Local Science

Here in the VI, science based articles seem to be in the news a lot lately. It makes me feel especially nice as a lot of them are (while technically political news) pertaining to the environment.

• The first one I want to talk about is the fact that our current governor is trying to tackle the problem of fossil fuel usage in the VI. As laughable as it may seem, we still burn oil for electricity here. The governor laid out a plan that has the VI reducing usage and using different sources of energy within the next 14 years. While to some of my readers, this may seem like a long time, most of you know that this doesn't seem like enough at all in the Virgin Islands. Some of the renewable energy sources he mentions include solar, waste-to-energy, wind, and landfill gas. 
• Some of the members of the 29th legislature of the Virgin Islands are stalling a measure that would make an Emission Control Area around the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The people stalling are claiming that they knew nothing of this proposal and haven't carefully thought out how it could affect tourism to the VI. Again, this is about their bottom line, and forget the health and safety of the islanders. They have had sufficient time to consider this. I wonder why they are stalling....
• The Caribbean Fishery Management council approved cuts in the amount of parrotfish local fishermen are allowed to take from federal waters. The measure came after preliminary biological opinion showed that parrotfish are vital to a healthy reef ecosystem.
• One of the local hospitals had an open forum and the CEO heard quite the community outcry on how the facility handles dialysis and mental healthcare. Not only does the facility not have any staff psychiatrists, but many of their patients cannot even get dialysis there and have to move to private facilities. The mental healthcare on these islands is deplorable at best. This is something that is near and dear to me and I hate the struggle. It's sad, really.

In the very least, well, for the moment... The VI seems to be incorporating more science related things! Woohoo!

Read more...

Island Dogs

Today's post was inspired by a comment on SeaLaura's recent post. A commenter mentioned a dog beach on an island. Since many people don't know too much about it, I figured I would clue you all in...

The one that has made news in the past is nicknamed Dead Dog Beach. The beach is located in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. There are many "dog beaches" throughout the Caribbean. Now, when we say dog beach, we do not mean dog-friendly beaches that you can take your pet. These are beaches that have large populations of strays living on or near them. Now, back to Puerto Rico. The reason it is called Dead Dog Beach is not for the faint of heart. Many of the animals are tortured or beaten regularly by local residents. An organization known as Island Dog is aiming to teach the people in this area that animal cruelty is not okay. They also provide other services for the animals like bringing food and fresh water, providing medications, and spaying/neutering.

Needless to say, the program has grown considerably and they have reached out to many other dog beaches in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. One of the programs allows people flying on American Airlines to certain destinations check a pet. Once they arrive at the destination, partnering shelters will pick up the animal at the airport. All you have to do is check the animal. You can find out more ways to get involved here.

As you know, adopting animals is very near to my heart. If you are a new reader, the photo above is of my doggy, Floyd. She was abandoned and is what we locals refer to as a coconut retriever. She has been a part of my family for three years now and I wouldn't have it any other way. If you know anyone who is traveling to the Caribbean, see if the flights coincide with Island Dog's pick up centers. You can make a big difference.

Don't forget: The Donor's Choose Challenge is going on 'til the end of October. Make a difference in school children's lives.

Read more...

Blogosphere News

I'm am very excited because yours truly (that's me) has made it on the wonderful team of 5 Minutes for Going Green as a monthly blogger. It is an environmental blog and I will be doing monthly installments on "green" science and things of the like. I am very excited because while there have been many posts in the past about science and the environment, it hasn't been very often... and I love the opportunity to teach, as you all know by now. I will try to get posts up by the 14th of every month and really hope some of you will visit me there as well. You can see my already posted profile here.

In other news... I actually cross-post everything on this website to cariblogger.com which is a WP site for bloggers in the Caribbean. I did this to reach bloggers locally and boy did I find a great one. Jules Gibson is a photographer in Guyana and his photo blog is astounding. I highly recommend you check it out. His photos really capture Caribbean life and all of its "roogoodoo."If you really want a taste of life in the Caribbean, his pictures are priceless. Be warned... this is not just beaches and palm trees here. This is life for those of us NOT on vacation.

and now... a random picture for those of you freezing to remind you that I too lived where it was cold. This is me in front of lake ice breaking up. Not flattering, but you get the point. This was in my shorter hair days and Nick caught me off guard. Ah well.

Read more...

Some Storm!

A very scary set of clouds moved in. This worries me because my husband is out on the water spearfishing right now. I haven't heard from him.

The clouds are very beautiful but ominous. I love the way they turn the light silver.

SOOOO to distract myself from the scary thought of my husband in a scary storm in the middle of the ocean, we are going to talk about weather!

What is a hurricane?

It is an ENORMOUS storm that can reach sizes of 600 miles in diameter with wind speeds between 75 and 200 miles per hour. They move in a counter-clockwise direction around a calm "eye" The spin is caused by Earth's rotation and the Coriolis Effect. They need water temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or more to intensify.

What was the strongest to hit land in recent history?

The top three are Camille, Andrew and Dean in that order. I lived in Miami for Andrew and I must say, it was intense. Maybe that is why I have no fear of hurricanes anymore. I am just always ready!


That is all I can handle. I am going to watch my video and make myself laugh.

All photos protected under Creative Commons. You can use them, just give me credit ok?

Read more...

So gloomy...

Since it is so gloomy out and has been for the past week and a half (thanks to Gustav, Hanna, and Ike tail bands) I needed to remind myself how beautiful and sunny it can be here. These were from a recent trip I took to Virgin Gorda, a nearby island.

I think this palm tree sums up my life in the Caribbean nicely.



This is me in front of one of the amazing boulders at the Baths and the beautiful Caribbean Sea. And no, the photo has not been altered.


The Baths are an unusual occurrence of large granite boulders forming grottoes and pools everywhere. Their formation is subject to debate, but many believe it to be molten rock that bubbled to the surface, or such extreme amounts of erosion that this is what was left behind.

Read more...