Do You Eat Sushi?
If so, please make sure to download the 2009 Sustainable Seafood Guide for Sushi. Just click the link or the image below and print out the PDF which you can then fold into a wallet card. Did you know that our love for sushi is severely depleting many of our oceans' fishes? Bluefin tuna are in particular danger because they have been so drastically overfished. A more responsible alternative to bluefin tuna is albacore tuna (shiro maguro).

In addition to downloading your handy sustainable sushi pocket guide, also be sure to download the 2009 Seafood Watch guide for your local region, as well. We all need to take care of our oceans. Whether dining in or out, be sure to express an interest in sustainable seafood options to your grocer, chef, or restaurant. As long as they know there's consumer demand for sustainable options, they hopefully will make responsible choices about what types of seafood to supply.

And remember . . . never order the Chilean Seabass! This fish has been severly overfished to the point where there is a great deal of illegal fishing taking place. Did you know that the real name of the Chilean Seabass is the "Patagonian Toothfish"? The name was changed for marketing purposes so that it would sound more appetizing to consumers. Let's leave the toothfish alone for a while and try to let them recover. . .

Coastal Cleanup Day at Malibu Lagoon in Malibu, CA
This past Saturday, September 20 was International Coastal Cleanup Day, which is sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy. Here are a few photos of the cleanup efforts at the Malibu Lagoon in Malibu, CA.

On my trash scorecard, note that 53 food wrappers/containers were found. This did not even include the countless small pieces of styrofoam that were likely once a cup, food container, etc. It's awful for these things to be laying out in the open so close to bird and marine life. The animals often ingest the waste and cannot digest it and become victim to an untimely death.

With very little effort, I also found 53 cigarette butts. In addition to the fact that animals ingest cigarette butts, it's awful that so many people discard their smokes in an area that's so full of dry brush and plants. Southern California (and many other areas) are very susceptible to fire and if you recall, one of last year's fires in Malibu was thought to have been started by a cigarette that was thrown out of a car window.
Hundreds of pounds of trash was collected:


Please do your part to keep beautiful places like the Malibu Lagoon clean and free of trash. If you see trash around any coastal area, please take a moment to pick it up and help keep our environment clean.

International Coastal Cleanup Day is this Saturday, September 20, 2008
If you have a little time to volunteer this weekend, you may want to consider helping out with the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup Day efforts. It's a great way to help the environment and to help countless forms of wildlife that depend on coastal or wetland habitats. You don't need to live near the ocean. . . cleanup efforts will be underway in many inland areas as well. You can learn more by clicking the Coastal Cleanup Day image below and remember to help keep your environment clean all year around. If you see trash laying around outside, make an effort to pick it up, especially if it's in a coastal area.

Ten Ways to Help Save the Ocean
Long Beach's Aquarium of the Pacific suggests following these 10 guidelines to help protect our oceans and conserve resources:
1. Eat sustainable seafood. Learn about the status of current species on NOAA's Fishwatch site.
2. Bring your own coffee mug or water bottle. Use fewer disposable items.
3. Carpool or use public transportation.
4. Bring your own bag. Carry reusable cloth bags when you go shopping. Plastic bags often end up in the ocean and post a risk to marine life.
5. Recycle as much as possible.
6. Say no to junk mail. Opt out of junk mail by visiting the Direct Marketing Association's web site.
7. Sign up to pay bills online to help eliminate paper waste and save money on stamps.
8. Protect our waterways. Watch what you wash into storm drains and do not overfertilize your lawn.
9. Choose native plants.
10. Explore the natural world! Help educate children, friends, and family members about the environment and conservation.