IDEAS & ACTIONS

80% of all marine pollution originates from land (UNEP)

Oil discharge from industry and cities has been cut by nearly 90% since the mid-1980’s. (UNEP)

EXTINCTIONS       Acropora cervicornis (staghorn) Acropora palmata (elkhorn)   Of the 2175 coral species described, the ecological status of only 13 have been evaluated and 38% of these are on the IUCN Red List as threatened. (IUCN Table 1 2007) Two Caribbean coral species are listed as threatened based by the US Endangered Species Act as of May 6, 2006. These corals are the Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis). In the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005), the most comprehensive audit to date, scientists report that organisms are disappearing at 100 – 1000 times the ‘background levels’ seen in the fossil record.

 

MEASURING YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
With human population growing to 6.5 billion, the earth has 4.5 biologically productive acres per person.
The average consumer in the western world requires the equivalent of 24 acres.
That means they need about five Earths!

Several organizations have developed a simple and fun online calculator for you to estimate how much land and water you need to support your current consumption and lifestyle.

www.earthday.net/footprint
www.ecologicalfootprint.org

TIP TO REDUCE YOUR FOOTPRINT       If every household (in the USA) replaced just three of its incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving designs and used them for five hours per day, it would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 23 million tonnes, reduce electricity demand by the equivalent of 11 coal-fired power stations and save $1.8bn.

 

CHANGING YOUR HABITS CAN MAKE A MEASURABLE DIFFERENCE       1. Walk, bike and carpool. This action reduces traffic and saves energy. 2. Dry laundry on a line 3. Eat eco-friendly seafood 4. Use zoned air conditioning 5. Install compact fluorescent lighting 6. Keep temperature several degrees higher. Just a few degrees makes a difference. 7. Unplug hot water tank if going off island. 8. Eliminate lawn pesticides 9. Reduce home water usage 10. Inspire your friends to take similar actions

 

GREEN TIPS       For Divers Report any damage to the coral reef to your dive operator or to the Department of Environment. Practice good buoyancy in a swimming pool before you go diving in the ocean. Maintain good buoyancy control particularly when using cameras Hover above the reef and do not touch the sea floor. Never touch marine life. Observe briefings from local dive professionals Keep your gauges tucked in and be aware where your fin tips are Don’t feed the fish   For Boaters Use only biodegradable cleaning agents Maintain your engine for peak efficiency When replacing engines purchase high efficiency four stroke engines or other new technologies Use moorings or anchor in sand where permitted Never anchor on coral or in sea grass beds Pump sewage and grey water tanks into an appropriate shore facility Never dump trash or anything into the ocean

 

BECOMING A GREEN TRAVELLER

• Choose a dive operator that is aware of the marine environment.
• Support environmentally responsible resorts and tour operators that properly treat sewage and wastewater.
• Never eat local threatened sea food.
• Never purchase souvenirs made from coral or any threatened or endangered marine species.
• Hang your towels to dry so you can reuse them and reduce water and energy consumption.
• Be aware of protected fish and sea food in the Cayman Islands.
• Know the Marine Conservation laws. Be aware of all regulations and laws including the new Wildlife Interaction Zone (WIZ) regulations for interacting with marine life at the Sandbar and Stingray City on Grand Cayman.
• No removal of stingrays from the water
• No feeding marine life in any of Cayman waters other than those areas designated as WIZ’s.
• Only approved fish food is permitted.
• No vessel’s anchor can be closer than 20 ft to any reef structure.

HOUSEHOLD TIPS: TRASH & RECYCLING

reduce water consumption: go low flow

• Low flow faucets, low flow shower heads, low flow toilets (place a brick in the cistern)
• When replacing old appliances purchase high efficiency, low flow washing machines, dishwashers.
• Build a grey water garden to water your lawn.

• Solar hot water systems are an easy and moderate cost option in Cayman.
• Solar electric panels can also be installed to reduce your reliance on electricity.
• Low energy high efficiency fluorescent light bulbs
  These are excellent for providing good lighting at a fraction of the consumption of old-fashioned incandescent bulbs. The International Energy Agency calculates that 19% of global electricity generation is used for lighting, but old-style bulbs convert only 5% of their energy into light.

• Learn how to compost your discarded food.
• Reduce the use of non-recyclable items.
• Take a shopping bag shopping with you to reduce wasting grocery bags.

TIPS FOR RESTAURANTS & HOTELS

Developing a Green Strategy makes sense because it will reduce costs and minimise your business’s detrimental impacts on the environment.

establish a waste management plan

• Eliminate paper and plastic products from your dining room
• Recycle linen, food, office paper, and packages

• Install timers on electrical equipment such as outdoor lighting, pools and jacuzzi jets, and even kitchen equipment
• Use solar walkway lighting
• Increase guest awareness of ways they can reduce energy waste, such as reusing their towels and turning off the air conditioning when they leave their rooms.

• Monitor total water use on your property.
• Water gardens at night.
• Use low flow shower, faucet, and toilet fixtures.
• Build a grey water garden.

• Substitute non-biodegradable toxic chemical cleaners for biodegradable non-toxic chemicals for your kitchens, rooms, and boats.

• Make sure your staff is aware of the local marine protection laws.
• Establish an environmentally aware orientation for staff.

• Don’t serve any locally threatened fish and sea food species.
• Be aware of globally threatened fish and sea food and provide information to your guests as to why you are not serving these fish. www.blueocean.org/seafood