We’re now live, check out the beta version of SurfPioneer! Our surf forecasts are up and running and provide accurate data to help decide when and where to surf in the Pacific Northwest. We might be live, but we’re far from done. The beta version of SurfPioneer represents the beginning of a new surfing site dedicated to providing the most accurate and detailed surf forecasts for the PNW. We’re continuously working to improve the site to provide the best forecasts possible.
We’d love to hear your feedback - let us know what you love/hate. Leave a comment or contact us here.
Last month President George Bush lifted the White House ban on offshore drilling, citing a need to wean America off its dependence on foreign oil. Bush was then joined by several notable members of congress to lift federal moratorium on offshore drilling.
This is a bad idea.
Offshore drilling threatens our Northwest coastal and marine environment. Increased spills and industrialization associated with drilling offshore will result in devastation, including the introduction of dilling fluid additives into the environment, which harm or kill fish and other marine life.
The following “unavoidable” consequences of offshore drilling were listed by the Minerals Management Service about drilling in the Gulf of Mexico: erosion of wetlands, air pollution, contamination by toxic chemicals, dumping of industrial waste and debris, and the decline of fish populations.
And to think we could have all that on our coast. Lovely.
If you’ve come to this blog you’ve probably seen the homepage that says the site is currently under construction. For your patience we wanted to give you a little sneak peek at the look and feel of surfPioneer. Here are a few screen shots:
Should be live by the end of the month. Stay tuned.
I got a warning last week from State Parks about “mysterious silver containers, not to be opened…may contain rat poisoning.” That was all they said and they gave me an 8 ½ x 11 photo of these containers. I started digging on this online this evening…and found this coverage. Haven’t found any good information on the investigation of this, but all they know is: “the containers appear to be from China but officials don’t know what ship—or ships—they are from”.
and it you haven’t signed up, you have less than a month. Registration for the event ends May 1st.
The Clean Water Classic is the Pacific Northwest’s oldest surf competition and all proceeds from the event go to local Surfrider Chapters. The $35 registration fee not only gets you into the event but also gets you a one year membership to the SurfriderFoundation.
Sign-up here
The Shark Shield surf model, designed to protect surfers by deterring sharks, was put to the test last week in South Africa. It was activated on a float carrying bait when a shark approached and rather than being deterred by the device as it should have been, bit into it.
Rod Hartley, director of Sea Change Technology, which manufactures the Shark Shields, said the failure of the product was due to a problem with the electrode’s configuration. The Shark Shield is now packaged with a large disclaimer warning it would only repel sharks when the surfer was still in the water waiting for a wave - so you’re covered just as long as you don’t paddle or ride waves.
We’re fans here of Google Earth, not simply for it’s innate ability to locate remote surf spots, but it’s power in displaying data that was once only static. The Google Earth image above allows us to visualize, for the first time, the impact humans are having on the ocean’s ecosystems. The full map shows that over 40% of the world’s oceans are heavily affected by human activities and very few areas remain untouched, including the Pacific Northwest.
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation just released a new map layer for Google Earth that allows users to explore pollution data from over 30,000 industrial facilities in North America. You can learn about the pollution profile of each facility, including which pollutants are generated and how the facility handles them. There a quite a few along the Northwest coast, almost all lumber or pulp mills. Check what chemicals Georgia Pacific is releasing off the coast of Oregon.
