Bud Browne: 1912-2008

Photo: www.surfingcal.com

This past Sunday saw the passing of pioneer surf filmmaker Bud Browne at the age of 96.
For more information on Bud's immense contribution to the world of surfing, check out his Legendary Surfers page here.
Thanks for the inspiration Bud!
Aloha.

The White Buffalo

This past Saturday the White Buffalo blew the doors off of La Perla del Mar in Shell Beach. The Buff took the stage and played a couple of solo acoustic songs before bringing his band (a bassist and a drummer) to the stage where they tore through a huge set which brought the house to its feet. This was a private engagement and those fortunate enough to find themselves in attendance were blown away by the White Buffalo's raw talent. There is already talk about trying to arrange future shows, so stay tuned...
Big Mahalo to Amy and Jesse for making this happen!

Bonus Video!

Green Wetsuits?

Pop quiz: Which of the above wetsuits is a greener, more earth friendly product? The suit on the left is made using conventional, petroleum based neoprene, whereas the suit on the right employs limestone based rubber, water based inks, and recycled YKK zippers.

So, which suit is a greener more earth friendly product? If you said the suit on the right, you are correct, though not by as far a margin as you might have guessed.

Yesterday the LA Times published a short piece about Patagonia's* recent eco-audit which revealed that using limestone based rubber is likely as energy and carbon intensive as using standard petrol based rubber.

So comparing the two suits above, the suit on the right (Body Glove's ECO 4/3) is a touch more earth friendly by virtue of the recycled zipper and water based inks alone.

Is that enough of a reason to purchase the suit on the right? All other things being equal...yes. Seahuggers endeavors to use consumer purchasing power to help shape industry. Money talks, and if your dollars approve of recycled zippers and water based inks, then perhaps Body Glove will begin to employ these features in all their suits, not simply the ones carrying an "ECO" designation.

Wouldn't it be great if every pair of boardies were crafted using recycled soda bottles, or if you could buy any T-shirt off the rack and know it was manufactured from pesticide free materials?
We think so.
Help us make this happen.
Support industry effort and endorse change.

Aloha


*Seahuggers is proud to say that it will be carrying Patagonia product winter 2008/09.

Food for Thought

When it rains, it pours. First, W lifts the ban on offshore oil drilling and now Hugger HQ has learned that the so-called dead zone within the Gulf of Mexico may grow to a record setting 8,800 square miles, an area approx. the size of New Jersey! Seems the recent flooding in the Midwest has resulted in a larger than normal amount of agri-chemical run-off into the Gulf of Mexico which helps account for this years "dead-zone" expansion. However, the real issues here are that there is a normal level of agri-chemical run-off and frankly, that there is a "dead-zone" at all.


Photo: www.dsc.discovery.com

You may be asking yourself: What is the "dead zone" and what can I do to help reduce it?
For an answer, Seahuggers has enlisted the help of the book "50 Ways to Save the Ocean". Below is a direct excerpt from way number 12:

Farmers in the Midwest use up to 140 pounds of synthetic fertilizer per acre for corn and other chemically-dependent crops. Each spring, surplus fertilizer and agri-chemicals are washed down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico where they encourage the growth of a massive algae bloom. When the algae decay they are fed on by bacteria, which suck the dissolved oxygen out of the water (eutrophication). This lack of oxygen creates a "dead zone" larger than New Jersey that kills every form of life that cannot flee its reaches.


Graphic: www.conservationinstitute.org

Similar harmful algal bloom, dead zones, and diseases along our coasts are also linked to "nutrient pollution" from agricultural chemicals and factory farms. Concentrated animal feed operations for cattle, poultry, and hogs displace thousands of family farmers, crowd animals, and intensify pollution from animal wastes. At the same time factory farming offers little or no benefit in terms of the health and flavor of the meat and dairy products we consume. Much of the animal waste from these operations takes the form of nitrogen which finds its way into our coastal waters, spreading diseases and smothering productive habitats such as sea grass meadows and coral reefs. Our food choices as consumers can significantly affect these trends.

Simple things you can do include these:

1. Look for the organic label, and purchase organically grown foods whenever possible. This could significantly reduce the amount of chemical fertilizers flowing to the sea.

2. Choose a vegetarian diet or reduce the amount of the meat you consume; you'll reduce the amount of water and waste required in the production of your food.

3. Try organic barley or grass-fed beef as an alternative to corn-fed feedlot meat. Most American corn is grown with heavy applications of petrochemical fertilizers. What's more, cow's stomachs aren't adept at digesting corn, so it's use as a primary feed has led to more sick animals, which generates more waste.

4. Try to purchase fresh, locally grown foods. Doing so reduces the amount of oil used to transport foods from fields to stores and also supports local farmers.

5. Learn to savor the flavor: make fresh organic meals a center of your social and family life. Don't feel guilty about putting time into a fine meal. Treat your food as more than fast fuel.

Aloha.

SeaMugger

Photo: www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/images/oil_rig.jpg

President Bush lifted the executive ban on offshore oil exploration yesterday, and has called on congress to repeal its ban which has been in place since Bush Sr. created via executive order in 1990. Read more here.
We try to steer clear of political posts at Seahuggers but with something like this, which is so obviously deleterious to our oceans and beaches, we could not hold our voice.
Folks, offshore oil drilling is not the answer (neither is drilling in ANWR). We need to look toward alternative, renewable, and sustainable energy sources NOW.
I'll leave it there.

Sea No Evil

If you're in the Los Angeles area this weekend drop in on the Sea No Evil art benefit featuring some amazing artists and live music from Matt Costa. All proceeds will go toward the preservation and protection of the worlds oceans.