News of the North

But we’re uncomfortably aware that every bit of sashimi we eat is from one less fish in the ocean. Overfishing, collapsing fisheries, overpopulation, pollution and unsustainable practices can put a bad taste in your mouth.

At seachoice.org you can find out which fishes are caught sustainably, which are in danger, and which to avoid due to high mercury and PCB levels. You can also download a handy little wallet card to bring to restaurants and supermarkets - so next time you’ll know to skip the sea bass, but go for the Arctic char!

Hey, isn’t this great news:

Oil spills in Arctic ice may be easier to clean than those in open water, according to research funded by oil companies that are seeking offshore exploration in federal waters….

…The researchers said they conducted the test by discharging thousands of gallons of crude oil in broken and slushy ice off the northern coast of Norway - such experiments have never been approved in U.S. waters.

Wait a minute… isn’t polar ice melting much faster than we initially thought? And the biggest emissions producers in the world are still dragging their heels about changing their ways?

So at the rate the ice is melting, this study really won’t make that much of a difference in the long run, will it? Thanks, Norway!

Yes, we’re still going to need oil and gas for a while - it is the dominant form of energy right now, and the alternatives either aren’t well supported or, like ethanol, cause a whole new set of environmental issues.

But we can still take steps to make our energy use more efficient - like using public transportation, rather than showing off doing burnouts in a gas-guzzling Hummer. And we can be careful with the limited resources we’ve got - like researching more fuel-efficient vehicles, rather than dumping thousands of gallons of oil into the Arctic just to prove something pointless.

If we can drain away the planet’s supply of oil and gas a little more slowly, maybe it’ll buy us a little more time to come up with an actual sustainable solution that won’t destroy us.

…and it looks like we’re taking up more than our share. It’s not something us humans like to talk about, but the growing number of homo sapiens - many living longer than ever before - is one of the major causes for our environmental problems on this planet. The Center for Biological Diversity is drawing attention to the issue of human overpopulation, and how it relates to climate change, extinction and habitat collapse (not to mention poverty, hunger and war).

Some say it’s time for humans to gracefully fade away. Others say overpopulation is a symptom, but not the ultimate cause. Others say it’s all just a myth.

What are you going to do?