is inevitable that the species will become extinct.

While there have been regulations enforced by the New Zealand government, nothing that they have done so far has been enough to restore the Maui’s Dolphin population to what it was since its decline due to an increase in fishing in the region. In fact there has been a drop in population since 2011 when there were approximately 59 of the Maui’s Dolphins remaining in the wild at that time, which has decreased by about 12 to what they believe are only 47 remaining in the wild off the coast of New Zealand. With little regard for the invasiveness of their tactics, fisherman have drawn in and killed the Maui’s Dolphin, to the point where directly intervention is now essential to ensure the continuation of the exceptionally rare marine mammals.

 

New Zealand: Rare Species of Dolphin Near Extinction