Getting to Know the Great White Shark

By: Kate M. Serrano

To those who have ticked swimming off their bucket list after watching episodes of “Jaws”, the great white sharks may have struck them as vicious man eaters. Partly correct, partly incorrect. Although the great whites (Carcharodon carcharias) are the world’s largest known predators of marine mammals and are ranked first in having the most attacks on human, we are not their preferred prey. Great whites are very curious and most so-called “attacks” appear to be motivated by curiosity rather than a desire to feed. Their attacks on humans are rare and not fatal. It is their size and efficiency as predators that inflict unnecessary fear. Great whites use their speed and coloring for hunting. They search for prey at the surface while swimming below. Once a target is identified, they use a burst of speed to bump the poor prey while simultaneously biting it. They have thousands of teeth that are sharp and strong enough to tear their bigger preys apart. As teeth fall out, they are rapidly replaced by those in the row behind them. Therefore, unless you’re a seal, a fish an orca, sailing the deep ocean is not much to be fearful about.

Ironically, the great white is far more threatened by humans than we are of them. They have very less commercial value yet the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature) have listed them as vulnerable and is on the verge of being endangered due to overfishing  –they are often killed for sport and for their jaws, teeth and fins. Marine biologists do not have the exact numbers on the great white population, but they're seen very rarely. Lucky enough great white sharks have are protected in South Africa, Australia and the United States. How can we help? Stop the purchase of great white jaws or items made from their fins. 

  

Earth Day Top Tens

By: Daniela Silva

For this earth day, here at Beyond the Facade we whipped up for you our top 10 great tips to help you give a little more back to earth and give  yourself a great reason to feel good too. Whether it be new habits you want to incorporate into your weekly to-do’s or to just simply join in once and awhile on the fun of giving the earth some lovin’. This is definitely the list for you!

1.  Recycle Plastic Bags - One trillion plastic bags are used annually and contribute to the waste found in our landfills and our oceans. 46,000 pieces of plastic per every square mile floats aimlessly in our oceans and even worse it takes 1,000 years for one plastic bag to degrade. This means marine life not limited to sea turtles can potentially eat and choke on these pieces and die. To help, instead of throwing away your bags recycle or keep your plastic bags around for your next grocery trip, or a aid to help carry things from here to there. Spend a little extra and invest in some colourful and durable reusable bags you see being offered in most grocery and convenience stores they last longer and they look much better.

2. Make your own Household Cleaners- Yes you read correct and no it is not that hard! There is a dangerous amount of chemicals in your household cleaners and there's a lot of that on your hands and feet as you read this right now; If you have young children you understand why it is important why these chemicals do not get onto their hands and into their mouths.

A simple yet powerful disinfectant can be made with three simple ingredients:

white vinegar,

tea tree oil,

distilled water.

If you want to add a punch to your disinfectant you can always add a little bit of dish soap, but with this and a squeeze bottle you're golden to clean whatever surface you so choose to tackle.

3. Plant Herbs - Indoors or outdoors planting herbs are an excellent way of knowing where your food comes from, and is a organic production of flavour you can add to your meals any day. Your home will become more lively with the new flora and your children can decorate the plant pots in which you plant the seeds. A family get-together its a win-win!

4. Make a Cheap Compost bin- Don't throw out your scraps, compost them! Organic materials can be thrown into your compost bin, egg shells, ground coffee, nut shells, fruit cores and more can be used to make a rich dark compost perfect for your lawn to boost and give extra nutrients. All you need is a trash can with a locking lid, a stand to keep it from weighing down on your grass, a drill to make 25 - 30 holes to spread and let the compost release moisture.

Remember to mix the compost and allow the mixture to sit for 30 days minimum to allow for weed seeds to die from the internal heat of the compost, you do not want any surprises to bloom in your garden!

5. Upcycle - Upcycling is new, its cool and trendy. You can upcycle just about anything from furniture to décor, clothing to art; nothing is left uncycled and there's a ton of DYI's out there to give you step by step tutorials on accomplishing what you wish to do. For this earth day, why not give it a go, or plan to dedicate some time to upcycling some old furniture that just doesn't cut it in your living room any more?

No one needs to know you've been using how-to’s and tutorials. Get creative!

6. Farmers market - By buying food locally, you are supporting the local farmers that need it the most and gives them a fighting chance at surviving the globalization economy. The food is seasonal and is ripened naturally without chemicals or gassing; also processed with a minimal amount of processing.

The humane treatment of animals is also a plus side for most animals from small scale farmers are spared from feed lots and cramped cages and given hormone free foods and left to graze grasses the way they were meant to. Meats, poultry and eggs all are great to be bought in farmers markets. So not only are you diving into the centre of fresh and healthy produce but into a kaleidoscope of untapped wellness  as well.

7. Phantom energy - It is as scary as it sounds, phantom energy is when electricity is being sucked up by appliances even when they are turned off or in standby mode. Usually responsible for approximately 10% of your annual household electricity bill this is not only an energy sucker but a money sucker as well.

Electricity costs are expected to rise by 50% in the upcoming year, and you can combat this simply by unplugging your big gadgets such as your TV’s and gaming systems when they are not in use and small household appliances.

8. Water Usage - Now, if anyone told me to cut back on my shower, I wouldn't give them the time of day. Considering the fact that on average showers and baths are the main culprit of water usage in the home amounting for 35% of household water usage, following toilet use and laundry.

To help reduce the amount of water being used you can install a low-flow shower head, use less water in your baths and install aerators in your taps. When shopping for a new home, look at eco option toilets, or you will almost literally be flushing money down the toilet with all the water you will be wasting.

With laundry, front loading washers use less water and use the movement to agitate the clothing to remove dirt and grime, for top loading uses a agitator and more water to slosh things around, use a drying rack to save on electricity.

9. Recycle (Duh!) - One of the  easiest things you can do to help is to recycle! By recycling one ton of paper you can save up to 17 trees, and although it may seem like a lot a recycling facility goes through 300 tons of paper each week this equals to 5100 trees.

With an effort in recycling, a little opportunity and some awareness you can contribute your recycling program in your community  and make a difference.

10. Share some love - Environmentally friendly acts don’t just come out of the blue, they always start somewhere and they start with you! Share this list with friends and incorporate it with your children. Being green should be something that we do without thinking twice about it. Be smart, be green be a earth lovin’ machine! Have a very happy Earth day!

She Sells Seashells (and Energy?) by the Seashore

By: Jessica Robertson

The power of the ocean is undeniable. With new technology, that power could be harnessed in such a way that seashells and seafood won’t be our greatest export from the watery giant for much longer.

Renewable energy falls into the top-priority category among global sustainability issues; the more avenues we have for garnering clean, renewable energy, the better for our planet. The ocean is full of frighteningly powerful, high-energy water, and turning that power into electricity would be emission-free, and genius. Good thing the plans, though in their infancy, are underway!

Some of the biggest names in the energy industry are teaming up to turn these ideas into reality. Lockheed Martin, Scottish PowerRenewables, MeyGen, UC Berkeley, and the US Navy are just a few of the familiar names on these impressive projects. Five types of power-generating machines are under testing, either in the lab or in the open seas, currently.

Two of the projects, particularly, are standouts. The largest wave energy project, already in the water off the coasts of Australia, consists of special buoys anchored to the ocean floor; as waves roll, the buoy moves with the wave and the anchor stays intact, causing the tension to power a hydraulic pump. The energy moves through wires to the coast, where it is stored; one single buoy’s energy can power an astounding maximum of 10,000 homes. While that number is staggering, the most effective prototype, it seems, is known as the magic carpet. Intended to be placed off the coast of California, on the sea floor, the giant mats absorb the energy that is normally dissipated into the sand on the bottom of the ocean. Careful placement of the mats, avoiding coral reefs and other marine habitats, could also create “safe zones” to protect harbors during wild storms and prevent erosion due to their ability to absorb up to 90% of waves’ energy.  Just a one square-meter patch of the mat creates enough power for two homes. Open-ocean trials are scheduled to begin in April 2016.

One familiar approach, designed similarly to wind turbines, underwater turbines rely on the tidal pull of the water rather than waves, turning the arms of the machine and creating a steady source of energy. Water turbines, though, present a significant threat to marine life that may be hurt by the many moving mechanical parts; efforts are being made to prevent any collateral damage to the environment. Another proposal, called the Sea Serpent, is at work floating off the coasts of Scotland, where jointed segments flex along with the movement of the waves to power hydraulic pumps and store energy that is delivered to the shore by underwater cables.

All the models must be designed to survive the ferocious storms that the ocean can deliver, and the fifth model banks on its simplicity to survive. As the low profile machine floats atop the water, it funnels high-pressure water through a pump to shore, where the majority of the machinery remains to convert the water pressure into electricity. This design has already proven itself in its two-and-a-half-year lifetime working on the seas.

Each of the projects has its challenges, but the real vision of clean and renewable energy helps overcome the hurdles that arise with the advent of new technology.