Those who grew up watching Star Trek, or have seen its reruns, will remember the phrase: "Space: the final frontier". Actually space is not really the final frontier. The Guardian (27 September 2021) reports: "humanity knows more about deep space than the deep ocean". The context of this statement is worth examining because it involves a new and serious threat to our planet: " In late June, the island republic of Nauru informed the International Seabed Authority (ISA) based in Kingston, Jamaica of its intention to start mining the seabed in two years’ time via a subsidiary of a Canadian firm, The Metals Company (TMC, until recently known as DeepGreen). Innocuous as it sounds, this note was a starting gun for a resource race on the planet’s last vast frontier: the abyssal plains that stretch between continental shelves deep below the oceans. " (Guardian, 27 September) ( LINK ) The article goes on to quote "Louisa Casson, an oceans campaigner at Greenp...
Plastic is everywhere in our lives, but it is not necessary to use plastic for Christmas decorations. Prior centuries enjoyed many degradable ornaments for their Christmas trees. Perhaps the most common natural ornaments are made from popcorn strings with dried fruit such as cranberries or cherries for colour. Candles were traditional lighting decorations too, but anyone using candles needs to be aware of the fire danger. A dry tree poses special risks, and a nearby fire extinguisher is a good precaution, but proper care reduces the risk: spraying the needles of the tree with water can help, and placing the candles away from other boughs. Above all, care is needed, but the effort is well worthwhile to help to preserve God's creation. Thanks to Oskar and Rachel for the suggestion!
The amount of plastic in the environment puts God's creation at risk. "The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) explores the Arctic, Antarctic, and the seas and coastal regions of the temperate latitudes, from the atmosphere to the deep sea. It has researched plastic pollution in the ocean for 15 years and developed state-of-the-art methodologies for the standardised detection of small microplastics in different environments. The work aims to unveil the distribution of plastic pollutants as well as its impacts on marine life and trends over time to provide scientific data that are needed to combat plastic pollution in the oceans." ( Link ) "If entangled underwater, air-breathing animals cannot return to the sea surface to breathe and die of suffocation. But even gill-breathing animals are affected: if fish or invertebrates remain entangled for too long, they starve or are eaten. The odour of carcasses attracts further anima...
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