Let me begin by saying that I am by no means an Earth Scientist. The extent of my Earth science skills include the following:

• Studying rocks as an undergrad (Fools gold anyone?)
• Visiting Kilauea Volcano located on the Big Island of Hawaii
• Watching Planet Earth on DVD (over and over again)

Like I said, I’m not qualified even a little. But I have some thoughts on the recent Icelandic volcano, which grounded air traffic all over Europe and is still erupting and the recent earthquakes in Haiti, Chili, China and California that I would like to share.

I’ve been hearing that there is no connection between the string of earthquakes and the volcano. How is that possible? From where I’m sitting it looks like the insides of the earth are wrestling with itself and the winner is blowing ash out of a volcano in Iceland.

I don’t want to start walking down the “the sky is falling” path. I’m feeling too optimistic this morning to do so and I don’t think that is happening anyway. But I do think we are seeing the results of stress on the Earth and the results of our ways of living as well as our attitudes towards how we live despite any science or opinions that says this is all a natural occurrence that we are merely observing. It’s a natural occurrence alright that we (humans) a helping along at a very unnatural pace.

You don’t need to looks any further than the below to see the trending of frequency and severity of earthquakes. If you want to look further, by all means, and if you have comments, please leave them. I will get to them eventually.

Frequency and severity of earthquakes
http://research.dlindquist.com/quake/historical/?mag=6&type=num&freq=year&style=raw

Where earthquakes are happening. They are happening all the time. Many are no big deal.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php

Earthquake trends (one view) from http://research.dlindquist.com

Again, I don’t think the sky is falling, but I do think we are seeing result of our actions. Earth Day is tomorrow. Some people view this as a day to do your inconsequential part for the environment (It was also a headline from The Onion in 2006).

I agree with the sentiment to a degree. It’s one day. And who cares that you recycled your one can of Pepsi (ok Coke, easy Coka Cola drinkers)? But the day is a chance to renew values and change habits. From where I’m (still) sitting, that’s one of the big benefits of Earth Day.

But back to my initial thought that started this whole rant. These earthquakes and erupting volcanoes have NOTHING to do with each other?? Really. So, the Earth isn’t one big ball connected by oceans and tectonic plates anymore? Apparently my Earth science knowledge is worse than I thought.

It’s all connected. All systems are connected one way or another. Just because we don’t have the evidence to link everything together in some type of linear diagram doesn’t mean they are not connected. You don’t have to be a Rocket (or Earth) Scientist to figure that out.

I wish I knew about this one early. This is probably the best ocean and marine blog on the web – http://www.thereeftank.com/blog/.

I’m not a big fan of the old copy/paste of press releases. I get quite a few and most of them don’t make it here. This one I thought was worth sharing just as I received it. Here you go:

Emmy-Award Winning Musician and Philanthropist Peter Buffett follows in father Warren Buffett’s footsteps by passing the baton of social action project with Akon to DoSomething.org

New York, NY (March 30, 2010)—Like father, like son. In 2006, philanthropist Warren Buffett pledged 85% of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, saying “what can be more logical, in whatever you want done, than finding someone better equipped than you are to do it?” In 2010, his son, Emmy-award winning musician and philanthropist Peter Buffett, will do the same.

Peter Buffett has chosen DoSomething.org as the authority for online social activism, granting the not-for-profit organization the reins over his charity project with Akon entitled IsThereSomethingICanDo.org. Their website will now redirect to DoSomething.org, encouraging visitors to use the resources there to take action.

DoSomething.org is an established community for young social activists, providing the tools and resources necessary to help young people rock causes they care about and impact a positive difference upon the world. The organization is currently on track to activate two million young people around those causes by 2011.

“DoSomething.org has proven themselves to be at the forefront in driving social action through online interaction,” said Buffett, “I feel the best thing Akon and I can do for IsThereSomethingICanDo.org is to utilize this resource to motivate our fans to do the same.”

Beginning April 1st, IsThereSomethingICanDo.org will live as a fully-integrated microsite on DoSomething.org, featuring a history on the project and bios of its co-founders Peter Buffett and Akon. The website will then direct users to DoSomething.org’s homepage to explore additional content and ways they can take action around causes they care about.

“We were so impressed by Peter and Akon’s passion, energy, and commitment to music and social causes,” says Nancy Lublin, CEO and Chief Old Person at DoSomething.org. “We couldn’t be happier that they chose us to help motivate and inspire their fans to make a difference.”

IsThereSomethingICanDo.org was launched in June 2008 to promote social action through social networking. Buffett had previously teamed up with Akon on the song “Anything” as a response to the post-war conditions in Sierra Leone and Liberia. After the collaboration, the pair expanded their charitable efforts by developing IsThereSomethingICanDo.org and producing the track “Blood Into Gold” to again inspire the public to action against human trafficking.

About DoSomething.org
DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US that helps young people rock causes they care about. A driving force in creating a culture of volunteerism, DoSomething.org is on track to activate two million young people in 2011. By leveraging the web, television, mobile, and pop culture, DoSomething.org inspires, empowers and celebrates a generation of doers: teenagers who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. Plug in at www.DoSomething.org.

About Peter Buffett
Peter Buffett is an Emmy Award-winning composer, producer and philanthropist. His tireless work with numerous non-profit organizations has made him a well-known activist for social concerns. Buffett has launched his own social network community, www.peterbuffett.com/ning, to release new material to his exclusive network of fans on a monthly basis. His first book, Life Is What You Make It, is slated for release in April 2010 through Harmony Books. The book takes on themes of following passions over conventions, and how part of life’s journey can be found in the process of giving back.

About Akon
An internationally recognized multi-platinum selling artist, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Akon is one of the most influential voices in music today. In addition to having two multi-platinum albums and 23 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, Akon has over 150 guest appearances with artists such as Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and Gwen Stefani to his credit. His multifaceted sensibilities and popular club anthems have launched him to international.

If you are reading this you heard something about a surfer and a whale in California. Please keep in mind that Jodie Nelson didn’t do this for no reason. She did this to raise awareness and to prevent cancer.

More about the professional California surfer and the 30 foot minke whale that escorted her.

Imagine if everyone who read her story just gave a dollar. Support her cause with a few bucks.

A quick blurb from the story

What Nelson could not have known was that a 30-foot minke whale would swim alongside her 14-foot board and accompany the surfer as she stood and paddled for two of those nine hours, thus joining the cause.

You should read more about the surfer and the whale. It’s pretty frickin’ awesome.

We’ve been trying to find the little bits (and the bigger bits) of green living that ecotourists and vacationers want to experience.

So, how about a nice eco vacation in Oregon. The fresh air, the wildlife, the geothermal energy? That’s right, the sidewalks in Klamath Falls Oregon never have snow on them, ever. After a brutal winter on the east coast not shoveling a sidewalk sounds like paradise.

Geothermal energy accounts for 0.5 percent of the United State’s energy production. It’s got a low carbon foot print, but could have a nasty side effect if it is implemented in the wrong area. Namely earthquakes. But please don’t take our word for it. We are fans of green living and eco travel and vacations. We are not scientists. So, do your own research and ask your own questions.

For more about green living and Oregon eco vacations visit Yahoo!

Stop Ear Candles from getting banned, sign this petition.

Right now you are thinking 1 of 2 things

1. I love ear candles. How dare the FDA!
2. I have no what idea ear candle are and I don’t care. I’m not signing.

You should care. You should sign. Why? Because it starts with one harmless product like ear candles being banned then another, then another and then it’s the product you like and use everyday. YOUR harmless product that you love so much that is the target. So do yourself a favor, sign the petition.

Still don’t care? Read this to see how your tax dollars are spent by the FDA
Why sign if you don’t ear candle? Of all the things in the world to go after, the FDA has targeted ear candles. Go figure. Have you read the side effects of the last prescription your doctor wrote for you? The side effects are enough to opt for the ailment.

Do you know what the side effect of ear candles are? From my experience nothing. From reading online, I have heard that people have had wax drip in their ear. Yep, that can happen when you mix wax, fire and your ear. But consider this, car accidents kill quite a few people every year, but there is no movement to stop driving is there? That was not rhetorical. Please answer the question.

It gets worse … or does it?
The most devastating case I have heard regarding ear candles is the case of a woman who was ear candling alone who (this is why reading instructions is important) burned her house down and died in the fire. Now, I feel sorry for the woman, but ear candles had nothing do with this. That’s like blaming a cell phone for people who have hit a pole and died because they were texting.

What do ear candles do?
So, why should we care about ear candles?? What do they do? Well, I’m not a doctor, but I have used ear candles before. I can tell you 2 things for sure. They make me feel very relaxed. And 2, they don’t suck anything out of my ear. Don’t believe me? Try putting the end of the vacuum up to your ear and see how that feels. Now, with the ear that isn’t ruptured, administer an ear candle with the help of a friend. Notice a difference? Careless people, please disregard the vacuum suggestion, but feel free to look up the definitions of satire and sarcasm.

So really, what do ear candles do
Like I said, I’m not a doctor, but ear candles do help me relax and that state of relaxation could be just enough to help the body relieve itself from the daily stress we call life. Have you ever heard of meditation? Wouldn’t it be a hoot if the FDA banned mediation? That was rhetorical.

For the skeptics out there
Let’s say ear candles do absolutely nothing. Let’s all agree to that for the next paragraph, OK? Great! If ear candles do nothing, then there is nothing to ban because the FDA wouldn’t create a big stink about nothing would they? Or would they? Or is it a nice way to spend your tax dollar and keep them from fixing drugs that have 101 side effects that are worse than the ailment?

If you got all the way down here, you might as well sign the petition.

Snorkeling Hanauma Bay if by far one of the most memorable things you can do on a Hawaii vacation.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is a half-mile beach bay located on Oahu in Hawaii. It is frequently held as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world for good reason. Oahu is not the Big Island as many people I’ve talked to think. Oahu is home to Honolulu and Waikiki. The Big Island is the Island of Hawaii. Another amazing island, but that’s not what this post is about

Back to Hanauma Bay. If you are interested in adding a litte ecotourism to your Hawaii Vacation give Hanauma Bay a shot. The bay is like one big natural aquarium. It has 3 levels of reefs. The inside reef is the safest place to be as the reef protects you from the open ocean. If you feeling adventurous (I wasn’t), you can find the “key hole” and make your way to the 2nd and 3rd reefs. A word to the wise, talk to the lifeguards before being so adventurous even on calm days.

Before getting to the bay itself, you will watch an educational video about reef conservation. It goes into why standing on the reef (any reef) is a bad thing (it kills the reef). This was my experience when I was there. The reef has had hard times. This educational effort has been made to keep the reef healthy. From what I can tell and what I’ve hear, it’s working out just fine.

Hanauma Bay is a popular spot and might be crowed. Get there early and if you want to have more privacy, walk to the far corner of the bay. That should give you some insulation from the crowds. However, much of the snorkeling happens in the middle and the left hand side of the bay.

What you might see snorkeling Hanauma Bay on your Hawaiian vacation
Turtles, or Honu as they are referred to in Hawaii, and moray eels are some of the more interesting characters you might see. There are also a variety of fish at every turn.

What to bring on to Hanauama Bay / Hawaii vacation
Snorkel gear if you have it. If not, you can rent when you get there. Towels. Chemical free sun block (so you don’t damage the reef). Food and water. A sense of curiosity and respect for the ocean.

If you are considering a Hawaii vacation with a side of ecotourism consider Hawaii’s island of Oahu for your Hawaii vacation. There’s more than just downtown Waikiki (though admittedly I love downtown Waikiki).

Hawaiian mythology and Hanauma Bay
According to Hawaiian mythology, the Hawaiian demi-god Maui created the bay. My Hawaiian mythology is a little weak, but if this is your type of thing, pick up a book on the island. Hawaiian mythology is fun to read up on.

More about Hanauma Bay
http://www.honolulu.gov/parks/facility/hanaumabay/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanauma_Bay
http://www.friendsofhanaumabay.org/

Bring your Aloha spirit. Mahalo (thank you) for reading this post.

In the spirit of creating a conversation, we’d like to hear about your favorite ecotourism travel destinations.

We’d like to hear about ecotourism vacations you have already take and those that are on your list to take. We’d also like to know what aspects of ecotourism vacations appeal most to you. It is about the destination itself, the activities, bringing the kids on your ecotourism vacation or other.

Do you have a list of your favorite top 10 ecotourism vacation destinations? We’d like to know.

If you have feedback, please submit a comment located in the top right of this post. We’d love to hear what you have to say about this topic.

Keep the Rehoboth Beach ocean clean and farmers farming in Delaware.

Please act on this if you live in Delaware (DE), Maryland (MD), District of Columbia (DC), Virginia (VA), New Jersey (NJ) and Pennsylvania (PA).

Start cleaning the ocean up here: http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=511.