…when the storm meets the oil spill

Crude oil has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico for two months.  The leak – about a mile below the surface – started with the explosion of a British Petroleum drilling rig.  An estimated 35 – 50 million gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf already, and the surface slick covers an area the size of Jamaica.

…the last forecast

The spring hurricane forecasts wrapped up last week when the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its outlook for the 2010 season.  Like their colleagues at Colorado State University (CSU), the NOAA team expects an “above normal” storm lineup this year.  Lead forecaster Gerry Bell noted “The main uncertainty in this outlook is how much above normal the season will be”.

...In Praise of Variety

This Saturday, May 22, is the International Day for Biological Diversity.  The day is sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program to mark the anniversary of its Convention on Biological Diversity (“biodiversity”), an international agreement first signed at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.  More than 190 countries – including Jamaica – have now signed this commitment to sustainable development and preservation of the widest possible spectrum of life.

…it’s everybody’s job

Marine garbage is a serious problem.  First, it’s ugly – a very bad thing for any place that depends on tourism.  Second, it’s dangerous to marine life – International Coastal Cleanup crews always find a couple of hundred tangled, injured or poisoned creatures.  And finally, it’s a breeding ground for disease – a hazard to public health and public safety.