Oysters

When it comes to oceans, scientific evidence has linked global warming to a number of detrimental phenomena: sea level rise, ocean acidification, decimation of coral, fish and other marine populations—the list is long.

And it's getting longer. More

Mardi Gras preparations are well under way in New Orleans for this weekend's festivities, and you can join the celebration with Cooking Up a Storm, a collection of recipes lost and found after Hurricane Katrina.  I love the flavors of New Orleans and this cookbook is a beautiful way to commemorate things that were lost in the storm, and the spirit of the city that endures.  The recipes were gathered by Judy Walker, food editor for The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, from newspaper archives, chefs, and readers.  For Mardi Gras, Walker recommended Baked Grits and Milk Punch, which sound amazing, but I'm sure anything from the collection (especially ones that involve oysters, I love oysters!) would be a delicious way to celebrate Fat Tuesday.

takepart by supporting the Edible Schoolyard of New Orleans.

Oceana reported today that increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which are absorbed by the oceans could lead to an accelerated deterioration of coral reefs.  Heightened levels of CO2 raise acidity levels in the ocean, creating an unhealthy environment for coral life, and threatens to create a domino effect on the fragile oceanic ecosystem that relies on it. Oceana explains:

The process, which is known as ocean acidification, reduces the ability of marine animals such as corals, crabs, lobsters, clams and oysters to create calcium carbonate skeletons and shells, which will likely reduce their survival rates, and their ability to mature and reproduce.

Acidification deteriorates the shells and skeletons of marine animals, and if the levels continue to rise could corrode them completely.  If this were to happen on a widespread scale, we could lose the important barrier that coral provides our shores as well as the larger marine life we depend upon for food.The only way to decrease ocean acidification is to reduce the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases we release into the air.takepart by helping Oceana reduce our carbon emissions.Related: Inconvenient Truth of the Day