The Call Of The Oyster

I want to express my appreciation to Steve Allen, editor of the Loop, for giving me this front page space every issue for over two years.  Although I strive for credibility and accuracy in this column, I know I strike a nerve now and then.  If Steve has gotten any negative feedback, he hasn’t told me.  It takes special courage and foresight to allow a curmudgeon like me to say things that most of us would just rather not think about.
 
I must also praise Leslie Brown who, as editor and standard bearer of the Vashon Beachcomber, was willing to write and print a front page lead article on acidification of the oceans.  This nasty effect of the excess carbon we are pumping into the atmosphere is just as dangerous as climate change.  Our local canary happens to be the oysters in Puget Sound.  It appears that the acidity in our Puget Sound waters is making it difficult for oyster larvae to precipitate calcium carbonate to make shells.  Tom Dean points out that as the oyster larvae are at the bottom of the food chain, their collapse could have a disastrous effect all the way up to salmon and orcas.
 
As Brown says, much of the acidity is due to an upwelling of acidified calcium carbonate deficient waters from the bottom of the ocean into Puget Sound.  However, Brown quotes a research scientist, Adrienne Sutton, as saying that 75% of the acidification in Puget Sound is due to local inputs.  This is the important part.  That means we can do something about the plight of the oysters and maybe the entire food chain in the Sound.  Changing some of our habits right now can actually make a big difference.
 
So, what can we  do?  Probably the largest single source of CO2 around Puget Sound is our beloved cars and trucks.  Maybe the possibility of not having any fish in our waters is enough to motivate us to drive less.  I know this is a really hard one.  Some of us, in pursuit of our dreams, have no reasonable option but to drive a long commute every day.  Barring any other alternatives, I hope you are using or thinking about getting a low impact vehicle or looking for carpool possibilities.  As I am self-employed and semi-retired, I’m in no position to criticize.  We could pay heavily for the baubles and conveniences of our present world.   I’m hoping in the future we will be able to design a much saner economy that allows all of us the opportunity to work in the community in which we live. 
 
In the meantime, we can all make small steps in the right direction. Try when you can to make one trip to town instead of two or three, or carpool.  Bus service in Seattle and Tacoma still leaves a lot to be desired unless you are going downtown.   If you are downtown bound, though, the bus is the only way to go.  The last time I drove to downtown Seattle, I vowed never to do it again.  We found ourselves sitting in a field of idling unmoving cars for as far as we could see and for long enough to ponder both the monumental quantity of fuel being guzzled and CO2 expelled for nothing.  It was a great sculpture except for the climate change part.  We were looking for a place to park and we ended up paying more than the cost of a five trips on the bus, not counting the gas used, nerves frayed, and time lost.  Try the bus; you may be very glad you did.   The new Metro Rapid Ride service that replaced the old 54 in Seattle comes every 10-15 minutes, every 30 minutes after 11pm. until around 3 am.  Get an Orca card and you will never have to fumble for change or transfers or ferry tickets.
 
Another big input is the stuff that we let run off our roads and yards.  Not driving is the first thing to consider, but making sure you are not leaking oil is important.  Cut back on the lawn chemicals.  Let your lawn express itself; maybe it favors a few dandelions and a little moss.  Brown is natural.  I love the brown of summer:  a sign that I can leave the mower in the stall.
 
I have an electric lawn mower that I love.  Simply plug it in and flip the switch.  You have to wield the power cord like with a vacuum cleaner (only a little more seriously).   I’ve found it much easier than I expected to mow with a cord and I don’t miss splashing gas about, pulling muscles in my back trying to start the engine, listening to the loud roar, breathing the fumes, paying for the repairs, or feeling guilty about the excess green house gases.
 
The oysters are telling us that climate change is here; it’s time for us to change too.
 
Comments?  terry@vashonloop.com