Contacts list
The following sources were all contacted through telephone interviews:
Chicago 2016 Committee
Mica Matsoff, Director of Communications
Phone: 312.861.4891
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Anthony Star, director of policy and evaluation
astar@cntenergy.org
Phone: 773/269-4017
Environmental Law and Policy Agency
Pete Gray, Media Relations Associate
pgray@elpc.org
Friends of the Chicago River
John Quail, director of watershed programs
Phone: 773.575.0680
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Chicago's green bid for 2016
Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics makes being green an integral part of the proposal. In its mini bid, Chicago emphasized that its air quality exceeds all but one of the U.S. national standards and its water quality exceeds all U.S. standards. Yet just last year, the American Lung Association awarded an F for air quality in Cook County. As for the Chicago River, most of the water is untreated sewage. Chicago is the only large US city that doesn't disinfect its treated waste water.
The mini bid also championed a variety of green initiatives Chicago has already undertaken like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Center for Green Technology, green roof efforts, with more than 300 gardens and green roofs constructed in the city to date and the reclamation and conversion of the downtown airport into Northerly Island Park, now a planned Olympic venue site and nature preserve.
However, it's important to place these initiatives in context and to be watchful of greenwashing, the deceptive use of green marketing. While Chicago has made well-publicized steps toward being a green city, it still has a long way to go. As such, the 2016 committee created a department to specifically address the environment which includes academics, government officials and environmentalists. There is also an advisory council which includes different non-profit and non-goverment environmental organizations. Those organizations have been devising basic models for the committee but ultimately, specifics for the official bid will be decided internally.
"The key issues we want to address are promoting sustainable sports and creating an environmental legacy," said Mica Matsoff, Director of Communications for the 2016 Committee. "We want to be a model for the city and region."
The final bid will be presented in February 2009 so environmental plans are still "a work in progress," Matsoff said. So far, the committee has taken steps to map out different green spaces in proposed venue areas such as Washington Park. "Most of the venues, which would be temporary, would be built in green spaces, not residencies," Matsoff said. "After the Olympics, [the structures] would be taken down and park land and green spaces would resume."
Matsoff said the committee is focusing on "what needs to be in place for 17 days. Right now people are offering counsel and getting feedback."
The overarching maxim for the green bid has been carbon reduction and being carbon neutral.
"There are a variety of ways to reduce carbon, such as buying renewable energy credits," said Anthony Star, director of policy and evaluation for the Center for Neighborhood Technology. "There are a lot of emissions from cars and trucks. One thing we hope to see is a greater use of CTA trains and also increased use of biodiesel. Projects where people go plant trees have fallen out of favor."
If Chicago does win the bid, these projects would have to start immediately. "These projects can't be done with just city or state funding," Star said. "Getting money lined up will be the first hard part. Eight years is not a long time."
CNT has been exploring the benefits of a rail system and working with ComED, an electric company. "A rail system near the south side would reduce energy use," Star said. Also, "the [green] construction of buildings is where environmental impacts could be lower."
The Environmental Law and Policy Agency has played an advisory role on transportation and energy and is also promoting the idea of a regional rail for transport in and out of the city. "A high speed rail for the Midwest is a really smart transport choice, but it takes investment," said Pete Gray, Media Relations Associate. "This is an opportunity to build it up and also something people would use after [the games] are over. It would put focus on this area of the country."
In addition, ELPC is proposing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as a fuel efficient and emissions-reducing means of transportation. Research for the hybrid vehicles is a joint effort between the Illinois Institute of Technology who is working on battery systems, and ComEd, who is working on charging the vehicles' electric drive systems. The car is on schedule to be presented to the committee by next spring. "The Olympics is a good vehicle to get interest in the hybrids jump-started," Gray said. Automakers are already working to make a few models commercially available by 2010 which puts the vehicles on track for a 2016 deadline, Gray says.
Clean water is also something the International Olympic Committee considers and where Chicago historically has faced many problems.
"When judging a city, [the international committee] looks at the quality of life, clean air, clean water, public transportation," said John Quail, director of watershed programs at Friends of the Chicago River. "Disinfecting effluent that pours into the river is the biggest issue. Chicago has done it once every 30 years. It is supposed to be done every three years." According to Quail, the river is not wide enough for events like rowing, but could still be used for training.
Quail also stressed the need to protect open spaces like parks and forest preserves by making sure the spaces were not sold off for development. "The biggest danger are developments which are not well thought-out and planned," he said. "There are going to be environmental impacts. We just need to make sure they are minimized."
One event site being considered is Ryan's Field, near the North Shore Channel. Friends is working with the 2016 committee on pilot projects for the site which includes volunteer labor from the community as well as green construction.
In the meantime, if Chicago needs advice and a role model, it need not look far. The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which will be hosted in Vancouver, is also endeavoring to reduce its carbon emissions. The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VanOC) has ensured the neutralization of carbon emissions through energy conservation and the use of fuel and energy sources that produce low or no emissions. Carbon offsets are viewed as the best way to achieve carbon neutrality. The offsets allow greenhouse gas emitters to 'pay for their pollution' by funding green projects that reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions. A report suggests the 2010 Games could be one of the most environmentally friendly if it spends money on such carbon offset projects as wind farms and other energy-efficient projects, which reduce the demand for fossil fuels.
Chicago will have a lot to live up to. Vancouver is set to be the greenest Olympics so far but if London 2012 comes close to its stated objectives, it will beat Vancouver by a long shot. Luckily, this is one competiton everyone can win.
The mini bid also championed a variety of green initiatives Chicago has already undertaken like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Center for Green Technology, green roof efforts, with more than 300 gardens and green roofs constructed in the city to date and the reclamation and conversion of the downtown airport into Northerly Island Park, now a planned Olympic venue site and nature preserve.
However, it's important to place these initiatives in context and to be watchful of greenwashing, the deceptive use of green marketing. While Chicago has made well-publicized steps toward being a green city, it still has a long way to go. As such, the 2016 committee created a department to specifically address the environment which includes academics, government officials and environmentalists. There is also an advisory council which includes different non-profit and non-goverment environmental organizations. Those organizations have been devising basic models for the committee but ultimately, specifics for the official bid will be decided internally.
"The key issues we want to address are promoting sustainable sports and creating an environmental legacy," said Mica Matsoff, Director of Communications for the 2016 Committee. "We want to be a model for the city and region."
The final bid will be presented in February 2009 so environmental plans are still "a work in progress," Matsoff said. So far, the committee has taken steps to map out different green spaces in proposed venue areas such as Washington Park. "Most of the venues, which would be temporary, would be built in green spaces, not residencies," Matsoff said. "After the Olympics, [the structures] would be taken down and park land and green spaces would resume."
Matsoff said the committee is focusing on "what needs to be in place for 17 days. Right now people are offering counsel and getting feedback."
The overarching maxim for the green bid has been carbon reduction and being carbon neutral.
"There are a variety of ways to reduce carbon, such as buying renewable energy credits," said Anthony Star, director of policy and evaluation for the Center for Neighborhood Technology. "There are a lot of emissions from cars and trucks. One thing we hope to see is a greater use of CTA trains and also increased use of biodiesel. Projects where people go plant trees have fallen out of favor."
If Chicago does win the bid, these projects would have to start immediately. "These projects can't be done with just city or state funding," Star said. "Getting money lined up will be the first hard part. Eight years is not a long time."
CNT has been exploring the benefits of a rail system and working with ComED, an electric company. "A rail system near the south side would reduce energy use," Star said. Also, "the [green] construction of buildings is where environmental impacts could be lower."
The Environmental Law and Policy Agency has played an advisory role on transportation and energy and is also promoting the idea of a regional rail for transport in and out of the city. "A high speed rail for the Midwest is a really smart transport choice, but it takes investment," said Pete Gray, Media Relations Associate. "This is an opportunity to build it up and also something people would use after [the games] are over. It would put focus on this area of the country."
In addition, ELPC is proposing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as a fuel efficient and emissions-reducing means of transportation. Research for the hybrid vehicles is a joint effort between the Illinois Institute of Technology who is working on battery systems, and ComEd, who is working on charging the vehicles' electric drive systems. The car is on schedule to be presented to the committee by next spring. "The Olympics is a good vehicle to get interest in the hybrids jump-started," Gray said. Automakers are already working to make a few models commercially available by 2010 which puts the vehicles on track for a 2016 deadline, Gray says.
Clean water is also something the International Olympic Committee considers and where Chicago historically has faced many problems.
"When judging a city, [the international committee] looks at the quality of life, clean air, clean water, public transportation," said John Quail, director of watershed programs at Friends of the Chicago River. "Disinfecting effluent that pours into the river is the biggest issue. Chicago has done it once every 30 years. It is supposed to be done every three years." According to Quail, the river is not wide enough for events like rowing, but could still be used for training.
Quail also stressed the need to protect open spaces like parks and forest preserves by making sure the spaces were not sold off for development. "The biggest danger are developments which are not well thought-out and planned," he said. "There are going to be environmental impacts. We just need to make sure they are minimized."
One event site being considered is Ryan's Field, near the North Shore Channel. Friends is working with the 2016 committee on pilot projects for the site which includes volunteer labor from the community as well as green construction.
In the meantime, if Chicago needs advice and a role model, it need not look far. The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which will be hosted in Vancouver, is also endeavoring to reduce its carbon emissions. The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VanOC) has ensured the neutralization of carbon emissions through energy conservation and the use of fuel and energy sources that produce low or no emissions. Carbon offsets are viewed as the best way to achieve carbon neutrality. The offsets allow greenhouse gas emitters to 'pay for their pollution' by funding green projects that reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions. A report suggests the 2010 Games could be one of the most environmentally friendly if it spends money on such carbon offset projects as wind farms and other energy-efficient projects, which reduce the demand for fossil fuels.
Chicago will have a lot to live up to. Vancouver is set to be the greenest Olympics so far but if London 2012 comes close to its stated objectives, it will beat Vancouver by a long shot. Luckily, this is one competiton everyone can win.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Jan Schakowsky
Jan Schakowsky
She is the Democratic candidate for US Representative from the 9th Congressional District of IL.
She is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where she will work to accomplish her top priority in Congress -- providing universal healthcare coverage for all Americans. On that Committee, she serves as Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection and as a member of the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
For twenty years prior to her election to the State House, Schakowsky fought for the public interest and rights of Illinois citizens. As Program Director of Illinois Public Action (1976-1985), the state's largest public interest organization, she fought for energy reform and stronger protection from toxic chemicals.
Energy
Cap and Trade:
Schakowsky strongly supports cap and trade as soon as possible. She is a co-sponsor of the Henry Waxman Safe Climate Act, which achieves proposed target greenhouse gas emissions though a cap-and-trade program along with measures to advance technology and reduce emissions through renewable energy, energy efficiency and cleaner cars.
Oil:
She believes reliance on foeirgn oil is detrimental to the US and strongly supports renewable energy.
Cleaner Coal:
She supports clean coal and is a big supporter for the Futuregen project. The FutureGen project was initiated in response to the National Energy Policy of May 2001, which emphasized the need for diverse and secure energy sources that could largely be provided by America's most abundant domestic energy resource, coal.
Renewable Energies/Oil:
1/18/07 - Schakowsky voted for the bill H R 6 which was passed. This bill repealed tax cuts to oil companies and mandate that they pay a fee to remove oil from the Gulf of Mexico. It also funded renewable energy programs. It also barred oil companies from bidding on new federal leases unless they paid a fee or renegotiate improperly drafted leases from the late ‘90s. Oil firms would pay a “conservation fee” for oil taken from the gulf.
Additionally, the bill set aside an estimated $13 billion to $15 billion in revenues over a five-year period for tax breaks relating to renewable energy sources, according to The Washington Post.
The House passed the bill on Jan. 18, 2007, with a vote of 264-163. All House Democrats except one favored the bill. They were joined by 36 Republicans. The Senate must debate the bill.
~~~~~~~
August 2007 - She supported H.R. 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act. “I am pleased that the House also passed the bipartisan Udall-Platts amendment, which takes a giant step forward in expanding our use of home-grown, environmentally-sound renewable energy,” said Schakowsky. “By setting a standard for renewable energy use by electric utilities, we can reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, address global warming and create good jobs here in the U.S.”
This amendment requires the United States to adopt a renewable portfolio standard for electric utilities of 15 percent by 2020.
The need for a renewable portfolio standard is clear. With only five percent of the world population, the United States produces nearly 25 percent of annual global heat-trapping emissions. Electricity generation accounts for fully one-third of these emissions. We have a responsibility and a compelling interest to significantly reduce these harmful emissions. Renewable electricity standards offer a smart, affordable climate solution with a proven track record.
Passing a renewable fuel standard not only reduces our nation’s harmful impact on the environment, it also makes us more secure. Today, the US imports nearly 60 percent of its oil from the Middle East and politically unstable nations such as Algeria, Nigeria and Venezuela. A recent study found that if the United States continues its current consumption without increasing its domestic production, by 2010 we will have to import 75 percent of our fuel.
To prevent this sort of prediction from becoming a reality, it is crucial, that the United States takes steps to decrease its dependence on foreign oil. The 15 by 20 principle is the answer to this challenge. It can be achieved by tapping a multitude of natural resources. We can harvest the sun and wind to produce new energy. We can grow a wide variety of crops to produce ethanol and biodiesel and we can utilize livestock wastes to produce biogas and generate new power sources.
In addition to the advantages that renewable energy holds in terms of environmental and national security issues, there is also a strong economic incentive as well. Many renewable energy facilities are located near key regions across rural America. These facilities provide good jobs, often near small towns which have suffered from population declines.
Transportation:
July 2007 - The US House of Representatives approved $650,000 for two projects. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) requested these funds as part of the FY 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations.
“We should be looking for ways to expand and improve transportation options for Chicagoland residents,” said U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky. “I am proud that I was able to help secure $500,000 in this bill to expand the Yellow Line in Skokie. This project would help reduce traffic congestion and improve our environment. I hope that the Senate will move quickly to pass this bill and maintain the current funding levels.”
Environment
Global warming:
Schakowsky believes global warming is an imminent threat and must be dealt with. She feels that the best way to address this is through changing America's energy strategy to renewable energy. Another way to reduce carbon would be through more hybrid vehicles.
Fishing/oceans; water quality:
In 2007, Schakowsky introduced the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Act, H.R. 3360 after British Petroleum (BP) received a waiver to dump increased levels of ammonia and suspending particles into Lake Michigan. Congresswoman Schakowsky’s bill would change current law by requiring the approval of every state that borders a Great Lake before a permit can be issued to increase the amount of pollution that can be discharged into a Great Lake. The bill would amend the Clean Water Act and stipulates that if any bordering state objects, the waiver will not be granted.
She also introduced a bill (HR 5580) that would ban the use of mercury in any plant by 2012. Presently there are four plants that manufacture chlorine. These plants produce ten times as much mercury into the air which subsequently finds its way into the water and effects ecosystems.
Air quality:
She wants to reduce the amount of CO2. This goes back to her stance on cap-and-trade.
Permanent damage done and how to deal with that:
No comment available.
She is the Democratic candidate for US Representative from the 9th Congressional District of IL.
She is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where she will work to accomplish her top priority in Congress -- providing universal healthcare coverage for all Americans. On that Committee, she serves as Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection and as a member of the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
For twenty years prior to her election to the State House, Schakowsky fought for the public interest and rights of Illinois citizens. As Program Director of Illinois Public Action (1976-1985), the state's largest public interest organization, she fought for energy reform and stronger protection from toxic chemicals.
Energy
Cap and Trade:
Schakowsky strongly supports cap and trade as soon as possible. She is a co-sponsor of the Henry Waxman Safe Climate Act, which achieves proposed target greenhouse gas emissions though a cap-and-trade program along with measures to advance technology and reduce emissions through renewable energy, energy efficiency and cleaner cars.
Oil:
She believes reliance on foeirgn oil is detrimental to the US and strongly supports renewable energy.
Cleaner Coal:
She supports clean coal and is a big supporter for the Futuregen project. The FutureGen project was initiated in response to the National Energy Policy of May 2001, which emphasized the need for diverse and secure energy sources that could largely be provided by America's most abundant domestic energy resource, coal.
Renewable Energies/Oil:
1/18/07 - Schakowsky voted for the bill H R 6 which was passed. This bill repealed tax cuts to oil companies and mandate that they pay a fee to remove oil from the Gulf of Mexico. It also funded renewable energy programs. It also barred oil companies from bidding on new federal leases unless they paid a fee or renegotiate improperly drafted leases from the late ‘90s. Oil firms would pay a “conservation fee” for oil taken from the gulf.
Additionally, the bill set aside an estimated $13 billion to $15 billion in revenues over a five-year period for tax breaks relating to renewable energy sources, according to The Washington Post.
The House passed the bill on Jan. 18, 2007, with a vote of 264-163. All House Democrats except one favored the bill. They were joined by 36 Republicans. The Senate must debate the bill.
~~~~~~~
August 2007 - She supported H.R. 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act. “I am pleased that the House also passed the bipartisan Udall-Platts amendment, which takes a giant step forward in expanding our use of home-grown, environmentally-sound renewable energy,” said Schakowsky. “By setting a standard for renewable energy use by electric utilities, we can reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, address global warming and create good jobs here in the U.S.”
This amendment requires the United States to adopt a renewable portfolio standard for electric utilities of 15 percent by 2020.
The need for a renewable portfolio standard is clear. With only five percent of the world population, the United States produces nearly 25 percent of annual global heat-trapping emissions. Electricity generation accounts for fully one-third of these emissions. We have a responsibility and a compelling interest to significantly reduce these harmful emissions. Renewable electricity standards offer a smart, affordable climate solution with a proven track record.
Passing a renewable fuel standard not only reduces our nation’s harmful impact on the environment, it also makes us more secure. Today, the US imports nearly 60 percent of its oil from the Middle East and politically unstable nations such as Algeria, Nigeria and Venezuela. A recent study found that if the United States continues its current consumption without increasing its domestic production, by 2010 we will have to import 75 percent of our fuel.
To prevent this sort of prediction from becoming a reality, it is crucial, that the United States takes steps to decrease its dependence on foreign oil. The 15 by 20 principle is the answer to this challenge. It can be achieved by tapping a multitude of natural resources. We can harvest the sun and wind to produce new energy. We can grow a wide variety of crops to produce ethanol and biodiesel and we can utilize livestock wastes to produce biogas and generate new power sources.
In addition to the advantages that renewable energy holds in terms of environmental and national security issues, there is also a strong economic incentive as well. Many renewable energy facilities are located near key regions across rural America. These facilities provide good jobs, often near small towns which have suffered from population declines.
Transportation:
July 2007 - The US House of Representatives approved $650,000 for two projects. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) requested these funds as part of the FY 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations.
“We should be looking for ways to expand and improve transportation options for Chicagoland residents,” said U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky. “I am proud that I was able to help secure $500,000 in this bill to expand the Yellow Line in Skokie. This project would help reduce traffic congestion and improve our environment. I hope that the Senate will move quickly to pass this bill and maintain the current funding levels.”
Environment
Global warming:
Schakowsky believes global warming is an imminent threat and must be dealt with. She feels that the best way to address this is through changing America's energy strategy to renewable energy. Another way to reduce carbon would be through more hybrid vehicles.
Fishing/oceans; water quality:
In 2007, Schakowsky introduced the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Act, H.R. 3360 after British Petroleum (BP) received a waiver to dump increased levels of ammonia and suspending particles into Lake Michigan. Congresswoman Schakowsky’s bill would change current law by requiring the approval of every state that borders a Great Lake before a permit can be issued to increase the amount of pollution that can be discharged into a Great Lake. The bill would amend the Clean Water Act and stipulates that if any bordering state objects, the waiver will not be granted.
She also introduced a bill (HR 5580) that would ban the use of mercury in any plant by 2012. Presently there are four plants that manufacture chlorine. These plants produce ten times as much mercury into the air which subsequently finds its way into the water and effects ecosystems.
Air quality:
She wants to reduce the amount of CO2. This goes back to her stance on cap-and-trade.
Permanent damage done and how to deal with that:
No comment available.
National Geographic story on sharks
***Note: For this story I wanted to tell about sharks through the people who interact with them each day as a career. I'm having trouble writing an intro paragraph. Also, the British spelling must stay for this story.
Fiona Ayerst, underwater photographer
Fiona Ayerst is an underwater photographer and loves "the feeling of freedom and floating" underwater. "I like to photograph things that people may otherwise not see." Self-taught, she has officially been a photographer for a year. Many of her pictures spotlight sharks. She's traveled the world and won international and local photographic competitions. I caught up with her to learn about some of the tricks of the trade.
"To be good underwater, you have to have good diving skills and be passionate," she said. Since water absorbs light, Fiona must get very close to her subjects. When photographing sharks, she makes sure to relax and be very quiet so the shark will approach her. This is the hardest part. "As soon as you approach a shark […] it sees this as an aggressive move and swims off."
One shark she loves finding and photographing is the puffadder, or shy shark. "It curls itself into a donut shape when approached [by placing] its fin over its eyes. It's kind of like an ostrich move: head in the sand, you can't see me!"
Fiona mostly scuba dives without a shark cage when taking pictures. "The only time I use a cage is when it is against the law to do otherwise. I have only ever used a cage with great white sharks."
Her favourite part about photographing sharks is the feeling of "adrenaline and excitement. They are charismatic predators."
Ryan Johnson, SAMPLA marine biologist
"A bad day at sea is better than the worst day in the office," Ryan Johnson.
Ryan has been fascinated with sharks ever since he was a little boy. He works with the South African Marine Predator Lab and has been a researcher for 10 years.
I went out on a research mission with Ryan, Fiona and four student interns to watch them in action. Ryan mainly works with great whites. He was collecting stable isotopes in great white sharks to learn more about the ecosystem and food chain. Sharks are good to study for this because they are top predators. The isotopes in the tissue show the energy from food a shark has eaten. The energy can be traced all the way back to the bottom of the food chain, kind of like connect-the-dots with food. Eventually Ryan hopes to show exactly what sharks need to eat and be healthy and also show what could happen if one of the links in the food chain were gone.
Ryan attracted the sharks to the little boat by using a chum line and a foam cut-out of a seal. The sharks didn't seem afraid of us at all, swimming calmly and majestically in the water. When the sharks came close enough, Ryan stuck a small, screw-like point into the shark to get samples of the shark's tissue. Once he got a sample, he carefully removed the tissue with tweezers and froze it to preserve the cells. The student interns were in charge of tracking basic information about each shark: size, sex, identification through the dorsal fin (like fingerprints for us!), and whether the shark had any transmitters/tracking devices, hooks or fishing line on it.
Alison Kock, SOSSC marine biologist
Alison Kock has been a full-time great white shark researcher since 2003 and works with the Save Our Seas Shark Centre in Kalk Bay.
"There are still a lot of things we don't know about sharks," Alison said. South Africa is one of the major hot spots for shark biodiversity in the world and has many native shark species. To try and find out more about great whites, Alison attached small video recorders, Crittercams, temporarily around the dorsal fin of 21 different sharks in Kalk Bay. She collected over 30 hours of video footage from a shark's point of view.
Alison used the Crittercams to find out how sharks behave, what they\ eat and how they hunt. She found out just how curious sharks can be from a shark named Eleanor. Her swimming patterns were similar to a yo-yo, going between shallow and deep waters. "Every time she went up to the surface, it was to investigate something like a bag or kelp," Alison said. "It provided insight to why sharks might attack people." There is even footage of her scratching herself against a reef—maybe sharks can have itchy spots, too!
Researchers are not sure what the great whites in the Western Cape eat other than seals from Seal Island. Knowing what and how much the sharks eat is important information to help protect habitats where the hunting is occurring, and conserve prey, which the sharks are eating. "South Africa has a relatively healthy ecosystem," Alison said. "We're in such a unique position to drive measures to conserve."
At the moment, not a lot is known about how sharks catch their prey. Do they hunt alone or with friends? How do they detect, stalk, approach and capture their prey? Alison plans to deploy more Crittercams this September to find out.
"Studying [shark] behaviour is difficult because continuous observation is nearly impossible," Alison said. "The Crittercam has
great potential to collect information […] and give us a window into their secret world."
Verona Smith, SOSSC educator
Verona is the educator at the Save Our Seas Shark Centre in Kalk Bay and knows a lot about sharks. Here are some of her favourite shark facts:
"There are over 400 different types of sharks."
Hammerhead Sharks are named so because of their hammer-shaped heads. The head is designed to detect electric fields from buried prey, just like a person would do with a metal-detector.
The Whale Shark is the largest fish in the world and can grow up to 16 meters. This giant fish feasts on tiny sea animals called zooplankton and small fish which they filter through their gill rakers.
The lantern shark is the smallest shark at 20 centimetres. They glow in the dark and live deep in the ocean where there is no light.
"Sharks are over 400 million years old and actually predate the dinosaurs."
The Megalodon is about 12 million years old. It was a giant shark, about 17 meters long and could open its mouth two meters wide.
"Not all sharks are grey and blue."
The juvenile bullhead shark is a mustard yellow with turquoise stripes. The Puffadder Shyshark, or Happy Eddie, is a sandy brown with reddish-brown stripes and lots of small, dark brown and white spots.
"100 million sharks are killed a year. Last year, one person died from a shark attack."
"This statistic brings home the fact that sharks are not there as man-eating monsters," Verona said. "The most important issue for people to understand is the importance of sharks in the whole ecosystem. If the shark is removed, it will lead to the extinction of other species."
Finning has become the most serious threat to shark populations worldwide. During the finning process, a shark's dorsal fin is cut off and the animal is thrown back to the sea to drown. "It's like if I took you and cut off your arms and legs and threw you in the water and you drown," Verona said.
Fiona Ayerst, underwater photographer
Fiona Ayerst is an underwater photographer and loves "the feeling of freedom and floating" underwater. "I like to photograph things that people may otherwise not see." Self-taught, she has officially been a photographer for a year. Many of her pictures spotlight sharks. She's traveled the world and won international and local photographic competitions. I caught up with her to learn about some of the tricks of the trade.
"To be good underwater, you have to have good diving skills and be passionate," she said. Since water absorbs light, Fiona must get very close to her subjects. When photographing sharks, she makes sure to relax and be very quiet so the shark will approach her. This is the hardest part. "As soon as you approach a shark […] it sees this as an aggressive move and swims off."
One shark she loves finding and photographing is the puffadder, or shy shark. "It curls itself into a donut shape when approached [by placing] its fin over its eyes. It's kind of like an ostrich move: head in the sand, you can't see me!"
Fiona mostly scuba dives without a shark cage when taking pictures. "The only time I use a cage is when it is against the law to do otherwise. I have only ever used a cage with great white sharks."
Her favourite part about photographing sharks is the feeling of "adrenaline and excitement. They are charismatic predators."
Ryan Johnson, SAMPLA marine biologist
"A bad day at sea is better than the worst day in the office," Ryan Johnson.
Ryan has been fascinated with sharks ever since he was a little boy. He works with the South African Marine Predator Lab and has been a researcher for 10 years.
I went out on a research mission with Ryan, Fiona and four student interns to watch them in action. Ryan mainly works with great whites. He was collecting stable isotopes in great white sharks to learn more about the ecosystem and food chain. Sharks are good to study for this because they are top predators. The isotopes in the tissue show the energy from food a shark has eaten. The energy can be traced all the way back to the bottom of the food chain, kind of like connect-the-dots with food. Eventually Ryan hopes to show exactly what sharks need to eat and be healthy and also show what could happen if one of the links in the food chain were gone.
Ryan attracted the sharks to the little boat by using a chum line and a foam cut-out of a seal. The sharks didn't seem afraid of us at all, swimming calmly and majestically in the water. When the sharks came close enough, Ryan stuck a small, screw-like point into the shark to get samples of the shark's tissue. Once he got a sample, he carefully removed the tissue with tweezers and froze it to preserve the cells. The student interns were in charge of tracking basic information about each shark: size, sex, identification through the dorsal fin (like fingerprints for us!), and whether the shark had any transmitters/tracking devices, hooks or fishing line on it.
Alison Kock, SOSSC marine biologist
Alison Kock has been a full-time great white shark researcher since 2003 and works with the Save Our Seas Shark Centre in Kalk Bay.
"There are still a lot of things we don't know about sharks," Alison said. South Africa is one of the major hot spots for shark biodiversity in the world and has many native shark species. To try and find out more about great whites, Alison attached small video recorders, Crittercams, temporarily around the dorsal fin of 21 different sharks in Kalk Bay. She collected over 30 hours of video footage from a shark's point of view.
Alison used the Crittercams to find out how sharks behave, what they\ eat and how they hunt. She found out just how curious sharks can be from a shark named Eleanor. Her swimming patterns were similar to a yo-yo, going between shallow and deep waters. "Every time she went up to the surface, it was to investigate something like a bag or kelp," Alison said. "It provided insight to why sharks might attack people." There is even footage of her scratching herself against a reef—maybe sharks can have itchy spots, too!
Researchers are not sure what the great whites in the Western Cape eat other than seals from Seal Island. Knowing what and how much the sharks eat is important information to help protect habitats where the hunting is occurring, and conserve prey, which the sharks are eating. "South Africa has a relatively healthy ecosystem," Alison said. "We're in such a unique position to drive measures to conserve."
At the moment, not a lot is known about how sharks catch their prey. Do they hunt alone or with friends? How do they detect, stalk, approach and capture their prey? Alison plans to deploy more Crittercams this September to find out.
"Studying [shark] behaviour is difficult because continuous observation is nearly impossible," Alison said. "The Crittercam has
great potential to collect information […] and give us a window into their secret world."
Verona Smith, SOSSC educator
Verona is the educator at the Save Our Seas Shark Centre in Kalk Bay and knows a lot about sharks. Here are some of her favourite shark facts:
"There are over 400 different types of sharks."
Hammerhead Sharks are named so because of their hammer-shaped heads. The head is designed to detect electric fields from buried prey, just like a person would do with a metal-detector.
The Whale Shark is the largest fish in the world and can grow up to 16 meters. This giant fish feasts on tiny sea animals called zooplankton and small fish which they filter through their gill rakers.
The lantern shark is the smallest shark at 20 centimetres. They glow in the dark and live deep in the ocean where there is no light.
"Sharks are over 400 million years old and actually predate the dinosaurs."
The Megalodon is about 12 million years old. It was a giant shark, about 17 meters long and could open its mouth two meters wide.
"Not all sharks are grey and blue."
The juvenile bullhead shark is a mustard yellow with turquoise stripes. The Puffadder Shyshark, or Happy Eddie, is a sandy brown with reddish-brown stripes and lots of small, dark brown and white spots.
"100 million sharks are killed a year. Last year, one person died from a shark attack."
"This statistic brings home the fact that sharks are not there as man-eating monsters," Verona said. "The most important issue for people to understand is the importance of sharks in the whole ecosystem. If the shark is removed, it will lead to the extinction of other species."
Finning has become the most serious threat to shark populations worldwide. During the finning process, a shark's dorsal fin is cut off and the animal is thrown back to the sea to drown. "It's like if I took you and cut off your arms and legs and threw you in the water and you drown," Verona said.
Journalism final project memo
Video component-
Right at the heart of Chicago's Olympic bid is Washington Park, located on the South Side of Chicago. The International Olympics Committee requires that the host city has a dome with at least a 80,000 seating capacity. If Chicago gets the bid, they plan on placing their dome in Washington Park. However, some residents worry a giant dome will destroy the natural beauty of the area. We'll look into what exactly is in store for Washington Park and if the committee is looking into how to protect the environment around it.
Chart 1-
Beijing received a lot of media attention on how they were failing to meet environmental standards for the Olympics, especially regarding the air. This "charticle" will look at and compare Beijing, Chicago now, and the ideal in different areas. The areas will be: air quality, waste, energy, waste and materials, and public transportation.
Story-
Chicago sites a wide array of reasons why hosting the Olympics would benefit Chicago's reputation and economy, but how would the Olympics impact the environment? Public transportation is in a constant flux, facing budget cuts and never ending construction. Cook County received an "F" for air quality from the American Lung Association. Chicago 2016 stated it plans to partner with environmental organizations like ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Friends of the Chicago River. We'll interview each of these organizations an others to hear what they propose Chicago must to do prepare for the games. We'll also speak with members on the Chicago 2016 board of directors to get their positions on the environmental impacts and how exactly they plan to make the Olympics "the cleanest ever."
Chart 2-
There are countless environmental issues Chicago must take into consideration for the games. Obviously, some issues (for example, public transportation_ will take priority over others. This chart will be a top ten list of issues the Chicago 2016 committee will plan to tackle almost immediately.
Photos-
We will ask the Chicago 2016 committee for computer generated photos and sketches of how the city would look when hosting the Olympics.
Right at the heart of Chicago's Olympic bid is Washington Park, located on the South Side of Chicago. The International Olympics Committee requires that the host city has a dome with at least a 80,000 seating capacity. If Chicago gets the bid, they plan on placing their dome in Washington Park. However, some residents worry a giant dome will destroy the natural beauty of the area. We'll look into what exactly is in store for Washington Park and if the committee is looking into how to protect the environment around it.
Chart 1-
Beijing received a lot of media attention on how they were failing to meet environmental standards for the Olympics, especially regarding the air. This "charticle" will look at and compare Beijing, Chicago now, and the ideal in different areas. The areas will be: air quality, waste, energy, waste and materials, and public transportation.
Story-
Chicago sites a wide array of reasons why hosting the Olympics would benefit Chicago's reputation and economy, but how would the Olympics impact the environment? Public transportation is in a constant flux, facing budget cuts and never ending construction. Cook County received an "F" for air quality from the American Lung Association. Chicago 2016 stated it plans to partner with environmental organizations like ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Friends of the Chicago River. We'll interview each of these organizations an others to hear what they propose Chicago must to do prepare for the games. We'll also speak with members on the Chicago 2016 board of directors to get their positions on the environmental impacts and how exactly they plan to make the Olympics "the cleanest ever."
Chart 2-
There are countless environmental issues Chicago must take into consideration for the games. Obviously, some issues (for example, public transportation_ will take priority over others. This chart will be a top ten list of issues the Chicago 2016 committee will plan to tackle almost immediately.
Photos-
We will ask the Chicago 2016 committee for computer generated photos and sketches of how the city would look when hosting the Olympics.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Story map
Caroline Smith
Prof. Foerstner
Story map:
1st paragraph: Lede. ID the new/strengthened air quality standards for lead. "The revised standards are 10 times tighter than the previous standards and will improve health protection for at-risk groups, especially children." EPA
2nd paragraph: ID the numbers. "EPA has revised the level of the primary (health-based) standard from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3), to 0.15 μg/m3, measured as total suspended particles (TSP)." The last time the EPA issued the initial standard of lead in air was 1978.
3rd paragraph: How/why the new standards came about. Who lobbied for the change.
4th paragraph: The effects of lead in air to people's health. How lead effects people. Pull stats from Centers for Disease Control... Talk to doctor...
5th paragraph: The impact of the tighter standards on people's health. "EPA estimates that the revised standards will yield health benefits valued between $3.7 billion and $6.9 billion. The benefits reflect an expected increase in lifetime earnings as a result of avoiding IQ loss." EPA
Questions I'd ask:
-Are the new standards good enough?
-Is lead in the air the biggest cause of lead poisoning or is it rather due to products or old buildings (ie paint)? What measures are being done to clean up and regulate lead from objects (ie toys, houses)?
-How are businesses responding to the new standards?
-How will the government enforce the new standards and how quickly can they be implemented to reach the desired levels?
-Where can you go/who to call to test the level of lead in your child? More information
People I'd talk to:
Representative from the EPA.
A lead-emitting business.
A doctor.
Possibly a family who went to test for lead in their children.
Prof. Foerstner
Story map:
1st paragraph: Lede. ID the new/strengthened air quality standards for lead. "The revised standards are 10 times tighter than the previous standards and will improve health protection for at-risk groups, especially children." EPA
2nd paragraph: ID the numbers. "EPA has revised the level of the primary (health-based) standard from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3), to 0.15 μg/m3, measured as total suspended particles (TSP)." The last time the EPA issued the initial standard of lead in air was 1978.
3rd paragraph: How/why the new standards came about. Who lobbied for the change.
4th paragraph: The effects of lead in air to people's health. How lead effects people. Pull stats from Centers for Disease Control... Talk to doctor...
5th paragraph: The impact of the tighter standards on people's health. "EPA estimates that the revised standards will yield health benefits valued between $3.7 billion and $6.9 billion. The benefits reflect an expected increase in lifetime earnings as a result of avoiding IQ loss." EPA
Questions I'd ask:
-Are the new standards good enough?
-Is lead in the air the biggest cause of lead poisoning or is it rather due to products or old buildings (ie paint)? What measures are being done to clean up and regulate lead from objects (ie toys, houses)?
-How are businesses responding to the new standards?
-How will the government enforce the new standards and how quickly can they be implemented to reach the desired levels?
-Where can you go/who to call to test the level of lead in your child? More information
People I'd talk to:
Representative from the EPA.
A lead-emitting business.
A doctor.
Possibly a family who went to test for lead in their children.
North Shore Channel
North Shore Channel
If the inner Earth child in you is aching for nature apart from the lake-fill, look no further than the North Shore Channel in Skokie. Just three miles from campus, the channel is a quiet area full of wildlife. Trees line the banks of the channel and nothing is so graceful as the silent fall of multi-colored leaves to the water below. The only sound is from the rustle of a baby deer. It is cool enough this morning for steam to rise and hover over the water. During the warmer months, the channel is regularly used for kayak and canoe trips. When Northwestern is in session, the crew team uses the channel in the fall and spring for practices and the occasional regatta. However, despite the peaceful exterior the channel faces many environmental problems.
History
The North Shore Channel was built in 1910 as a drainage canal to flush the sewage-filled North Branch of the Chicago River down the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, said Sergio Serafino, Northside plant manager for the water reclamation plant. The waterway forms the eastern-most border of Skokie and runs all the way up to the locks of the Wilmette Harbor of Lake Michigan, draining out of Lake Michigan in Wilmette, near the Baha'i House of Worship. The flow of the southern half is treated affluent from the waste water reclamation plant, he said. "The quality of [the treated affluent] is pretty good. During dry weather, that is the sole flow in the channel."
Ecology
Jerry Garden is a restoration naturalist with the Emily Oaks Nature Center with the Skokie Park District and describes the channel as having a diverse ecology. "The channel has fairly good and diverse mammalian wildlife with deer, skunks, raccoons and possums. It's also a great collector of migratory birds. They feed all along the edge of the channel."
Katie Euphrat is a senior and rowed on the Northwestern crew team for two years and liked seeing the diverse wildlife. "My favorite thing about rowing on the channel were the deer and wildlife everywhere," Euphrat said. "While rowing, we'd often see deer on the side and that was pretty and nice to see. We'd also see little otters so I guess [the channel] can't be that dirty."
Near the North Shore College Prepatory School "is a good stretch of wet prairie that looks really pretty, thanks to restoration efforts from the students," Garden said.
Environmental issues
The channel is not without its issues, though. During rain events there is sewage overflow in the north part of the channel, said Rob Sulski, water pollution control manager with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. "This is where we have problems with water quality, mainly in terms of the dissolved oxygen level in the water," he said. "The dissolved oxygen levels drop down for two or three days and this effects the fish community."
Garden also describes the northern section as "pretty neglected. That section of the water is stagnate." Garden pointed to the fluctuation of waterfowl as an indicator of the quality of the water. "When you find them varying significantly it is because they aren't getting the fish they are looking for and this is due to the low quality of the water."
Sulski says the channel is "ecologically overall a fair to poor zone. However it does have ecological functions. It's a major migratory corridor for birds and bats, especially aquatic ones. It does have thick canopy corridors and some privacy for black crown heron and egrets. It also has a little shelf where small fish can get up."
Looking toward the future
The water quality has improved dramatically from what it used to be, Sulski said. "It went from open sewers to the introduction of water treatment plants in the 30s then reservoirs with potential future supplemental aridation. [The channel] is what it is and it has its limitations. It will never be like the more natural channels."
Garden admits that the channel has come a long way. "If you had tried to do kayaking on it 20 years ago you probably couldn't have stood the smell," he said.
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