This is from the Swiss Embassy –

Riding on Sunshine

Swiss schoolteacher Louis Palmer and his SolarTaxi are driving around the world on a mission—to show the world that solar energy technologies are feasible and ripe for development. The SolarTaxi, built in cooperation with four Swiss universities, is fueled entirely by the sun. By the time he finishes his trip in December 2008, Palmer will have driven through five continents, over 40 countries and over 33,000 miles without spending a penny on gasoline.

Palmer arrived on the East Coast of the United States last month and held several events under the banner of ThinkSwiss-Brainstorm the Future to promote alternative energy together with the Swiss Embassy in Washington, D.C., The Consulate General in New York, and swissnex Boston. Palmer presented his car to students and staff at such prestigious universities as Georgetown, New York University, and Harvard, among others. He also gave test rides to Washington, D.C. government officials and drove UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to work in Manhattan on his morning commute.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/a-clear-and-plastic-danger.html

Their tips:

8 Ways to Reduce Your Exposure
The following practices will help protect you–and most importantly, your children–from harm caused by endocrine disrupters. Learn more about endocrine disrupters at Theo Colborn’s site www.endocrinedisruption.com.

1. Drink out of and store food in glass, stainless steel, porcelain, or BPA- and phthalate-free plastic.

2. Don’t wash plastic items in the dishwasher, which can cause endocrine disrupters to leach onto other items. Wash plasticware in warm, soapy water instead.

3. Never microwave plastic–the heat may drive endocrine disrupters into food.

4. Throw out scratched or hazy-looking plastic containers, which are more prone to leaching chemical nasties.

5. Limit or eliminate canned foods, especially baby formula. Acidic foods such as tomatoes are more likely to absorb the BPA in the can linings.

6. Make coffee or tea some other way than running hot water through a plastic appliance. Good alternatives: A glass and stainless-steel French press or a stainless-steel percolator.

7. Search the chemical content of toys at www.healthytoys.org. PVC content is listed (phthalates are not), but toys made with PVC generally include phthalates.

8. Go to this site for a list of phthalate-free cosmetics.

Safer Plastics by the Numbers
To avoid the most dangerous plastics, look at the number in the recycling triangle located on the bottom of the container.

Unsafe
1-Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE): Used in soft-drink and single-use water bottles. Can leak the heavy metal antimony.
3-Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): Contains phthalates.
7-Other: This catch-all category includes bisphenol-A.

Safer
2-High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
4-Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
5-Polypropylene (PP)

Much information can be gained through passively gathered acoustic information from the coastal environment, including calls made by marine animals, physical vibrations of water and natural phenomena, and anthropogenic noise such as from motor boats.

We can practice “passive acoustics” ourselves without any special equipment, just by using our ears to listen. With the emphasis we place on sight, we often overlook what we learn about our surroundings through hearing. While you are visiting the coast, try paying special attention to the soundscape – you might be surprised at the range of sounds and information you can piece together.

they have a very specialized parts of their antennae that they rub against their head like a bow on a string

check out their sounds as well as other sea creatures’ at – http://www.dosits.org/

To read more about the dangers of plastics and the trash island in the North Pacific Sub-Tropical Gyre check out:

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moore-Trashed-PacificNov03.htm

http://www.oceanmotion.org/html/research/ebbesmeyer.htm

Check out: 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/21642965.html

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/pollution/trash-vortex

There are two main types of corals – hard corals (the ones that look like rocks and are rigid, like Brain Coral), and soft corals (the ones that look like plants and are flexible, like Sea Fans).

The largest coral reef in the world can be found off the coast of Australia.  The second largest is found off the coast of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

2008 is the International Year of the Coral Reef, to raise awareness about the importance of protecting these rich and fragile ecosystems.

Snapping shrimp have claws (which makes them look a bit like baby lobsters), but one claw is much bigger than the other. They shut or ‘snap’ their big claw so quickly that it creates a vacuum bubble – the bubble bursts and produces a loud popping sound! (described by Versluis et al, 2000 in journal Science)

Next time you’re walking on a beach or a pier listen for their distinctive crackling sound!

Sound in the sea is especially interesting for the very fact that it is under water, and so has different properties.  In particular, water is denser than air, so the sound pressure waves travel faster.  This is part of why when we are underwater it is difficult to localize where a sound is coming from.