Coral reefs and sunshine keep tourists flocking to Hawaii but, add sunscreen to that holiday mix, and the result can be serious damage to the marine environment that makes the islands so attractive to visitors in the first place.
On July 3 Hawaii Governor David Ige signed legislation that will ban the sale of sunscreens containing two chemicals believed to harm coral reefs, making Hawaii the first US state to ban sunscreens that are harmful to coral reefs. The ban will come into place in January 2021.
The bill focuses on two chemicals – oxybenzone and octinoxate – that are found in many sunscreens and notes that they “have significant harmful impacts on Hawaii’s marine environment and residing ecosystems.” It indicates that high levels of these chemicals have been found at popular swimming beaches and reef areas, including Waimea Bay, Hanauma Bay, and Waikiki Beach on Oahu and Honolua Bay and Ahihi-Kinau natural area reserve on Maui.
Photo: AP
照片:美聯社
A study in 2015, published in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, found the chemicals have a range of effects on coral, including mortality in developing coral, bleaching of coral and genetic damage to coral and other organisms. It also found both chemicals can induce feminization in adult male fish and increase reproductive diseases in creatures from sea urchins to parrotfish and mammal species similar to the Hawaiian monk seal. The chemicals can also induce neurological behavioral changes in fish and have possible impact on the many endangered species found in Hawaii’s waters, including sea turtles.
The study found oxybenzone had a toxic effect at a concentration of 62 parts per trillion – equivalent to one drop in six-and-a-half Olympic-size swimming pools.
“This is the first real chance that local reefs have to recover,” said Craig Downs, a scientist whose 2015 peer-reviewed study found oxybenzone was a threat to coral reefs. He found up to 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen lotion ends up in coral reefs each year. “Lots of things kill coral reefs but we know oxybenzone prevents them from coming back.”
Photo: AP
照片:美聯社
Authorities in other marine park locations – such as the Virgin Islands, south Florida and destinations in Mexico – have already been taking measures to encourage visitors to use sunscreens made with biodegradable chemicals such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide.
(The Guardian)
夏威夷的珊瑚礁和陽光,吸引了大批遊客造訪,但若防曬油也在這假日盛況中湊上一腳,結果可能會是對海洋環境的嚴重破壞,而海洋環境正是夏威夷讓遊客趨之若鶩的本錢。
Photo: AP
照片:美聯社
夏威夷州州長大衛‧伊藝七月三日簽署了一項法案,禁止販售含有兩種特定化學成分的防曬油,因為據信這兩種化學成分會傷害珊瑚礁──這使得夏威夷成為美國禁用有害珊瑚礁之防曬油的第一個州。該禁令將於二○二一年一月生效。
該法案所針對的是許多防曬油都含有的兩種化學成分──二苯甲酮和甲氧基肉桂酸辛酯,並指它們「對夏威夷的海洋環境和生態系統造成了重大傷害」。法案指出,在遊客如織的游泳海灘和珊瑚礁地區發現了大量這些化學物質,包括在歐胡島上的威美亞海灣、恐龍灣、威基基海灘,以及茂宜島上的火奴魯阿海灘和阿希希基瑙自然保護區。
二○一五年發表在《環境污染與毒理學檔案》期刊上的一項研究發現,這些化學物質會對珊瑚造成一連串影響,包括成長中珊瑚的死亡率、珊瑚白化,以及對珊瑚和其他生物的基因損害。研究還發現這兩種化學物質都可能誘發成年雄魚的雌性化,並使生物罹患生殖疾病的風險增加──從海膽到鸚哥魚,也包括夏威夷僧海豹之類的哺乳動物。這些化學物質還可誘發魚類的神經行為變化,並可能對夏威夷水域中的許多瀕危物種(包括海龜)造成影響。
該研究發現,二苯甲酮在濃度達到兆分之六十二時會具有毒性作用──相當於六個半奧運標準游泳池中的一滴。
科學家克雷格‧唐斯說:「這是當地珊瑚礁得以恢復的第一個真正的機會」。唐斯二○一五年經同儕審查的研究,發現二苯甲酮會對珊瑚礁造成威脅。他發現每年有多達一萬四千噸的防曬乳液最後進入了珊瑚礁。「很多東西都會殺死珊瑚礁,但我們知道二苯甲酮會讓珊瑚礁無法復原。」
其他海洋公園所在地當局──如維京群島、佛羅里達州南部和墨西哥旅遊勝地,已採取措施鼓勵遊客使用以生物所能分解的化學成分(如氧化鋅和氧化鈦)所製成的防曬油。
(台北時報林俐凱編譯)
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but