Care for the Environment While Cleaning up after Your Pooch

If you’re a dog owner, chances are you’ve had to pick up after your pet when he has answered nature’s call outdoors. Part of being a responsible pet owner is removing dog waste. Short of being unsightly, dog feces are also a health hazard. If you take time to regularly clean up after your pet, you’ll be able to help prevent the spread of disease (of both the human and animal variety) and do your part to be a better neighbor. The practice can even do wonders for eliminating pesky fly problems where you live.

But what you do with dog waste might actually be another matter altogether. If you’re concerned about your impact on the environment, you might have issues with using plastic bags to pick up after Fido. Some reports have suggested that it may take up to 500 years for a bag to break down in a landfill. Plastic bags haven’t been in existence long enough to know whether that number is accurate, however. Basically, the estimates scientists have arrived at regarding this issue “are just another way of saying ‘a really, really long time,’” according to a 2007 article by Slate Magazine.

With the growing worldwide emphasis on going green, some companies have made efforts to shorten that “really, really long” timeframe by developing biodegradable pet waste bags. By using these products, you can fulfill your responsibilities as a dog owner and do your part for helping to protect the environment. Garbage needs air to decompose, but because many landfills are regularly covered with layers of dirt to help reduce odor, that process can be severely hindered.

Biodegradable dog waste supplies, however, are not limited in this manner. They can be buried, thrown in backyard compost piles, or even collected by your community and taken to a biodegradable waste composting site. If you decide this is the right option for you, contact officials where you live to learn more about the waste disposal options available.

Sources
http://www.biobagusa.com/biobag_dog.htm
http://www.slate.com/id/2169287/
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=1308
http://www.littletongov.org/parks/cleanupafterpet.asp

The Cromwell, CT Dog Park Effort

Dog Parks are becoming more and more popular as dog owners look for ways to exercise and socialize their furry friends. In fact, many people inquire about the proximity of dogs parks when buying a new home.

I have since joined the effort of the passionate people in this beautiful town of Cromwell - located in central Connecticut. Our goal is to raise funds through private donations in order to construct a public use dog park.
For any companies who read this blog, we are currently asking for product samples for upcoming fundraisers (and money is always nice too! :-). The products will be used as door prizes and giveaways during our various events. Our next fundraiser will be an information/donation booth at the Cromwell Riverfest in August. We would be grateful for any help in our efforts to beautify a part of the community and create a place for dogs and their owners.
For more information about our efforts, check out this article http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2010/06/15/news/doc4c16f5ba0ecba526041112.txt.

Clownfish Attracted to Smells In Water

After clownfish hatch from their eggs in the ocean, they spend about 10 to 12 days floating freely in the ocean as larvae. After that time, they often return to the reefs close to the shore where they were born. The way they find their way back home has long been a mystery.

Researchers studying the percula clownfish have recently found that the clownfish may be attracted to the smells in the seawater. In a recent study, scientists showed that clownfish were attracted to water samples treated with anemones or leaf litter over other control sample scents. This suggests that scent or other chemical markers in the water are what allow the fish to find their way home. This is the first time that terrestrial causes of scent, such as leaf litter, have been considered.

(Published online http://journals.royalsociety.org)

NFAFC Protects The Deep Sea

The North-East Atlantic Fishers Commission (NEAFC, www.neafc.org) has agreed to implement a UN resolution from 2006 that protects cold water corals, sponges, and other deep-sea species in the Northeastern Atlantic.

This resolution will protect the deep-sea ecosystems and lead to more sustainable deep-sea fishing throughout the Northeastern Atlantic. The fisheries that use high seas bottom fishing methods that damages corals, and other species will be subject to environmental impact evaluations, and some areas will be closed to fishing where damage cannot be prevented.

The NEAFC has closed several high-risk areas over the past four years, but this resolution is a huge step in protecting Northeast Atlantic deep-sea species.