While the general public may think of dropped calls or Verizon commercials when they hear “dead zone,” the term actually refers to areas of the ocean, especially coastal regions, where oxygen levels drop too low to support most marine life. Dead zones are the result of nitrogen and phosphorus runoff. An excess of nutrients causes algal blooms, and when those algae die and decay, they suck oxygen from bottom waters.
There are 400 identified dead zones worldwide, the Gulf of Mexico being the largest. The Gulf’s dead zone forms during spring and summer months when nutrients from 41 U.S. states all flow down the Mississippi River and wind out into the ocean. Nutrient pollution can create similar algal blooms in rivers, stream and other estuary systems, such as the Chesapeake Bay. More
Big River, the new documentary from filmmakers Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, explores the ecological consequences of industrial agriculture, and serves as a companion to their eye-opening film King Corn. I've really enjoyed Ian and Curt's films so far, as they offer both entertaining and thoughtful explorations of critical issues that often hide in plain view, and I'm excited to join them on their new journey.
Returning to Iowa where the two friends planted an acre of corn for the previous film, Ian and Curt follow the winding route taken by the pesticides and fertilizers they used on their field and learn about the environmental and economic toll those toxins are taking downstream, including contributing to the growing Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Check out the trailer below and use the action link to learn how you can host a screening of Big River: More
Well, this doesn't bode well for this nation's pollution. Let's do a quick rundown of the states we think are probably pushing federal pollution limits: California, New York, New Jersey, maybe Pennsylvania, let's say Texas, and...Iowa? Wait. Double check that. Yup. Iowa.
An investigation by the Des Moines Register found that the state is, well, dirty.
The air across Iowa is so polluted that the state is perilously close to violating new federal limits aimed at protecting human health. Yet Iowans have no way of knowing what chemicals they are breathing because of a limited - and often inaccurate - system of monitoring pollution statewide...Catharine Fitzsimmons, Iowa's top air-quality official, defended Iowa's existing air-monitoring system. Yet she said the state is under orders from the federal government to better monitor fine-particle and ozone pollution, among Iowa's most pressing air-quality problems.More
The gay marriage movement has found an unexpected friend in former Vice President Dick Cheney, who took a break from touting the success of Bush interrogation policies to voice support for equal marriage rights.During a speech at the National Press Club for the Gerald R. Ford Foundation journalism awards, the suddenly outspoken Cheney said that he supports gay marriage but only if it is regulated by states. Cheney said (via The Huffington Post):
As many of you know, one of my daughters is gay and it is something we have lived with for a long time in our family. I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish. Any kind of arrangement they wish. The question of whether or not there ought to be a federal statute to protect this, I don't support...It has always been a state issue and I think that is the way it ought to be handled, on a state-by-state basis. ... But I don't have any problem with that. People ought to get a shot at that.
Earth Day is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference for the planet, and we've found ten amazing Earth Day campaigns to help you TakePart in this years activities. And be sure to check out the awesome Earth Day programming on Hulu, which Gina mentioned earlier.
For Earth Day, Anthropologie has designed a beautiful site devoted to the plight of the honey bee, offering you ways to learn more about Colony Collapse Disorder and why bees are mysteriously disappearing. Here at TakePart we are extremely concerned about the ongoing problem of CCD, which threatens to wipe out one third of our food supply and we are thrilled that companies like Anthropologie are helping educate the public and helping to find a solution. Check out their cool storefronts on Flickr and takepart through their website.
If you're looking to head to the front lines of the fight to protect our planet, Greenpeace wants you to become a climate activist this Earth Day. Their new video is like of those inspirational military commercials, only they're looking for a few good environmentalists:
Even if you're not ready to rappel from the Jesus statue in Rio yet, you can still takepart by asking world leaders to personally attend the upcoming UN climate summit.
Seeing as Jon Stewart has as of late been a vocal supporter of gay marriage (I still love watching his interview with Mike Huckabee) I thought it would be worthwhile to see his take on Iowa. And of course he didn't disappoint and even included a clip from Field of Dreams!
Today Iowa became the third state in the US to allow gay marriage, and the first in the Midwest. The unanimous ruling, handed down by the state supreme court, will allow same-sex couples to marry as soon as 21 days from now. Hopefully this victory will bring momentum to the fight to overturn Prop 8 in California, a constitutional amendment passed by voter initiative in November that repealed the right for same sex couples to marry. The SF Gate poses the question: Will Gay Mecca Relocate From San Francisco To Des Moines? Check out this Reuters article for more info on the Iowa ruling, and complete coverage at The Daily Dish.
Wind farms seem to be popping up all over the United State, including Iowa, Michigan, and Rhode Island, but folks in the UK may be keeping a safe distance from wind power turbines, at least for now. Security guards have been sent to protect the broken blades of a wind turbine near Conisholme, England, which UFO hunters believe were damaged by a strange aircraft last week. According to the Telegraph, local residents reported seeing "orange-yellow spheres in the sky, which some described as trailing octopus-like 'tentacles". Whoa!
Perhaps the unidentified visitors are intrigued by or jealous of our efforts to create sustainable energy, having burned up all of their fossil fuels and made their planet uninhabitable. Or maybe they were going for a drunken joy ride, and missed seeing the 65 foot blades. Or perhaps Don Quixote had something to do with the incident.
The chants of change and hope are becoming more and more faint to the Obama Administration as they appoint individuals who are hardly the visionary leaders we hoped for. I never expected to fully support all of the Obama Administration's appointments or policies, but the latest ones have been a real punch in the gut to environmentalists. However, this is not the time for us to whince at the bad news, but to straighten up and continue our fight for national leadership that promotes sustainable environmental policies.
For those of you who happen to be like me--proud locavores and food activists--you are probably disappointed by the news of Obama's choice of Tom Vilsack for Secretary of Agriculture. Yes, this is a huge bummer. Despite efforts by groups such as the Organic Consumers Association and activists such as Michael Pollan to press the incoming Administration to appoint him is a real loss to the sustainable food community. Rather than being a voice for change, Vilsack has been a proponent of CAFOs (industrial farming), ethanol and genetically modified crops. Yes, this sounds like the same policies as the Bush Administration because they are the same! Despite this disappointing news, it's an opportunity, once again, to get active and local! takepart with Sustainable Table to learn how you can buy local produce and support sustainable agriculture in your community. And, takepart to sign the Organic Consumers Association's "Stop Vilsack" petition today. More
They should definitely fight against their rights and that in such a manner that their appeal has no other option other than giving the positive and the approval for the overall rights as they have to take care of everything and they have the capability to get the things done in a best way.
While the general public may think of dropped calls or Verizon commercials when they hear “dead zone,” the term actually refers to areas of the ocean, especially coastal regions, where oxygen levels drop too low to support most marine life. Dead zones are the result of nitrogen and phosphorus runoff. An excess of nutrients causes algal blooms, and when those algae die and decay, they suck oxygen from bottom waters. 
