All posts tagged: environmental blog

Get Unplugged and Reconnect with Nature

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Earth Hour is tomorrow!  A symbolic lights out event, taking place Saturday, 24 March from 8:30pm-9:30pm worldwide.  Committing to turning off unnecessary lights for Earth Hour, is a symbolic gesture of uniting in solidarity to raise awareness about climate change and environmental issues.  It is the perfect time to get unplugged and reconnect with nature. On that note, here are some eco tips and a challenge for you this Earth Hour.  A great way to help the planet, lower your electricity bill and your carbon footprint, is by simply unplugging items not in use.  When items are plugged in that are not needed, or when your laptops or iPads are being charged longer than they need to be it is a waste of electricity.  This is known as phantom electricity.  When your smartphones, iPads, iPods and other devices are fully charged, unplug them.  It is an easy habit to forget about your devices that are in the charger and allow them to absorb more power than they need. While on the topic of being unplugged, …

5 Reasons to ditch that plastic straw

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Spoiler alert, plastic straws are no longer in vogue.  It is the end of the era of the plastic straw.  Many of us have had the last straw (both literally and metaphorically) when it comes to single-use plastic.  Single-use plastics have a significant environmental impact and are polluting our oceans in a major way.  There is a massive amount of plastic floating around our oceans, it is estimated that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is 700,000 square miles, equivalent to the size of Texas!  Plastic waste is starting to take over our oceans.  Divers, surfers, and regular beach goers are constantly finding and removing plastic off the beach and from the oceans.  Our lifestyle of convenience wrapped in plastic needs to be reevaluated, we know that single-use plastic is harmful to marine life, birds and our environment.  By 2050 oceans will contain more plastic than fish.  Plastic is harmful to marine life and coral reefs.  That being said, we need to unite in an effort to change our consumer habits, by switching over to sustainable …

aerial photo cayman islands sunset house

Force Blue: On A Mission To Protect Coral Reefs

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“One Team, One Fight.” Force Blue is an innovative non-profit organization embarking on an unprecedented mission to change the lives of Combat Divers and Special Operations Force Veterans by repurposing their skill set to aid in the recovery and preservation of critical coral reefs.  By virtue, teaching the veterans to adapt their skills for the betterment of the environment acts as a form of therapy and helps to restore the lives of veterans dealing with PTS and depression.  Force Blue has carefully built the program focusing on improving the lives of vets and offering them an opportunity to continue living a life of purpose, giving them a new mission— saving critical coral reefs and ecosystems.  Veterans often struggle with the need to be part of a team and have a mission to accomplish and/or cause to fight for.  Force Blue has devised a way for veterans to maintain that core component of their lives by deploying them all over the world to help communities save their critical coral reefs.  Veterans taking part in the initiative …

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Hope On The Horizon: Cayman Islands (Mission Blue Hope Spot)

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Photo Credit: Ellen Cuylaerts I am so excited to announce that today I was published in Mission Blue’s Ocean Stories.  It was such an honor! I am so humbled by this moment.  It was an absolute pleasure to work with Mission Blue and Ellen Cuylaerts.  Thank You Ellen for allowing me to use your spectacular pictures for the article. Recently, the Cayman Islands, George Town Harbor was designated as a new Hope Spot by Mission Blue. To read more about my article please visit Mission Blue’s website, or click here. Content Update: 7th January 2017.  Below is my article in full.  Originally published in Mission Blue’s Ocean Stories.  Photo Credit: Ellen Cuylaerts Recently, the George Town Harbor in the Cayman Islands was named a Mission Blue Hope Spot- one of fourteen newly designated Hope Spots.  This is incredible news for environmentalists both locally and internationally.  A designated Hope Spot is an area considered to be “critical to the health of the ocean”.  These special areas are recognized by Mission Blue and respectively conservationists around the globe as …

Speak Up Cayman: Your Voice Matters

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Ever wished that your voice would be heard? Or, that you could directly voice your opinions and concerns to our elected members? Well, fellow constituents Speak Up Cayman has created a platform that allows us to connect with our elected members on issues that matter to us. Their website is super user friendly! Click here to write to your elected members by using Speak Up Cayman’s on point pre-written letter or simply type in your own message. Check out my interview with Gabriella Hernandez on Daybreak 27   discussing Speak Up Cayman and the need for the enhancement of our marine parks. First Order of Business: Enhancing Our Marine Parks   Photo Credit: Courtney Platt Did you know? Our marine parks were first established in 1986 Speak Up Cayman is currently focusing on the topic of “Enhanced Marine Parks.” For all of you ocean lovers, divers and snorkelers this is a topic of interest that needs your support and voice to be heard. In short, despite having successful marine parks here in the Cayman Islands, we …