Photo of the Day

"Sun is Shining"

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Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute

On June 1, 2011 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced the end of ten years of focused state funding for springs science and protection. The Florida Springs Initiative was first funded in 2002 with about $2.6 million dollars by the Florida legislature. The Springs Initiative was a program recommended by the Florida Springs Task Force to increase information about the plight of Florida’s threatened springs and to provide a technical basis for restoring these priceless natural resources. The Florida Springs Initiative supported dozens of projects that highlighted the impacts that springs have experienced due to Florida’s development and increasing human population and helped to educate thousands of concerned citizens about the steps necessary to restore and protect springs. Sadly, the funding for the Springs Initiative has been declining for the past three years to $0.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and was totally eliminated by the current legislature and governor.

The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute was founded one year ago to augment the efforts of the Florida Springs Initiative. With the demise of the state’s springs program, the Florida Springs Institute is now more important than ever. The Florida Springs Institute is the only organization focused on springs monitoring, research, education, restoration, and protection in Florida. The Springs Institute is reaching out to environmental organizations, universities, local governments, and the water management districts to collaborate on springs restoration and protection. The Florida Springs Institute provides a rallying point for citizens who want to halt the continuing worsening condition of our springs and to restore the best of those springs to some semblance of their historic glory.

The Florida Springs Institute is a non-profit organization that is funded solely by grants and donations. If you wish to make a difference for springs, you may want to make a charitable contribution or educate your neighbors about the importance of and need to protect our springs and our groundwater.

floridaspringsinstitute.org/

Listen to The Mix Up!

New Album "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two" Out NOW!
PURCHASE BEASTIE GEAR

Listen to Garage A Trois!

“Garage A Trois skew grittier and more psychedelic with the current lineup, combining heavy-riff distortion with a rough-and-tumble funk delirium.”
 – The New York Times
"A transformative, punkalectic, pornographic seizure of sight and sound."
 – John Margaretten (photographer)

featuring Stanton Moore, Mike Dillon, Marco Benevento, Skerik

Purchase the Album on CD or 12" vinyl 

Royalpotatofamily.com

Remaining Tour Dates for 2011

December 1 | UCSD The Loft | San Diego, CA (Advance Tickets)
December 2 | The Mint | Los Angeles, CA (Advance Tickets)
December 3 | Party at The Compound | Oakland, CA
December 4 | The Independent | San Francisco, CA (Advance Tickets)
December 7 | HumBrews | Arcata, CA (Advance Tickets)
December 8 | Sam Bonds | Eugene, OR
December 9 | Doug Fir Lounge | Portland, OR (Advance Tickets)
December 10 | Nectar Lounge | Seattle, WA (Advance Tickets)

Join the Visual Petition Today!

The Visual Petition is a powerful statement to the world declaring that surfers, as a global culture, will no longer stand by and let our ocean kin be murdered. Whales and Dolphins are revered by surfers and ocean lovers all over the world, though a minority of humans are intent on wiping out these masters of the ocean. Up to 26,000 Dolphins are killed every year in Japan, along with thousands of Whales killed by Norway, Japan and Iceland despite an international ban on commercial whaling.

No matter who you are, we have a unique affinity with the ocean and it's inhabitants. As the Earth is 70% water, so are we as human beings. We are the stewards of our coastlines and the protectors of the lifeblood of the world. This petition simply illustrates our collective power to act on those feelings of conservation, ensuring the next generation experiences the joy of Dolphins and Whales.

Join Dave Rastovich, Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Paul Watson, Ash Grunwald, Mick Fanning, Hayden Panettiere, Taj Burrows, Joel Parkinson, Ric OBarry, Xavier Rudd, Wolfmother, Missy Higgens and many more by signing up with them on the Visual Petition website today!

www.visualpetition.com

Photo of the Day

"Silhouette"

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TED talks with National Geographic photojournalist Brian Skerry

Watch Brian Skerry reveal ocean's glory -- and horror courtesy of TED.com

Wake Up Florida! What will we do when the springs run dry?

When the springs run dry

Florida’s leaders spent up to $24 million to keep the Florida Springs Initiative running throughout its ten-year existence. Comparatively, Florida has at least 900 artesian springs, known for their clarity and vibrant color, which contribute more than $300 million to the state economy each year through recreation and eco-tourism. 

“We need to reduce the amount of water we’re pumping out of the aquifer. Water management districts are beginning to recognize this, but they’re still giving out permits for additional groundwater withdrawals. They’re handing them out like candy.” - Bob Knight Director of the Florida Springs Institute.

Oceans Soul: Photographs by Brian Skerry

Brian Skerry is a photojournalist who captures images that not only celebrate the mystery and beauty of the sea but also bring attention to the pressing issues which endanger our oceans. His project Ocean's Soul is currently featured in Washington DC, which is based on the book under the same title. 

"For decades I have tried to peel back the layers of mystery surrounding many marine creatures, though most have held tightly to their secrets. One animal that keeps me pondering is the shark. Spellbound by these enigmatic animals since I first encountered them in New England, I never tire of watching their special blend of power and grace. Despite much observation, we know so little about their lives. I have photographed sharks in waters around the globe, and I always want more and yearn to peer deeper into their world. To feed my passion and to raise awareness, I developed a story about sharks for National Geographic magazine. Although there are great places in the world to see specific species, the Bahamas was a place where I could photograph many species in a variety of habitats that would provide a broader view of these animals. The Bahamas has mangrove nurseries, coral reefs, shallow sea grass beds, and deep oceanic trenches—all perfect ecosystems for sharks. Photographing multiple shark species in exquisite water was the assignment I had dreamed about from the start."
"My goal was to make intimate pictures of sharks, but I didn’t want to perpetuate the myth of sharks as monsters. Rather, I wanted to portray them as an elegant and important part of each ecosystem in which they lived. The pictures needed to be respectful, so that old beliefs would fade and a new view might take hold. Early in this project I made a photograph that helped set the tone. Kneeling on the sea bottom in a place known as Tiger Beach, I watched a 12-foot- long female tiger shark cruise over the turtle grass with three silver bar jacks swimming in front of her nose. The shark ascended toward the surface, so I did the same, hoping to fill the frame with this regal animal but unsure of what might actually happen. As I drew near, I released the shutter just as the tiger shark turned. The result was an image that offers a gentle view of this apex predator, one in which shadows of tiny fish are painted on her face and her appearance is anything but threatening."
                                     -Excerpt from Brian Skerry's Ocean's Soul

Photo of the Day

"The Devil's Eye"

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