The Ocean is one of the Earth’s most valuable resources. It provides 99% of the Earth’s living space, and is the largest known habitat for living organisms in our universe. The Ocean carries more than 90% of global trade between countries, and fish supply the greatest amount of protein consumed by the World’s population. It is important for us to care for the environment and the Ocean is the biggest part of it. Heal The Ocean is a Santa Barbara based non-profit organization that serves to protect the Ocean from pollution and mistreatment. In their mission Heal The Ocean (HTO) states “Heal the Ocean focuses on wastewater infrastructure – sewers and septic systems – as well as ocean dumping practices that contributed to ocean pollution. We are focused on Santa Barbara County, but our methods are now serving as a model for other coastal communities across the country.”
Last September, HTO held their annual Heal The Ocean Benefit Concert, and they called on Oniric Records, and Matthew McAvene (McAvene Art) to produce the festivities. The event was held at the Coral Casino Club at The Biltmore Hotel in Montecito. Matthew McAvene created a visual, musical extravaganza featuring the most spectacular part of the night, “Matthew McAvene’s Big & Fabulous Fish Show.” The show was executed with the help of numerous puppeteers operating around 30 vibrant and elaborate puppets. The puppets showcased different types of creatively designed fish, along with seagulls, jellyfish, squid, and fish skeletons. The event was a huge success and garnered further support for HTO from the Santa Barbara community.
“Water Pollution”
By Sarah Scarminach, 9th grader at Santa Barbara High School
Did you know that 40% of America’s beaches are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or marine life to live? (Grinning Planet) Water pollution is a rapidly increasing problem in the world. People throw trash, dump sewage and polluted water into rivers, oceans and lakes everyday. However, the aftermath of this bad habit is worse than we ever thought it could be. All over the world, people are trying to stop water pollution as an example, the Oil Pollution Act. This was passed in 1990. The act states that depending on the amount of oil spilled by a ship, they must or must not clean it up. The Oil Pollution Act was passed after the Exxon Valdez incident. This was an oil spill in Alaska rated in the top ten worst oil spills of all time. Wildlife and coastlines were severely affected by the oil. This act was passed to prevent a spill of that size from happening again. Now ships have mandatory double hulls and there are fines up to $250,000 and 15 years in prison if you fail to clean up your oil spill. (Oil Pollution Act Overview) Water pollution is a major issue in our society. If we are unsuccessful at educating the public about the severity of this issue, it will result in the downfall of our natural environment resources.
Water pollution is killing marine animals everywhere. Every year 363 million gallons of oil is distributed into the ocean by just flowing down the drain. (Ocean Planet) This is especially harmful for marine life because oil pollution can cause liver and kidney damage and harm to the nervous system. It can also affect the development and reproductive processes of marine life. (Rain Forest Animals) This is an ever-growing problem because as we continue to pollute our oceans we are continuing to kill one of our main food sources, seafood. If one animal eats a toxin, the whole food chain is affected and may even cause some species to die out. This processes is called bioaccumulation. The most effected species of marine life are the larger animals. This includes whales, seals, otters and humans. (Heal the Ocean Interview) The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is another location where there is a major water pollution problem caused by chemicals that is killing marine life. A dead zone has very low oxygen in the water so hardly any marine animals can live there. The Mississippi River has chemicals dumped into it by many factories and then flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the largest in the world and during the summertime, the Gulf of Mexico has a dead zone the size of Massachusetts. (Grinning Planet)(See photo 1) This dead zone is especially hard on fishermen because the Gulf supplies 72% of shrimp, 66% of oysters and 16% of the fish to the United States. (Microbial Life) The Gulf of Mexico is an important waterway for the United States and Mexico. By continuing to throw our chemicals into the Mississippi River, we are not only hurting our country, but we are putting another country in jeopardy. If we do not change our ways of disposing pollutants, the size of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico will increase and possibly prohibit the food source derived from there. We need to address the water pollution problem so that we can stop diminishing marine life and start healing our oceans.
Water pollution is not only hurting our marine life, but the human race as well. Every year there are 250 million cases of water borne diseases and 5 to 10 million death from water pollution. (Grinning Planet) This demonstrates how bad we have let the water pollution issue get out of hand. Water pollution is a problem for one half of the global population and it will continue to increase if we do not stop it. Some of the more fortunate countries such as the United States, Canada, Italy, and France do not suffer with water quality problems. Ninety-five percent of surface water in Poland is undrinkable. (Gale Info Trac) This is a staggering amount and Poland serves as an example of how huge a problem water quality can be. By polluting our water, we are causing people all over the world to become sick and many to die. We must develop better clean water habits so we can help our global population. There are over 25 diseases caused by water quality, for example, every year Malaria, a water borne disease carried by mosquitoes, kills over 1 million people. (Lenntech) This disease is especially harsh in continents with the worst water quality such as Africa, South America, and Asia. The hot, humid conditions in Africa and South America attract mosquitoes, which makes this disease more common. Mosquitoes can carry diseases over long distances, so you never know if you might get it. Although poor water quality may seem to have a larger effect on the less fortunate countries, it is also a problem in the United States. At least once, 25% of beaches in the United States have been closed for water quality issues. (Grinning Planet) The United States is one of the wealthiest countries with large factories and businesses. Although this may be good news, it also means that we dispose of excess chemicals and toxins that pollute our waters. Although, we are working hard to reduce our water pollution, it remains a rapidly growing problem and, globally we need to decrease the amount of toxins to help save lives.
By dumping toxic waste and trash into our oceans, rivers, and lakes, we are abusing the water source for future generations. A piece of garbage thrown into the ocean in the 1990’s will most likely still be there today in 2010. (Think Quest) This demonstrates the misuse of our water and disrespect for the future, because if trash from the 1990’s is there, then trash thrown in the ocean today will still be there in 2030. (See photo 2) Some trash decomposes slower than other such as styrofoam and glass. These materials can take more than fifteen years to decompose. If we keep up the rate of waste in the oceans today, future generations may not even have the benefit of oceans and waterways. One point two trillion gallons of untreated sewage, waste and storm water flow into the ocean of the United States every year. (Grinning Planet) By the year 2020, we will have put 12 trillion gallons of waste into the oceans from the United States alone. Imagine if this rate increases, we will have an enormous amount of waste into the ocean. Some of the waste does not flow with the natural environment of the ocean and builds up over time. The more waste we put into the ocean, the less of it decomposes and marine life cannot develop new habitats. By polluting our waters, we are decreasing our chances of ever getting the ocean back to its original state. We will not be able to use the ocean as a source of food, research, medicine, or recreation. So many people use our oceans and waterways everyday for sports, fun and exercise. We must stop pollution so that the future generations may enjoy it too!
We all know pollution is a pressing issue in our society, and that we all need to do our part to reduce it, but large businesses have a different opinion. Businesses believe that we should use our money for more important issues in this tough recession. For example, lowering the cost of chlorine and other disinfectants, which can cost on average $50,000 a month. (Heal the Ocean Interview) However, half of the global population has a problem with freshwater pollution. (Grinning Planet) If we do not stop polluting our waters, this number will go up. Millions of people die each year from polluted water. If big businesses do not spend the money or time to decontaminate our waters, they could be causing a bigger problem then the one at the moment. Another argument by large businesses is that although double-hulled ships may help against oil spills, the 40 million dollar cost is considered too much. (Anchorage News) This is easily addressed because oil pollution causes liver and kidney damage and affects the development of marine life. (Lenntech) Using the 40 million to double hull ships is worth the price. We are potentially saving countless lives, the marine animals, and helping keep our waters clean for the future. Also, double hulling our oilrigs, allows you to carry more oil over without leaks. This helps all of us. The oil companies should spend a little more money in the beginning, but because it will help everyone in the long run. Although the cost to stop pollution and clean our waters is not cheap, we must all contribute to make our waters cleaner.
Water pollution is a local problem and a global problem. If we are not accountable for our actions, and do not change our ways, we will lose all benefits from our waterways. Everyone can help stop water pollution by taking small steps each day. You can buy organic fruits and vegetables. These are not grown with pesticides, so businesses will need to dispose of fewer toxins. You can pick up trash thrown on the ground and help clean up our beaches and communities. We can place our waste in the trash, not on the streets. If we all come together as a global community and help stop water pollution, we can help save our marine life, our landscapes and most importantly, our planet.
Save the date and mark your calendars! We have reserved the Coral Casino for the evening of Saturday, October 9th for another memorable Heal the Ocean benefit. Here is a quick glimpse at what Heal the Ocean has lined up for 2010:
February – Release of Ocean Wastewater Discharge in the State of California Report & Inventory
March – Annual Newsletter Release
April 17-18th – Earth Day Booth
August 16th-27th – HTO Flags on State Street
August – Moms in Motion Wine Trail Fundraiser
October 9th – Harbor Festival Booth
October 9th – 6th Annual Coral Casino Benefit
Enjoy a slideshow of over 100 photos of the 2009 Heal the Ocean Benefit Concert.
This event featured guest speakers Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jean-Michel Cousteau & Hillary Hauser. Fine artist Matthew McAvene provided us his Fabulous Fish Puppet Show.
The 5th Annual Heal the Ocean Benefit was a huge success! The Santa Barbara Newspress covered the event (Read the article here). Enjoy a few photos by Branden Aroyen from the evening and we will soon post a full report…
Beautiful Table Settings
Auction Items including a Hillary Hauser painting
Ed Mercadillo, Jacob Tell, Marlo Tell, Val Aroyan & Branden Aroyan
State Street will become a sea of blue, when Heal the Ocean’s flags fly from August 14-28, 2009! The happy dolphins on the HTO flag are one of the State Street Flag Program’s most popular images. They represent the joyful feelings of Heal the Ocean, too, in that the organization is celebrating its 11thanniversary on August 19 with a fund-raising dinner at Piatti, Montecito.
HTO is also commemorating the beginning (in July 2009) of construction for the South Coast Beach Communities septic-to-sewer project, which will remove septic systems from Rincon, Sandyland, Sand Point and Padaro Lane - seven miles of beaches on the south coast. The organization is also celebrating the recent release of the CEQA document necessary for the upgrade of the Goleta Sanitary District to full secondary treatment, a case HTO won with the help of its 3,000 supporters.
Heal the Ocean is now organizing a working group of scientists and engineers that will address the issue of full reclamation of wastewater.
Hillary Hauser and Santa Barbara attorney Jeffrey Young co-founded Heal the Ocean on August 19, 1998 after Hauser’s editorial in the Santa Barbara News-Press sparked a public protest over closed beaches in Santa Barbara. The organization has since affected ocean policy not only in Santa Barbara but the state of California - and even across the nation.
Heal the Ocean’s annual Benefit Concert, to be held this year on September 26, 2009 at the Biltmore’s Coral Casino La Pacifica Room will feature the U.S. west coast premiere of The Black Seeds, a rock/reggae group from New Zealand, and Culver City Dub Collective will also be performing. For more information, and to join, visit HTO’s website http://www.healtheocean.org.
Carpinteria Sanitary District issues Notice to Proceed.
During its July 7, 2007 board meeting, the Carpinteria Sanitary District OK’d Penfield & Smith’s design/construction plan for the South Coast Beach Communities (Rincon) Septic to Sewer Project, and Notice to Proceed was issued Wednesday, July 8, 2009.
Heal the Ocean is looking forward to the on-line publishing of the U.S. Geological Survey’s final report, “Sources of Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Urban Streams and Ocean Beaches, Santa Barbara, California,” which is currently going through final scientific review before being published by USGS in the on-line Journal of Annals of Environmental Science.
Heal the Ocean participated with the city of Santa Barbara in the three-year investigation by the USGS to study the possibility or likelihood of groundwater transport of human pollutants (septic and/or sewage waste) to the ocean. We were able to contribute over $60,000 to the study due to generous multi-year grants from an anonymous Orange County foundation.
When the USGS report is published, HTO will provide a link on our website.
Some conclusions from the study:
Point sources dominated FIB contamination to streams during baseflow (non-rain), and non-point sources dominated FIB contamination to stream during stormflow (rain);
In most areas FIB concentrations in shallow ground water were low, suggesting leakage from sewer lines and laterals connecting sewer lines to residences;
Ground water flow at West Beach was toward a regional sewer line, which acted as a drain;
Sewage from the sewer could not move toward the beachfront and ground water discharge at the beachfront was small;
Discharge from nearby streams also contributed FIB to West Beach, especially after stormflow.
As a result of the USGS study, the city of Santa Barbara has taken proactive measures by connecting the Haley Street storm drain to the city’s El Estero wastewater plant, and also sleeving the sewer main along the Cabrillo Blvd. waterfront.
Young people seeking to fill community service hours requirements are invited to become a HTO Storm Trooper!
It’s very simple: you take a camera and go on a survey of storm drains and/or creeks. If you see a messy storm drain, a cluttered creek, or water pouring down a storm drain when it’s not raining, take a picture and e-mail it to us with the exact location (street and cross street, or address), the day and time, along with your name and contact information.
HTO will then call the appropriate officials to conduct a cleanup or investigation, and we will notify you when action has been taken. You will then go back to the site and take a picture of the clean-up and e-mail that picture to us. We will give you a signed community services form to indicate you have done this service for us, you will earn a Heal the Ocean t-shirt, and we will list you on our website with your before and after pictures!
Our members and community service hour students are a wonderful resource for helping us keep our oceans clean. If this is something you would like to participate in, please contact Christi Davis at our office (965-6570) or e-mail her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Thank you!
Photo Caption: Cody Traxler and friends inspecting a storm drain
While on HTO staff, Priya Verma, now a UCSB doctoral candidate, outlined the perimeter of an unlined landfill in the city of Santa Barbara waterfront area, where monitoring wells show presence of chemicals and toxins, and where groundwater is pulled to the ocean and possibly into Laguna Channel. Because of HTO’s work, the Regional Water Quality Control Board recently required the city of Santa Barbara to produce a Wet Weather Preparedness Report and a Sampling Analysis Plan for the landfill - as well as a Report of Waste Discharge (ROWD) which we will be reviewing.
General Comment: “It is now general knowledge that construction projects are the best, or most doable situations for improving (or making worse) storm water runoff, since it is still very difficult to treat or control storm water once it’s released into the street and storm drain system to the ocean…”
This site was created by several Rincon Point homeowners with the goal of developing an objective forum to discuss the ongoing sewer project. The site will host an ongoing conversation through which homeowners and others with valuable knowledge can work together. As the project progresses, everyone can post information (Q & A’s) to inform the collective knowledge of the community and ensure that the sewer project gets completed at/or under budget. It is our goal to encourage an agreeable location for sewer equipment (such as the pump stations) as well as to minimize landscape damage.
Did you know that 40% of America’s beaches are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or marine life to live? (Grinning Planet) Water pollution is a rapidly increasing problem in the world. People throw trash, dump sewage and polluted water into rivers, oceans and lakes everyday. However, the aftermath of this bad habit is worse than we ever thought it could be. All over the world, people are trying to stop water pollution as an example, the Oil Pollution Act. This was passed in 1990. The act states that depending on the amount of oil spilled by a ship, they must or must not clean it up. The Oil Pollution Act was passed after the Exxon Valdez incident. This was an oil spill in Alaska rated in the top ten worst oil spills of all time. Wildlife and coastlines were severely affected by the oil. This act was passed to prevent a spill of that size from happening again. Now ships have mandatory double hulls and there are fines up to $250,000 and 15 years in prison if you fail to clean up your oil spill. (Oil Pollution Act Overview) Water pollution is a major issue in our society. If we are unsuccessful at educating the public about the severity of this issue, it will result in the downfall of our natural environment resources. 
This site was created by several Rincon Point homeowners with the goal of developing an objective forum to discuss the ongoing sewer project. The site will host an ongoing conversation through which homeowners and others with valuable knowledge can work together. As the project progresses, everyone can post information (Q & A’s) to inform the collective knowledge of the community and ensure that the sewer project gets completed at/or under budget. It is our goal to encourage an agreeable location for sewer equipment (such as the pump stations) as well as to minimize landscape damage.
