Here’s Episode 12: Renewable Energy Credits and Carbon Offsets. If you’d like to watch their previous episodes, make sure to visit their website, Greentime.

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“…The natural evolution of life is balance. The only imbalance on the planet is us. We are not supposed to have a dominion. If we have anything, we have a responsibility.” Morgan Freeman

Everyone knows that technology and growth of the human population has made our planet smaller. The aspects of our lives that have the most impact on the Earth are our fuel use; from drilling and processing to the final use, and our waste of everything we touch: plastic bags and packaging materials, furniture, cleaning products, food products, clothing, old cars, old computers, cell phones…anything broken or we no longer have a use for. Our flat landscape in South Florida is no longer completely flat because of the garbage we have created. The landfills are not going to go away. As the population grows, they will only increase. Our growth is exponential. I was born in Miami and remember days of dirt roads and wooden bridges…and a lot less traffic and people.

We can’t step back in time. We can’t do much about the garbage that already is. But we can do something about what we do now and in the future. I recently found several online resources that teach and encourage a renewable, sustainable lifestyle. I believe that we are at the beginning of some huge and remarkable changes in our lives. Whether you believe that Global Warming is real or not or that we are largely responsible for it or not, you cannot deny the need for real and major changes in the way we live.

“Cradle to Cradle” is a philosophy that everything we make and use can be put back into the Earth and contribute to its life cycle instead of taking away from it. Currently we live in a Cradle to Grave world with our landfills being the graves. With the Cradle to Cradle philosophy, things we use that are manufactured are made from sustainable resources and from things that will decompose instead of fabricating things with chemicals and plastics that will never break down or that add dangerous elements to our environment as they do.

We can all make a big difference with a small, simple change. If you must use the plastic shopping bags, recycle them – every single one. This is so easy to do by taking them back to the grocery store! And worldwide we are using between 500 billion and 1 trillion per YEAR! Refuse the plastic bag in the first place. And if you only have a few items, don’t even use a bag or bring your own cloth bag.

The only way that we can change the world is if we as individuals make the changes. Unfortunately, the companies that sell the products and make the products are mostly driven by the almighty dollar. They use the cheapest, most readily available materials. We can no longer afford that thinking. As we make small changes and demand more from ourselves, I believe the technology will catch up and become more affordable for everyone.

Spread the word…..

Photo Credit: smallcaps Flickr

Do you have a passion for the ocean and its inhabitants? Marine Animal Rescue Society (MARS) is looking for volunteers like you! MARS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of marine mammals through rescue, rehabilitation, research and education. We rescue dolphins and whales in distress from Palm Beach to Florida City and assist in the rescue of injured manatees all over southern Florida.

Have you ever wanted to be so near a dolphin you can hear and feel its echolocation? You may just get a chance. Our volunteers are from all walks of life and not only participate in public outreach events to spread word about conservation, but are fundamental to our ability to successfully rescue and rehabilitate dolphins and whales.

Our rescue and rehab volunteers participate in every aspect of the animals’ care – feeding, medical procedures, holding a weak animal up so it is able to breathe, monitoring behavior. Volunteers are important in the basic running of a rehab site – scheduling volunteer shifts, preparing fish, water quality control. Our volunteers are also very environmentally conscious and participate in beach clean-ups and table at public events to educate about pollution, safe boating practices, marine mammal viewing guidelines, and what to do if you see a marine mammal in distress.

To become a rescue and rehab volunteer, you need to attend a Basic Rescue and Rehabilitation Training. We have an upcoming training – March 3! Come and have a fin-tastic time with us!

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Architecture

If at first sight architecture does not seem to be related with what was exposed, in reality it is, and in a serious way.

In the industrialized countries from North America, Scandinavia and in many Pacific countries, wood is the most common material for the constructions of homes.  And wood is always used in diverse and varied ways in all the stages of the construction process in the world.

According to the World Watch Institute based in Washington, 25% of the wood extracted from the forests is used for construction purposes.  Because it is clear that architecture plays an important role in the demand for wood, it has its share of responsibility in the deforestation process. 

Architecture, therefore, can contribute in a significant way to the diminution and prevention of this process.

How can architecture help fight the problem of deforestation and its consequences? It can in many ways in all the stages of the architectural process; from design to construction and until the end of the building’s life.  Certain measures can be taken in this regard, some of them are:

• Specifying certified wood. 
• During the construction process a plan can be elaborated to separate all the resulting debris, among them wood, so they can be then taken to recycling plants. 
• It is possible to construct new buildings taking advantage of certain elements from old buildings.  Structural elements, floors, windows and others wood elements that are still in good condition in abandoned buildings can be re-adapted in new projects, and can generally be acquired at a very low cost.
• In remodeling projects trying to save and use the largest amount possible of existing wood elements from the building.
• When a demolition is carried out, it is important to save the elements, which can be reused in other projects.  This measure, together with the other three mentioned, decrease the demand of new wood. 
• When new buildings or urbanizations are designed, adapt the design to the existing trees and include them in the new project, instead of cutting them and totally clean the terrain.
• Wood can be substituted for other alternative materials that are found in the region.  For example, in many countries where there is a lot of bamboo, this material is an important construction material, and if we take in account that pine trees take 40 years to produce one cubic meter of wood and bamboo after 5 years can be a usable material, it is obvious that the use of this last material is a much more sustainable option. 

Applying these measures, architecture contributes to the diminution of deforestation.

Saving the world from deforestation and its terrible consequences is not achieved by applying a few isolated measures, but with the combination of those small isolated measures that each inhabitant of the planet can carry out on a daily basis and in his/her professional activity.  Architecture professionals have the ability and the responsibility to contribute in the attainment of this objective.

*Primary forests are those that have existed untouched by humans and/or other sorts of disturbances during periods of time larger than the normal life period of their mature trees. 

To read the remainder of this article, which actually precedes this section, please click the link below.

Deforestation and Architecture
Luis Bentancor

Deforestation

Forests are one of the world’s most important and valuable ecosystems.  The importance and value that they have covers ecological, climactic, social and cultural aspects.  It’s impossible to think about planet earth and life in it, without them. 
All the forests in general, and in particular the tropical forests, have an important role in the world.

They keep 60% of the planet’s biodiversity; and in some of them, there are plants and animal species that still have not been discovered by science.

• The existence of the forests guarantees the presence of water, vital element in life; they protect the streams and the regular distribution of this element throughout the land. 
• Together with the oceans, they fulfill a fundamental role in the regulation of the hydrological cycle.
• They accumulate carbon through photosynthesis and they result vital to balance the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere and to stop the greenhouse effect.  One hectare of tropical forest can neutralize ten tons of carbon dioxide per year.  It is calculated that all the built-up carbon in all the forests is ten times larger than all the fossil fuel that has been burnt in the last one hundred years.
• They constitute an important source of renewable raw material, wood, food, medicine, etc.
• Many indigenous civilizations and peoples depend on the forests, since these provide them with shelter, food, medicine, and other products; moreover, the people have carved their cultural and spiritual values around the forests.  Forests are the only possible home for these peoples, which would not be able to survive without forests.  Reason why the devastation of these means also the devastation of their culture, languages and knowledge.
• The forests have also a cultural meaning for the majority of the world’s civilizations. 

Unfortunately forests are disappearing as a result of human actions.  It is estimated that 80% of the world’s primary forests have been destroyed*; and of the original world’s forests, less that one fifth still remains in its natural status. 

During the last 20 years 200 million hectares have been lost and actually approximately 15 million hectares are destroyed annually. 

• Africa looses close to 4 million hectares of forest per year, and western Africa forests have been totally eliminated. 
• Europe lost a large part of its forests during the XIX century.
• In North America the lumber industry has ravaged millions of hectares.
• In places like Central America the deforestation rate is 48 hectares per hour, at this rate, it is calculated that in 44 years there will be no forests in this region. 
• In the Amazon, the largest primary forest on earth, the deforestation of its territory advances rapidly. 

The consequences of the deforestation are negative from any point of view.

The deforestation means the banishment of animal and vegetal species, due to the loss of its habitat.  It reflects negatively in the conservation of water, originating floods and droughts.  It causes the soil’s erosion, as well as the increase in temperature.  As a result the ecological balance is broken.  This harms the nearby populations and activities such as agriculture, cattle and fishing.

It also causes a lack of regulation in the hydrological cycle and the world’s climate.  The greenhouse effect increases with the deforestation, on one hand because the amount of trees decrease to trap the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and on the other hand, when the forests are burnt or cut, they release carbon accumulated in the form of carbon dioxide, thus, the concentration in the atmosphere of this component increases, and it is carbon dioxide the component that contributes the most to the greenhouse effect.  It is estimated that deforestation constitutes a third of all the carbon dioxide liberated in the atmosphere by human activity.  Deforestation and climate changes are intimately related.

From the social and cultural point of view, for the populations and indigenous communities that live and depend on the forests, deforestation means the loss of means of survival and brings with it malnutrition, the increase of illnesses, emigration and even the disappearance of the community. 

The causes of deforestation can be divided in two, the direct causes and the indirect causes. Among the main direct causes we have:

• The exploitation of wood from the forests.  When lumber is harvested for industrial purposes, it is taken out in large scale, becoming one of the main causes of worldwide deforestation.
• The substitution of the forests for agriculture and cattle.  The forests’ soil is a poor soil for these practices; therefore, after just a few years it becomes a depleted land.
• Urbanization.
• Mining and petroleum activity.
• The construction of infrastructures, hydroelectric dams where forests land and roads flood.
• Forest fires.
• Acid rain.

The indirect causes are the ones that make the direct causes exist are among others:.

• The production and consumption models, which create a big demand for wood, mainly in the developed countries.
• Bad economic and social politics.  Some of these promote the substitution of the forests with agriculture and cattle in a large scale in order to supply the international market, and others instead, force many poor farmers to destroy forests to cultivate the land to survive. 
• Uncontrolled industrialization, which provokes contamination and causes acid rain. 

Certified wood

Aware of the deforestation problem and its consequences, in 1993 representatives of environmental organizations, indigenous organizations, wood industrials, merchants of the forests products and other groups and institutions from 25 countries met in Toronto Canada and created the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest certification system, with the purpose of improving the management of the forests to try and save the planet from deforestation.

Forest certification is a monitoring system, which certifies that the products which originate from a forest have been extracted from forests that have been well managed from the environmental, economical and social point of view, based on certain established standards.  It guarantees that the certified products do not contribute to the increase of deforestation problems.  The certified products are marked with a seal.

The certification is an independent and non-profit technical system.

Even though the certified wood is more expensive that the non-certified, the certification guarantees environmental, economical and social benefits for the producers and consumers of the forest products, as well as for all humanity.  Today there are diverse systems of certification, regional and national, The Pan European Forest certificate-PEFC or The Canadian Standard Association-CSA e.g., but the FSC is the most important and recognized, and the only one applicable internationally.

However, for many non-governmental organizations the certification is not going in the right direction, since it is based mainly in the manner the wood is cut, and it works only if the consumers want to buy certified wood.  They say what should be done is to reduce the excessive consumption of wood in the world. 

Nevertheless, it can be said that the certification is at least an initiative, a beginning, to try to solve the existing problems.

Post contributed by local commercial realtor and green building enthusiast Bryan Wasmer Dempsey, ESQ.

The City of Miami addressed the pressing issues of climate change, resource depletion and energy security last Friday, December 8th with the “Mayor’s Green Building Forum” at the downtown campus of Miami-Dade Community College. The event heralded Mayor Manny Diaz’s first public foray into the green building movement as he voiced the City’s intent to become one of the greenest cities in the country.  Mayor Diaz really seemed to grasp the urgency of developing "green".  He, and a couple of the other speakers, dropped small hints that green building elements will soon begin to be incorporated in the City of Miami planning and design programs. 

The Mayor was followed by the keynote speaker, Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council.  Mr. Fedrizzi gave an impressive presentation, chalk-full of statistics on the health, environmental and economic benefits of green building. William Holly, whose Green Miami building just broke ground the other day was a guest speaker as well. Also in attendance, local non-profit Dream in Green.

The standing room only crowd of interested parties included; engineers, architects, developers, non-profits, commercial real estate professionals, and local media. The desire for further illumination into Miami’s possible future green building practices and prerequisites was evident by the number of questions addressed to the Mayor and panel ranging from incentives to standards to administration.

My personal opinion of the forum was that, although it was long overdue for Miami, it was a good start with what felt like a lot of enthusiasm on behalf of the Mayor and the attendees.  The Mayor made several bold statements, including his desire to make Miami one of the leaders in green building.  The green momentum was palpable.  Let’s hope that it continues and that the City of Miami carries through.

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No, I’m not talking about the latest headline on one of those tabloids. I’m talking about getting your baby or baby-to-be on the greenScene here at greenerMiami. Babies may be small but they are big consumers so why not try going green or eco-friendly for the environment and for your baby. Here are some tips to get you on your way to having and keeping your beautiful bundle of joy green.

Nursery

Let’s start with the nursery. The most important aspect of green design for a newborn’s environment is to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals as much you possibly can. A non-toxic nursery is especially important because newborns spend most of their life in the nursery about 16 to 17 hours a day.

Painting should be done at least a month before the baby is due, and it can be cured by using a room space heater. If you are pregnant, don’t paint the room yourself. Have someone else do it like your husband, family, friend, or hired hand and be sure to paint with one of the new water-based low-volatile organic compound paints.

Your baby will spend many hours sleeping, and at times will need the room to be dark and peaceful during the day. Consider wooden shutters (with a non-toxic paint or finish) or aluminum mini-blinds that will allow you to adjust the light as needed. Steer clear of PVC blinds and be sure to provide good ventilation and fresh air.

Keep your baby’s crib as pure as possible in every way. Choose real wood, natural finishes, and untreated pure cotton and wool, preferably organically grown.

Most toys sold in major toy stores are made from plastics and or PVC. Plastic is a major contributor to indoor air pollution and PVC products may contain phthalates, lead and cadmium. There are many natural cloth and wood toys available on the internet.

Once you have a non-toxic nursery, keep it safe by using only natural and non-toxic cleaning products like Seventh Generation, grapefruit seed extract and essential oils which are readily available on the internet or products like Method available at Target and Office Depot.

Baby Food

It doesn’t get any more organic than breastfeeding. The AAP recommends that babies should be fed just breast milk for the first six months of life and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months. So if you can, breastfeed your baby. Even the smallest amount is good for your baby. La Leche League has wonderful resources and information as do most hospitals.

Once your baby is ready to move on to foods you can try organic cereals like Earth’s Best or organic baby food and juices. Gerber has a nice line and these are available at stores like Publix and Winn Dixie.

Of course, you can always make your baby’s food yourself using organically grown fruits and veggies bought locally and there are some great resources out there for recipes.

Baby Booty

Who can resist all the great goodies out there for baby (and mama too)? You know you are going to buy tons of stuff so be sure to go green for baby’s announcements, clothes, diapers, accessories, toys, furniture and everything else you can think of. Here are a few good places to start locally:

Arlington

Baby Drawers

Dilly Doo

Friendly Cottons

Kids Bean

Spunky Sprout

Totally Organic

Then check out some I found online:

3rLiving

All Things Green

Ducduc

Earth Mama, Angel Baby

Lilipad Studio

Little Merry Fellow

Sage Baby

TaraLuna

Terressentials

Even if you can’t go green for everything, try swapping out some typical buys for greener more environmentally friendly ones. Even a few small changes can make a difference. Remember, every little bit counts.

Resources: Green Home Guide, Healthy Building, Great Green Baby

Ever considered making your own personal and household care products yourself? It’s really a lot easier than many would imagine. And more importantly, it’s good for the environment, yourself and your home.

All right, short of a fun craft-like project, you may be asking yourself why you’d go through such expense and trouble. I guess that if you’re interested in using products that are better for your health and the environment, then this is the way to go.

The great thing about essential oils is that they are natural products that have been used for thousands of years for a wide variety of purposes: to beautify, to treat illnesses, and to clean and purify homes.

As we continue on this topic, I’ll give more detail about why natural products are important, some recipes for personal and household use, and resources to get you started on your journey through essential oils and natural remedies.

I personally find some comfort in knowing that natural remedies have been used for thousands and thousands of years by cultures in all parts of the world. Beyond that, commercial household cleaners are full of ingredients that are downright harmful to one’s health.

Some examples: bleach can irritate or burn the skin, eyes and respiratory tract and may cause pulmonary edema or vomiting and coma if ingested; mold and mildew cleaners contain chemicals that can burn the skin and eyes and are highly toxic and known carcinogens and can cause shortness of breath, nosebleeds and dizziness (sodium hypochlorite and formaldehyde). If you’re asthmatic, you’ve probably felt your chest tighten and had shortness of breath as you’ve cleaned your bathroom – that’s not due to exertion, it’s the effect of the cleaner on your lungs and respiratory system.

I’m personally freaked out the most by pesticides. Consider, they’re made to damage insects’ nervous systems, which means they’re loaded with toxins that are known carcinogens and are extremely poisonous (like chlorinate hydrocarbons and organophosphates). Quite frankly, I don’t care enough about having a clean house to jeopardize my family’s health over it.

So I’m going to share some basic recipes and information that can help you get started on a path towards natural care, plus provide some links for further information. It bears saying, of course, that I am not a medical or beauty professional, and that it’s very important to exercise caution when making and using natural remedies. And when in doubt, consult your doctor. Because there is a world of information out there on this topic and I could go on forever, I’m limiting this article to only the most essential.

The first basic rule for using essential oils is that you rarely, if ever, apply the oil directly to the skin (there are exceptions, though). Good quality oils are very strong and need to be diluted, either in a carrier oil (like jojoba, grapeseed, olive, etc) or water, depending on what you’re going to use it for.

Speaking of good quality oils, there’s no shortage of oils out there that claim to be pure but are in fact crap. If it says “97% inert ingredients” on the label, don’t bother. Good stuff costs some money, but you needn’t go broke over it.

Keep in mind that essential oils are NOT the same as fragrance oil. The stuff you see in Walgreens and all those carts in malls are NOT essential oils. Those oils are made of many mixed ingredients and are not pure. They’re fine to use for home fragrance, but that’s about it. Oils from flowers, like jasmine, rose and gardenia, are very hard to obtain and as such are very expensive in their purest form. So, if you’re looking at a 1-oz. bottle for $2.99, it’s junk. Don’t use it for your health or beauty regimen. Another basic rule: never store oils in plastic bottles, as they will eat the plastic. If they’re blended with a carrier oil, then it’s fine to use plastic.

Essential oil remedies, whether for cleaning, beauty or health, are used in a few basic ways: bath, compress, steam inhalations, and direct application after blending with oil or water. The method simply depends on the purpose. As far as quantity goes, small-quantity blends usually take 3 to 5 drops of oil, while larger volume solutions can take up to 20. It’s important to follow recipes closely, as nearly exact amounts are essential to achieving the desired effect, and certain oils can’t be used in combination with one another.

If there’s one oil I would recommend to everyone, it’s lavender. Its qualities make it a wonderful multipurpose oil – you can use it in a relaxing bath, in homemade deodorant, to treat headaches and in cleaning solutions.

So, it’s time for some recipes.

All-Purpose Cleaner (safe for counter tops, glass, toilet, tub, etc).

In a 16-24 oz. spray bottle combine the following and fill with water.

• Lavender – 20 drops
• Thyme – 10 drops (thyme’s great for mold/mildew, but never put it on your skin)
• Lemon – 20 drops
• Orange – 20 drops
• Tea Tree – 10 drops

This cleaner is safe; it’s o.k. if it gets on your toothbrush, make-up, etc.

Medicinal Baths

• 10-15 drops of your preferred oil; soak 20-30 minutes
• Lavender is ideal for relaxation and stress relief
• Cypress is ideal for hemorrhoids

Note: shower first, then soak, to maximize the benefits.

Headaches/Migraines

Combine Lavender, Peppermint (a decongestant) and Clary Sage (never use this oil if you’re pregnant!; it’s also great for menstrual cramps – make a compress with a warm, wet towel, add a couple of drops and place on belly) in equal parts (for example, 1/16th of an oz of all three; or 5 drops of each – you only need a small amount). Take one drop of the mix and place it under your nose, or on your temples; or place it on your palm and inhale.

For migraines, put 2-3 drops of the mix in water and do a steam inhalation.

Sinus/Cold Inhaler

Fill a 1-ounce glass bottle with rock salt (available at Publix), leave some room at the top, and add the following:

• 40 drops each of Lavender, Pine Needle (for upper respiratory tract), Cypress (also for upper respiratory tract) and Eucalyptus (sucks out moisture, also good for acne)
• 2-3 drops of Peppermint (decongestant)

Because we live in South Florida, these following recipes are of particular importance.

Ant Repellent

Use either Clove, Orange or Peppermint oil (one, not all). You can place a drop of oil straight on your windowsill or wherever the ants are concentrated. Or, you can make a solution of one of the oils with water (for 8 oz., about 7 drops) and spray wherever you need to.

Mosquitoes and Fleas Repellent

Citronella works well on these. So does Lemon Eucalyptus, but I’m not sure how to make a blend. Make a spray solution of 10 drops per ounce of water. Safe to use on skin and surfaces. To make a shampoo for your dog, add 10 drops of Citronella and 5 each of Lavender and Cedarwood Atlas to 1 ounce of shampoo.

Roach Repellent

Just like the mosquito and flea repellent, except with Cedarwood Atlas. Make a spray solution and use it on the roaches or cracks and crevices.

Mold and Mildew

20 drops each of Thyme, Tea Tree, and Lavender Mix with one cup of water and spray onto vents and filters and wherever you see the mold and mildew.

Commercial Products

But then again, if making these products doesn’t appeal to you at all, there are commercial products available that are non-toxic and safe. Seventh Generation is probably the best and most widely available. This past year, Target began carrying the line. Price-wise, they’re comparable to all the other stuff out there. They carry a full line of household products.

Resources

Books:

I have many, many aromatherapy books, but I swear by these two:

• The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood
• Holistic Aromatherapy: Balance the Body and the Soul with Essential Oils by Ann Berwick

Oils and other supplies:

Camden Grey: The best in the market, as well as reasonably priced. Plus, they’re located in Miami, so you can pick up your orders and avoid shipping fees.

I obtained most of this information from American Apothecary, Inc. in Miami.

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Post contributed by Cathy Gilbert.

Fun was had by all on Saturday’s eco-friendly CRITICAL MASS Bike Ride!

Seventy-five folks on wheels: all ages, sizes, and dress codes. The weather was perfectly cloudy, not too hot, not a drop. First stop, the Grove Farmer’s Market. Those who continued on the second leg went on to Matheson Hammock for a swim.

Don’t miss the next one!! Tentatively planned for Sept. 9. Keep your eye out for it on the Green Party notices list, Indy Media’s calendar, or here on greenerMIAMI.

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Everyone knows that fancy cars and glass-walled condos are just but a few of Miami-Dade’s little luxuries, but did you know sand was a precious commodity? Yes, sand. In a recent article posted on Florida Sportsman’s website, I learned that Miami is basically shopping for that stuff under our feet, trying to whisk it away from other Florida beaches.

"Deepwater dredging is difficult and expensive, and the environmental impacts aren’t well understood. And according to Dade County officials, they have but one easily accessible ‘borrow area’ left in emergency reserve, which they say contains relatively low-quality material. The pressure to dredge very close to coral reefs in Broward suggests that those municipalities have nearly exhausted offshore ‘borrow areas.’"

The debate on the efficacy of beach nourishment is considerable and beyond the scope of this introduction to the article. But one thing is certain: beach nourishment is common public works in many coastal areas around the world, as erosion occurs naturally, even without the encroachment of human habitat.

Benefits of beach nourishment include storm surge protection and additional habitat for flora and fauna that depend on shorelines for food. Humans also enjoy the recreational advantages of simply having more sand in between the water and the parking lot, which fuels the tourism industry. Beach nourishment, like so many things South Beach, is the environment’s equivalent of plastic surgery. Without beach nourishment, bikini-clad damsels and their six-pack princes would have to endure such annoyances as high tide.

It’s all good, until you notice two remarkable disadvantages, which are painfully obvious: beach nourishment doesn’t last forever and sand is not an easy renewable resource.

This is a case of human hubris meets environmental reality. A naturally occurring condition and the scarcity of sand only underscores yet another oversight from developers and local officials who keep signing permits by the dozen to build yet more condos for transient residents on our already overcrowded island. Let’s face it: it’s not for the birds, it’s for the selling power of dream vacations and high-priced condos.

"Borrowing sand" away from an ecologically sensitive yet relatively stable area like Port St. Lucie’s shoal isn’t borrowing — it’s stealing. Let’s hope our scientists, engineers and local officials put on their thinking caps to arrive at a better solution for all creatures great and small. In the environment, as in life, everything is connected.

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