1440 http://www.islaearth.org/ en-us 2006 Catalina Island Conservancy Isla Earth Exploring Environmental Issues of Global Importance. Isla Earth, a production of the Catalina Island Conservancy, is a radio series exploring environmental issues of local, national, and global importance. Our mission is to increase ecological awareness, deepen understanding, and encourage environmentally sustainable choices. no Catalina Island Conservancy The crashing surf, gleaming sunshine and warm beaches make coastlines look like...well, a relaxing place. But for the creatures that live there, it's anything but easy. Pollution and the natural upwelling of metals and nutrients make the coastal environment more perilous than the ocean sea. Some organisms can't hack it. But researchers from The Institute for Genomic Research and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography discovered one tiny bacteria that found ways to adapt. A strain of the microbe, called "synechococcus," has genes to process metals like iron and copper. It also developed a complex regulatory system of molecular sensors and response regulators that can deal with these metals and other pollutants. What's remarkable is that this little bacteria adapted to these conditions while its ocean-going cousin, which doesn't face the chemical pressures of coastal living, lacks most of these genes. The scientists believe that the beach-going bacteria may also be key to the development of "biosensors" that can detect small changes in the environmental conditions of coastal areas. If they're right, these smallest of plants may help us solve one of our biggest problems. Script by Andrew Porterfield http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1265616000 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:30 Catalina Island Conservancy Sometimes good old Mother Nature seems a bit mixed up. For example, the rare okapi looks like an unlikely cross between a giraffe and a zebra. It was first discovered in 1901, and just fifty years later, the okapi was believed to be extinct -- except in zoos and a single park in the Congo. No trace of the okapi had been seen in the wild until last year, when researchers found 17 okapi tracks. The World Wildlife Fund announced it had evidence that okapis still lived in the Congo's Virunga National Park. One reason for the 50-year disappearance was a prolonged civil war in the Congo that prevented researchers from tracking the unique animal. The World Wildlife Fund says the rugged terrain of the Park prevented wide-scale logging and farming, which may explain how the species managed to survive. The okapi depends upon "primary" -- or uncut -- rainforest for survival. Conservationists warn that it still faces extinction unless development around the Park stops. But for today, Mother Nature's mix-up, the okapi, still survives in the wild. Find out how you can help protect the world's endangered and threatened species. Script by Andrew Porterfield http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1265356800 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:28 Catalina Island Conservancy The seas off the West Coast of the United States are thick with giant kelp that grows up to 120 feet tall. Kelp is home to all kinds of sea life, and it's used in hundreds of everyday products from ice cream to makeup. But today, kelp faces two key man-made threats -- contaminants in runoff, and overfishing. With funding from the National Science Foundation, scientists from the University of California at Santa Barbara recently studied these threats to see which was the greater risk. While sewage and fertilizers in runoff can harm kelp, overfishing is much more serious. Why? The loss of rockfish. It turns out that overfishing predators like rockfish can lead to an explosion of what they eat, like snails and urchins. These are herbivores, and as their populations spike, they munch through more kelp -- lots more. Scientists say that overfishing predators can change an entire kelp forest ecosystem. The good news is that you can help. Avoid eating fish like rockfish. And, if you're an angler, practice "catch and release" when fishing in a kelp forest. Steps like these will help save our magnificent kelp forests. Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1265270400 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:29 Catalina Island Conservancy Economist Nathan Fiala of the University of California at Irvine has a beef...about beef. Specifically, he's concerned about the impact producing beef has on warming the atmosphere. How much impact? All-told, producing a pound of beef generates the equivalent of 14.8 pounds of carbon dioxide: more than 36 times the amount emitted by producing asparagus! Producing one pound of beef protein, experts say, requires more than 10 pounds of plant protein. Combine everything that's needed to grow a cow and you've got one heifer-sized carbon footprint. What can be done? Fiala says for one thing, we could all beef up a bit on our understanding. So he's created a "Greenhouse Burgers" web site that features a burger impact calculator. Visitors can select their favorite fast-food eatery, type in the number of burgers they eat in a month, and discover how their burger habit affects the planet. For example, producing one "Whopper," according to the calculator, generates carbon emissions comparable to driving a car 64 miles. What to do? Fiala says that eating less beef might help. But if you do, maybe you could at least walk to your favorite restaurant. Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1265184000 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:28 Catalina Island Conservancy There was a time when a compost heap was far from mainstream. I mean, growing your food in decomposing garbage? No way! Well, the times they are a changin'. Composting is now embraced by those who've found it's an excellent, natural way to recycle. Rich, black compost used on your garden produces the microorganisms that help grow healthy plants, adds nutrients, and improves drainage. And instead of clogging landfills, those potato peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, yard clippings and even paper waste can be put to work for you. It's easy to start a compost heap -- the larger the pile the better. You can contain the heap within a box or wire mesh to make it look a lot neater. If space is an issue, you can even compost in a plastic trashcan with the bottom cut out and air holes drilled in the side to increase airflow. Oh yeah, one thing to remember, do not compost pet or human waste, meat scraps, greasy foods or dairy products, which may result in harmful bacteria, stench, and rodents -- not exactly the ideal scenario. Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1265097600 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:28 Catalina Island Conservancy Have you ever thought of using your loved ones as compost? Uh, I'd better explain... There's a growing interest in environmentally friendly burials -- the kind that don't put a ton of concrete into the earth to create a vault, or coffins outfitted with metal fixtures that could introduce toxins into the soil. Meet the Green Burial Council. It's setting environmental standards for cemeteries and burial grounds. They're also lobbying funeral homes to offer plans that are toxin-reduced and material that is biodegradable. Cremation was once thought to be an environmentally friendly way of disposing Uncle Harold's body, but the amount of fossil fuel expended to render a human body to ashes has caused many to rethink this option. Instead, there are now assortments of natural burial products including simple shrouds, old-fashioned pine boxes, and coffins made from recycled newspaper and woven plant fibers. One company is coming out with products from salvaged Indonesian hardwoods. Not to mention, there's always a simple cardboard box...seriously. And did you know that embalming -- which adds earth-toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and ethanol -- is rarely required by law? Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1265011200 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:28 Catalina Island Conservancy Imagine a conventional, gas-powered car, with no carbon emissions. I mean, absolutely zero. In the cartoon world, the only way to do that was a banana up the tailpipe. But researchers at Georgia Tech propose capturing and storing carbon exhaust. In fact an entire carbon-capture infrastructure -- without the fruit. Their concept's two-fold. For individual cars, they've designed processors that separate fossil fuel gasoline's hydrogen from its carbon. The hydrogen would power the car, much like a hydrogen fuel cell. The carbon, in liquid form, would get pumped into a tank for storage. Later, vehicle owners would empty the tanks at gas stations, for collection and recycling into synthetic fuels or for responsible storage. Lead researcher Andrei Fedorov says it's an interim step toward sustainable transportation free of fossil fuels. Why study this? Nearly two thirds of global carbon emissions come from small polluters -- like cars and diesel power generators. Which is partly why carbon-free solutions, like electric cars, generally grab the spotlight. But the Georgia Tech team notes it's equally important to explore how to work with today's limitations. Recycling carbon at the tailpipe is one way -- minus the banana. Script by Gail Davis http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1264752000 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:28 Catalina Island Conservancy That classic American pastime, washing the family car, might soon get washed down the drain. Some communities struggling with water pollution, and especially those in the drought-plagued West, are thinking beyond alternative cars, to alternative car washing. After all, they're asking, how "green" is a hybrid if we're still washing it the old fashioned way? Driveway car washing uses about 100 gallons of water per wash. King County, Washington, which is in the greater Seattle area, encourages residents to remember that before washing cars in driveways. Especially since the untreated soapy water travels down storm drains and into Puget Sound. In California, some cities have considered banning home car washing altogether. Others encourage residents to use commercial car washes instead. They average only about 30 gallons per car, and then funnel runoff into city sewers for treatment Then there's the "waterless" car wash. The concept's been around since the '70s; but now entrepreneurs are updating it with eco-friendly ingredients. Most come as a spray-on emulsifier that grabs the dirt which can then be buffed off, leaving a shine fit for Cruise Night. The big plus? It can be used right in the driveway. Script by Gail Davis http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1264665600 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:28 Catalina Island Conservancy The Book of Life: That book in heaven with the list of names? Well, biologists on earth have started their own version. It's a website called the Encyclopedia of Life, and it hopes to eventually catalog every living species, from bacteria to blue whales. Scientists say it's badly needed. That's because, believe it or not, we've only labeled one tenth of earth's millions of creatures. And often, at best, we have only a sketchy understanding of their connection to each other. The encyclopedia should change that. Biologists around the world are sending in millions of pages of data. The site's administrators are cross-referencing the data to maps, historical surveys and other tools. The public can contribute, too, because the administrators need images. Lots of them. So far the project covers 40,000 species and counting. Web guests can choose how much information they want, and even create customized downloads, such as, say, a field guide to the birds of Nepal. But it's more than a list. A separate research project that studies extinction risks, expects to draw heavily from the database, making it a powerful tool to help conservationists save species. Sounds like one heavenly encyclopedia. Script by Gail Davis http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1264579200 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:29 Catalina Island Conservancy Raising endangered birds...on a volcano? It has benefits -- or, so says Alan Lieberman, head of the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center, perched on Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano. The center is operated by the San Diego Zoo and is part of Hawaii's Endangered Bird Conservation Program. The facility sits 4,000-feet high, above Kilauea's smoldering crater, on the "Big Island." It protects and breeds some of the most endangered birds in the world. So far nearly a 1,000 chicks of 14 species have been hatched and raised there. While volcanoes can get cranky, over millennia their lava flows create just what some of these birds need. As lava oozes seaward, it flows around any topographical "bumps", leaving islands of forest, surrounded by miles of sterile lava moonscape. These areas, called "kipukas" make perfect release habitats for captive-raised birds. Hawaii's birds evolved in isolation and flourished until diseases and predatory mammals that arrived with humans impacted their population. Deforestation of the birds' fragile habitat cut their numbers even further. The good news is that the center recently released 18 birds on "Kipuka 21." Lieberman says in a few years they'll know if the release was successful. Until then, he and his staff will just...go with the flow. Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1264492800 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:29 Catalina Island Conservancy A frozen zoo...for all animals? Well, no one's making the Panamanian golden frog shiver in its terrarium. Instead, this is a unique way that the San Diego zoo helps endangered species...by freezing samples of their DNA. Think Noah's Ark -- on ice. Zoo scientists fill stainless steel vats with liquid nitrogen. That's a coolant that dips lower than 230 degrees below zero. The vats contain more than 8,000 vials, each with tissue samples holding genetic material of the animal it came from. So far, it represents at least 800 species...and counting. Why so cold? Conventionally stored samples deteriorate after about a century. But in liquid nitrogen, specimens remain intact - in perpetuity: It's a genetic library for today and the future, as technology continues to advance. The project is part of a consortium of institutions freezing samples of all the world's plants and animals. The San Diego Zoo's involvement is unique, because it concentrates on endangered species. Even now, the Frozen Zoo plays an integral role in restoring the California condor. And scientists around the world use it to study amphibian decline. Keeping the golden frog, you could say...hopping. Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1264406400 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:29 Catalina Island Conservancy The Pacific pocket mouse loves the beach! Surf and sun make fabulous real estate for humans, and, these mice. And therein, lies the rub! The small, reclusive, and aptly named "Pacific pocket mouse" was once found from the shores of Los Angeles County to the Mexican border. But development and human traffic pushed the tiny rodent out of the neighborhood to the brink of extinction. And in 1994, it was federally listed as an Endangered Species. One of their last holdouts is on the sprawling Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base near San Deigo. But day-to-day base operations and a proposed toll road now threaten even that small pocket of pocket mice. Enter, the San Diego Zoo's Conservation and Research for Endangered Species program, or CRES. They're attempting to relocate the Camp Pendleton colony of critters to a more viable location. The problem is, these mice are picky about where they live. Coastal sage scrub is their favorite digs, and where they're most likely to stay. So, CRES scientists are studying relocation success rates until they find just the right piece of real estate for the mice to flourish. Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1264147200 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:28 Catalina Island Conservancy Some projects seem simple only to reveal a huge complication later on. I was hemming pants and cut one leg shorter than the other -- yeah, you get the picture! On a larger scale, much larger, this happened on two different rivers in California. Dams were built to divert water for local needs. Near Yreka ranchers needed water for pastures and in Napa, farmers were protecting vineyards from frost. It sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but watering is a common practice that saves grape vines. Then, the complications came along. In Napa Valley, the dams on Dry Creek caused Steelhead trout and Chinook salmon populations to drop. And on the Shasta River near Yreka, the dam caused the Coho salmon population to plummet. In both cases, the fish couldn't get up stream to spawn. The fix came in the form of public-private partnerships between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, other government agencies, ranchers, and private citizens. Several millions of dollars later, a couple dams were removed from the waterways. The stream and river were patched, and the fish are coming back. In both cases, the repairs were a success -- which is more than I can say for the pants! Script by Pat Florez http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1264060800 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:29 Catalina Island Conservancy We've all heard of individuals who go, "off the grid." You know, the folks who install solar panels or have their children ride stationary bicycles in order to power some technology - power without a utility company. Yet some places are so remote that there's no utility company anyway. And it's those communities that are showing the rest of us that you can run profitable businesses entirely grid-free. Take Alaska's Chena Hot Springs Resort, near Fairbanks. The owners worked with renewable energy experts at United Technologies Corporation, to convert the springs' geothermal heat into electricity. Today the springs power the entire resort, including its star attraction, an ice hotel. In Maurata, Mexico, a fishermen's co-op uses solar-powered industrial ice-makers developed by Energy Concepts. The units keep each day's catch on ice, miles from any grid. Taking a cue from both these technologies, California's largest poultry processor now runs partially grid-free. It harnesses steam wasted from some equipment to run a 100-ton heat pump and an equally large refrigeration unit. Last year it cut it's energy bill more than $100,000 -- and that ain't chicken feed. Script by Gail Davis http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1263974400 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:28 Catalina Island Conservancy Think you know how to conserve water? Not like Australia, mate, it's in its worst drought on record. Some toddlers Down Under don't even know what rain looks like. But ah, the ever-resourceful Aussies: They've developed a flood of conservation methods to save water as scarce as a bunyip at a billabong. Take showers? Course, they take 'em down under. Experts there say that, just like in the U.S., about 30 percent of residential water use comes from showerheads, and then goes down the drain. So Aussies are now timing their showers with digital, waterproof, "shower timers." And they're switching hardware. One new showerhead comes with a big lever, easy to push with soapy elbows. Hit it and the water turns off, but maintains its temperature until rinse time. Another device captures used water, filters and re-heats it, then sends it back through the showerhead. A third device diverts used water to toilet tanks. And after that, if there's any water left, Aussies scoop it up with "shower buckets" and lug it out to their gardens. Kinda makes everyone else's water conservation efforts look, as they might say, a chop short of a barbie. Script by Gail Davis http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1263888000 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 01:27