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: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses is touring Taiwan tomorrow. What about pop diva Lady Gaga? B: Unfortunately, Singapore has once again exclusively secured Gaga’s concerts in Asia, just like Taylor Swift’s exclusive Asian shows last year. A: The Singaporean government reportedly paid up to US$2.2 million to secure Swift’s shows. B: And the shows did boost its economy and tourism. A: But I’m angry about this approach, so I’m not going to Gaga’s shows this time. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰明天即將來台，流行天后女神卡卡呢？ B: 真可惜，新加坡再度取得卡卡亞洲巡演的獨家主辦權，就像去年泰勒絲的亞洲獨家演出一樣。 A: 據報導新加坡政府付出高達220萬美元，取得泰勒絲的亞洲獨家主辦權。 B: 而她的秀也的確提振了該國的經濟和旅遊業。 A: 但我對此還是很不爽，所以不去新加坡看卡卡了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses and pop diva Lady Gaga are finally touring Asia again. B: Are they also coming to Taiwan? A: The band will stage a show at the Taoyuan Sunlight Arena on Saturday. B: Wow, so this will be the band’s third visit. I really love its 1992 power ballad “November Rain.” The nine-minute hit was the Billboard chart’s longest song at one point. A: Let’s go celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰、女神卡卡終於再度展開亞洲巡演了。 B: 他們也會來台巡演嗎？ A: 槍與玫瑰本週六即將在桃園陽光劇場開唱唷。 B: 哇這將是該團第三次來台演出，我超愛他們1992年強力情歌《November Rain》，全長近9分鐘還曾是告示牌排行榜最長神曲。 A: 那我們一起去慶祝該團出道40週年吧！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Every May 1, Hawaii comes alive with Lei Day, a festival celebrating the rich culture and spirit of the islands. Initiated in 1927 by the poet Don Blanding, Lei Day began as a tribute to the Hawaiian custom of making and wearing leis. The idea was quickly adopted and officially recognized as a holiday in 1929, and leis have since become a symbol of local pride and cultural preservation. In Hawaiian culture, leis are more than decorative garlands made from flowers, shells or feathers. For Hawaiians, giving a lei is as natural as saying “aloha.” It shows love and
If you could nominate any toys for the Toy Hall of Fame, what would they be? Iconic playthings like yo-yos, toy cars, or video games seem like obvious __1__. Classic toys such as jacks, playing cards, and board games like Chess, Monopoly, and Uno have brought endless joy to generations. Overall, there are countless toys that __2__ in the Toy Hall of Fame. The National Toy Hall of Fame was __3__ in 1998 at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The Toy Hall of Fame aims to __4__ items that have been cherished for generations, and several
RSS