Organization Profile: Ocean Futures Society

If the ocean is truly an underwater kingdom, then the Cousteau’s are the royal family of the seas. Jacques Cousteau was famous for many reasons, all of which had to do with protecting our planet. His impact on the scientific, environmental, and political communities were pioneering efforts that he worked on until his death in 1997. Now his children and grandchildren carry on his legacy of fighting for our planet.

One of the more prominent and active organizations is led by his son Jean-Michel Cousteau and is called Ocean Futures Society.

Cousteau originally helped serve his father’s charity, The Cousteau Society, until 1993, after their differing views on how to run The Cousteau Society caused Cousteau to go it his own. In 1999 he founded his own organization, Ocean Futures Society, which he still runs to this day.

According to the organization’s website, their purpose is to “explore our global ocean, inspiring and educating people throughout the world” in hopes of getting them to act responsibly and realize how important the ocean is to our life on this planet.

Membership to the organization is free. Upon signing up, you receive a monthly online newsletter that updates you on what the organization is up to, as well as other maritime conservation news. There is another online alert system that helps you know when there is a chance to help shape policies that affect these areas. Along with the information, you are able to download wallpaper and ringtones, get discounts at the online store, and perhaps even a birthday message from Ocean Futures Society.

Besides becoming a member, there is a button on the home page that allows you to donate to the organization. As a not-for-profit group, all of the donations go towards their selfless mission.

Like his famous father, Jean-Michel is creating some very exciting films and books. The Ocean Futures Society recently released the film titled My Father, the Captain. The film documents Jacques Cousteau’s earliest days of diving and gives intimate interviews with his children and followers who continue on his mission. A trailer for the film and copies of the film itself for purchase can be found on the website. The proceeds for the film will go to the Ocean Futures Society.

The other recent project Cousteau has embarked on is a series of books about national marine sanctuaries. These sanctuaries are possibly the most realistic and effective way to save our oceans.

Marine sanctuaries prohibit any fishing or permanent action within drawn boundaries, thereby protecting beautiful undersea locations and fish, but also allowing fish to reproduce properly and therefore be a benefit to fishermen as well. The fish will eventually swim outside the boundaries and fisherman can get their catch. As Jacques Cousteau suggested these sanctuaries in his final book, The Human, The Orchid and the Octopus, he also documented the overfishing which was destroying the locations he used to visit.

Jean-Michel’s books Explore the West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries and Explore the Southeast National Marine Sanctuaries are currently available and provide visuals of why these locations are so special. Two more books, Explore the Northeast National Marine Sanctuaries and Explore the Pacific Islands National Marine Sanctuaries, will be available later in 2012.

Checking out any of these books or any of his films for sale on the organization’s website would be an adventure quite worth the time. President Bush seemed to enjoy them. At a 2006 ceremony establishing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument, Bush said: “I want to thank Jean-Michel Cousteau for joining us… I think the American people will understand better about why I made the decision I made when they see the movie that Jean-Michel has produced.”

That movie on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands helped bring about the creation of the world’s largest marine sanctuary.

-Andrew Nowak

On the Intersection of the Environment and Human Rights

We need to save the Earth. We can do this by altering our actions to have fewer disturbing environmental impacts on the Earth. Sustaining a healthy environment inevitably leads to an improved quality of human life. Friends of the Earth International, the world’s largest environmental network, defines environmental justice as “access to the unspoiled natural resources that enable survival, including land, shelter, food, water and air.” Because protecting the environment includes protecting the lives of individuals, I believe that environmental rights are human rights. These rights are described specifically in the 30 articles of the Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted in the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.

Historically, despite the close relationship between environmental degradation and human suffering, human rights advocates and environmental activists have gone their separate ways, with neither addressing the human impacts of environmental abuse. As a result, victims of environmental harm remain unprotected by the laws and mechanisms established by governments to protect human rights. Recent partnerships between the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and the United Nations Environmental Program have begun to address this issue, focusing on the ideas that the environment is a prerequisite for the enjoyment of human rights and that the right to a safe, healthy and ecologically-balanced environment is itself a basic human right.

Governments and international organizations are needed to regulate these rights. In 2003, 250 delegates attended the International Conference of Environmental Rights and Human Rights in Cartagena, Columbia. They issued a declaration discussing that “clean water, air and land have been taken away from disinherited people around the world”, and that “urban pollution is concentrated in areas where the most impoverished live”. More recently, the UN Human Rights Council has also begun to pass resolutions relating to the linkages between human rights and climate change.

A national example of the need for environmental regulations is with hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as “fracking.” Fracking is the fracturing of shale rock by pumping chemical-laden pressurized liquids into the ground, to produce natural gas. A 2004 report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that fracking posed minimal harm to drinking water. However, soon after the report was published, speculation came out about water contamination cases being excluded from the report, possibly due to industry and political influence. In 2009, hydraulic fracturing fluid, described by the manufacturers as a “potential carcinogen”, contaminated water wells in Dimock, Pennsylvania. More than a dozen families were left with unsafe drinking water. Fracking is just one case of how inadequate environmental regulations can hurt vulnerable communities.

Many more examples exist at the international level including the suffering caused to indigenous groups in Nigeria and Ecaudor, from oil and gas drilling or from constructions of large dams.

Regulating of our environment can have very direct effects on the lives of people. By protecting the environment, we are helping to protect people who are often in situations that render them unable to protect themselves. No person should be deprived of their homes, health and overall well-being, as these are their universally recognized human rights. The environment affects us much more than we realize, and it is through the careful managing of both the environment and its resources that we can help protect and save not only the earth, but people too.

-Ashley Markazi

Happy Planet, Happy You

The most recent Happy Planet Index (HPI) survey conducted by the New Economics Foundation, the United States ranked 114th out of 143 countries surveyed.

A country’s ranking on this index is determined by three factors: life satisfaction, life expectancy, and ecological footprint. So if the United States is 114th, who made the top of the list? Costa Rica.

Costa Ricans are reported to have the highest level of life satisfaction on the planet, have a higher life expectancy than the US, and live sustainably enough that they only need one planet to maintain their lifestyle. In fact, Latin American countries make up 9 out of the top 10 contenders in the HPI.

It’s no surprise that the US is low rating for ecological footprint, however our reported self-satisfaction didn’t hit near the top of the list either. We are outranked by many smaller and less wealthy countries. The only thing we really had going for us was high life expectancy.

I learned last semester in Environmental Sustainability that happiness in the US hit a plateau in the 1950’s. What could be the reason for this? While we have more technology and luxuries, we are also working harder than ever. We work and work so that we can attempt keep up with the latest products, only to then get introduced to yet another new product. These things give us a temporary high, but they don’t make us satisfied. All of this consumption, this desire to have the newest, the biggest and the best, makes for one unsustainable and unsatisfying lifestyle.

Most Costa Ricans live less extravagantly than we do. However, maybe they have their priorities straight. If they can live comfortably with less, and be even happier than us, then they are doing something right. Yes, they have a warmer climate, and are surrounded by beautiful natural areas seeminlgy out of Jurassic Park, but it has to be more than just their environment that contributes to their happiness; it’s their whole lifestyle. I think that the countries that ranked higher on life satisfaction than us live a simpler lifestyle, and spend more free time with family and friends as opposed to spending extra time at the office to become more wealthy, only to plop down on the couch at the end of the day exhausted and unable to do anything except be idle in front of the television.

There are simple everyday choices we can make in order to make our lifestyles a little simpler, and in turn reduce our ecological footprint. At the end of the day, these minor changes may even make you a little bit happier.

-Katie Durkin

ASB Trip Snapshot: Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards

A week in the wilderness without cell phone services and internet. 45 minutes drive on meandering roads in the mountains everyday. On average 3 miles hike per day. Lunch and restroom in the woods.

These were the parts and parcel in the week we volunteered in Wilderness with Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS) in Tellico Plains, TN. To people who weren’t on the trip, these experiences may seem a little intimidating; but to us, the volunteers from Alternative Spring Break group, these exclusive experiences made the trip incredibly memorable.

More than being memorable, our volunteer experience as trail maintenance crew added another perspective to our understanding on Wilderness and nature. A hike is enjoyable because of the beauty of nature. Yet this beauty is easily disturbed; a small action may have tremendous effects on the natural environment. We learned from this incident the importance of practicing “leave no trace” policy; the things we bring into the wilderness are the things we carry with us as we leave.

A hike is delightful also because of the safety on trails. A safe trail comes from the efforts of volunteers who widen and clear obstructions on the trail. It took us, a crew of 13 students and a few local volunteers, four days to maintain a five-mile trail in Bald River Gorge Wilderness. As we walked hike through the trails we widened, the sense of satisfaction that bubbled in us was beyond words.

Yes, this was a week back to nature. A week back to peace and fun in its purest form. A week with SAWS in the Wilderness.

-Chye Hong Liew

Local Food for the Soul

An exciting new entrant into the local food scene in C-U is the Sola Gratia Farm. The farm is the first example of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) located with C-U. CSAs are an alternative method of food production and distribution that directly connect people with those that grown their food and embrace the seasonal and local character of real food.

Food from a CSA farm is distributed the same day it is harvested, and made available to those that buy shares in the farm’s output. The farm will grow 46 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, including squashes, onions, melons, peppers, tomatoes, salad greens and eggplant. Shares are available at $300 for a half share or $500 for a fall share, and are still available.

Set up as a partnership between Faith in Place and St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Sola Gratia farm will also work for social justice. To address the issue of food deserts, 10% of everything grown at the farm will be donated to the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.

Brian Sauder, the local Faith in Place Coordinator, is thrilled by the community support and hopes that this will be a model that can be replicated at other congregations. “If you buy a share, not only do you get produce for 26 weeks,” Brian added, “but you know you are supporting getting more fresh produce in local food pantries as well.”

There are many opportunities to volunteer, especially as the farm works on building a greenhouse and tunnels to extend production. If you are interested in participating, go to solagratiafarm.org for more information.

Alternative Spring Break: Go somewhere. Do something. By Linda Qiu

People often say that college is the best time to travel. At U of I, ASB is one of the best ways to do it. Alternative Spring Break is a program of the YMCA that is focused on educating people about issues concerning social activism and environmental awareness. ASB hosts seasonal trips all over the United States throughout the year, including the summer and winter. Trips are usually between 4 to 9 days long, with projects ranging from topics like HIV/AIDS to child education to sustainable agriculture. ASB’s goal is to send people into the real world and allow them to gain firsthand experience. Students not only get a chance to make a difference in others’ lives, they also make friends of a lifetime.

When Dan Guico, one of ASB’s oldest members was asked what his most unique experience was, he mentioned ASB’s staple trip- the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington DC. The first two days of the trip are spent actually being homeless, living on the streets alone forced to find shelter and food with no assistance. Afterwards, the volunteers help out at local homeless shelters. This year, Dan is leading a trip of his own in Memphis called “Grow Memphis”, where volunteers will be helping residents start up local organic farms so that they can begin to grow their own organic produce.

This spring season, ASB is sending over 150 people on 11 trips around the US. If you’d like to get involved with ASB, check out their website at illinoisasb.org. There you can find information and applications for future trips and also see some great photos of previous projects.

Sign up and start changing the world today!

-Suhail Barot

Local Brewery Review

The list of Illinois breweries isn’t long; and of the 32 unique breweries listed on Wikipedia, Champaign is home to two. Of the Illinois breweries, there are few that I’m excited to try, whether it’s based on sampling of their distributed beers or by lack of reputation. But when I had a chance to visit Flossmoor Station a few weeks back, I was stoked (and I don’t use that term lightly). Flossmoor’s Railhopper IPA is a great IPA, and certainly the best that I’ve had from an Illinois brewery. So what other hidden treats could I find at the brewery?

The journey took about 2 hours from Champaign to Flossmoor, and it would have been a quicker journey coming from Chicago given that the Metra line drops off right next to the brewery. Upon arrival, I was quick to ask the waitress if they offered a sampler.

“How many would you like to sample?”

“All of them.”

The following are my beer-stained notes from the evening:

Zephyr Golden – If you like American macros, stick with this light beer. Uses rice, but has a more complex flavor than Miller Lite.

Station Master Wheat – A better body than the Zephyr, but watered down as far as wheats go. The description mentions a hoppiness and spiciness but neither of these was apparent till after the beer was swallowed.

Ironhorse Stout – Some characteristics of a barrel aged stout, but dry with a heavy dark malt flavor.

Panama Limited Red – One of the best red’s I’ve ever had. This soft-bodied aromatic red is light and bubbly, refreshing and not lacking any flavor.

Blueberry Wheat – I’m not a fan of fruit beers, but this beer didn’t feel forced. Sweet with an agreeable tartness it had a strong aroma, but more of a beer flavor than fruit flavor (the way I like it).

Gandy Dancer Honey – Hoppy for the maltiness of the beer with the rye flavor pulling through, but the honey being lost to the hops.

Imperial Schwartz – Imperial doesn’t really begin to describe the strength of this beer. The extra malt used to bring this beer to it’s high abv remains to offer a heavy-handed sweetness.

Spoonless Winter Warmer – As far as winter’s go, this one is tame (and I’m not talking about the weather). A little spicy, but a forgettable flavor.

Busman’s Holiday – This milk stout is sneaky; fooling you into thinking you’re about to drink a beer, when it actually tastes like chocolate milk.

Buddy Holly Barleywine – I’m not a fan of the sickeningly sweet high-alcohol style, but this doesn’t follow in-suit. Surprisingly bitter, with a mild sweet aftertaste that has none of the burn going down.

Wallonian Saison – “Like being in a flower garden” is my description of the aroma; while the flavor is more bitter than traditional saisons.

No Show ESB – Doesn’t show anything special. Not bitter, not malty, just plain.

Belgian Abbey Ale – This abbey stays away from being a dubbel, tripel and even a quad. The complex blend of sweetness transforms into an unpleasant harshness that fades quickly.

The Railhopper and Pullman Brown are both beers you can get in the area, and I didn’t notice any difference between the brewery and the bottle and kegged versions. While the prices were decent, I didn’t find any hidden secrets other than an exceptional red. Such is life, and the reason why there is just one more beer to try.

- Eric Green

Student's Guide to Gardening

Growing your own food isn’t nearly as hard as you may think! Follow this how-to and you’ll be producing your own veggies, fruits, and herbs in no time.

1. Choose a site

It may seem that the college lifestyle isn’t conducive to putting down roots (pun absolutely intended), but it’s much easier to fit gardening into our lifestyle than many realize. Your garden can be anywhere: your front yard on campus (clear it with your landlord!), your friend’s house, or a local community garden. Apartment-dwellers with a sunny window can enjoy growing herbs, and tomatoes do just fine in a pot on a balcony.

Other Factors you should look into:

Sunlight: Most garden plants do best in full sun.

Drainage: Easy to fix poor drainage by mounding soil and compost into raised beds

Soil quality: Look for plenty of earth worms and that beautiful dark Illinois topsoil when digging in your garden as a sign of good soil health. There are many do-it-yourself tests to determine soil texture, nutrients, and drainage, or contact your local extension office to get your soil tested.

2. Plan It

What are you going to grow? Go as crazy or simple as you want: potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, beets, cabbage, tomatillos, kohlrabi, chard: all of these and more are fairly easy to grow in Illinois soils and are worth a shot! Look for there specifications online or just trust the seed packet- gardening isn’t a science!

How will you grow it? Will you need trellises or cages? Soil amendments?

When? I start with a planting calendar, and build in when I plan to weed, harvest, etc.

Where? A garden map is useful here. Don’t forget to include paths!

3. Prep It

You will probably have to kill the existing vegetation, which you can do by turning it under with a spade and killing any weeds with a hoe.

Organic matter in the form of compost or composted manure can be a huge asset, and more is better. Asking for advice is a great way to get to know the folks at your local organic gardening store!

Other soil amendments such as nutrient fertilizers will help your plants (though chances are you’ll be just fine without them). Work the soil with a spade down two spades deep to loosen the rooting space, or build up mounds of loose soil to improve drainage.

4. Buy your seeds

You’ll get your best varieties online and through seed catalogs such as seed savers exchange, Seeds of Change, or Johnny’s Seed Company. The easiest choice is to buy pre-started transplants from a garden store or farmers market, though these will cost more and you’ll have less variety to choose from.

5. Start growing your plants

Many plants do best by simply dropping seeds in rows, patting them down firmly, watering, and letting them be. Tomatoes, peppers, chard, some green onions, and other plants are best started indoors and transplanted outside when conditions are favorable. This can be accomplished using a sunny window, but best results come from building your own indoor growing bed. Try repurposing a beer pong table with two saw horses, two 2*4*8s, and four 2*4*2s, cheap shop lights, and a bunch of old textbooks.

Most gardeners in Illinois will transplant tomatoes and other frost-hating garden plants sometime in May. Some garden plants can survive a frost, while others cannot, so be sure to read the seed packet.

6. Relax!

Gardening is easy and fun, you can put in as much time and effort as you have or want.

You’re not alone! Here’s some great resources for first-time gardeners:

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soiltest to see where you can gat soil nutrients tested

Some simple home soil tests: http://organicgardening.about.com/od/soil/a/easysoiltests.htm

Urbana Park District Meadowbrook organic community garden: http://www.urbanaparks.org/documents/dbe734914e1a663c4c2567a90b27bfc9/2011_Gaden_Manual.pdf urbanaparksdocumentsdbe734914e1a663c4c2567a90b27bfc9/2011_Gaden_Manual.pdf

-Matt Rundquist