Go Green March 2014

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE BERMUDA SUN • MARCH 28, 2014

Earth Hour celebrations bring about awareness their support for Earth Hour and Spider-Man is the Earth Hour 2014 super hero ambasador.

What started out as a Ms Faulkenberry and Mr grassroots movement to Carney will encourage be singing people to turn songs from their lights out their hit for one hour Broadway has grown into show. a worldwide This will environmenlead into tal awareness the ‘light’s campaign. out events’, And, along taking place with over 152 in front of countries, City hall, Bermuda will explains again be a part Ashley of the Earth REBECCA FAULKENBERRY Gillis, GreenHour moverock’s Earth ment tomorrow Hour events coordiantor.

(March 29) with an amazThe first people to show ing roster of entertainment up to the evening’s Earth organized by Greenrock.

Hour event, starting at Bermudian Broadway 6pm, dressed up in their actress and singer Rebecca Spiderman or favourite Faulkenberry will be superhero costume will be making an appearance given a free gift. alongside her Spider-Man: Face painters will be on Turn off the Dark co-star hand and there will be fun Reeve Carney. games to participate in The stars and director that don’t require electricof the upcoming film The ity, as well as healthy food Amazing Spider-Man 2, vendors, says Ms Gillis.

Andrew Garfield, Emma Rock Fire, Troika, DanceStone, Jamie Foxx and sations and InMotion dancMarc Webb have pledged

BY ROBYN BARDGETT

rbardgett@bermudasun.bm

ers will be among some of the live entertainment, and there will be plenty of fun activities to participate in including the popular BELCO power-generating pedal bikes and a reading corner for children, hosted by the Bermuda National Library.

“The Walk of Flame event will begin at 8.30pm and Belco will be turning off the lights for an unlit one and half mile walk through the streets of Hamilton illuminated by tea lights,” says Ms Gillis.

Participants are asked to bring a jar with them to hold the tea light, which will then be collected at the end of the walk and used for a photo opportunity.

Climate change

Several businesses, including Appleby, Renaissance Re, The Music Box and HSBC, will turn off the lights in their buildings in honour of Earth Hour.

And locals are encouraged to participate and encourage their friends, families and neighbours to also switch off during the hour from 8.30pm to

n PHOTO SUPPLIED

FLAME: A fire juggler wows the audience at last year’s Earth Hour celebrations on the steps of City Hall.

9.30pm.

“We are just trying to make people aware about what is happening in the world concerning climate change,” explains Ms Gillis. “Sixty minutes is just the start to moving forward with sustainability.”

The theme for Earth Hour is 60+, to help encourage people to think beyond the 60 minutes when it comes to energy conservation.

Kicking off the day will be the newest addition to the Earth Hour lineup

–– the Living Green Expo, which will feature vendors talking about their exciting new green products from 12pm to 5pm in the upper level of the new Washington Mall. Featured vendors include Bermuda Engineering Services, KBB, Butterfield & Vallis, AES, Department of Engineering, LOVE and Greenrock.

‘Power to Save’ bags filled with deals from participating shops will be handed out to people attending the Living Green Expo and will include discounts from stores

including AS Coopers, Hera Boutique Gibbons Company Stores, Brown & Co, Daisy ’n Mac, Island Trading, Bermuda Gas, Pulp & Circumstance, Carole Holding Bermuda Shops, Davison’s of Bermuda and People’s Pharmacy.

Late registration for the Walk of Flame can also be filled out during the Living Green Expo and the Earth Hour celebrations. n

FOR A FULL LISTING of all the events taking place tomorrow, visit www.greenrock.org/earthhour.

EVERY SATURDAY PIER SIX LOWER LEVEL, FRONT ST., HAMILTON

8AM - 1PM

MID NOVEMBER TO JUNE

n CITY CORNER

A rest in the park is great for the brain

BY ROBYN BARDGETT rbardgett@bermudasun.bm

The need for a time out from work is a lot more than just about taking a break.

There is scientific proof that spending time in nature can help to restore our

brains and pick us back up when we’re feeling low.

According to research in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, living in an area where there is green space has many benefits, including increased physical activity, a

sense of belonging in a community and psychological restoration related to the reduction of stress.

Rejuvenate

Luckily for those living and working in the City of Hamilton, there are plenty of options for beautiful spaces to rejuvenate during the day.

It may seem counterproductive to leave the office when in the midst of a busy day, but taking a break can make us more effective and productive in the long run.

A perfect City retreat is Victoria Park, nestled behind City Hall and featuring the recently restored bandstand, which was built in the 1880s to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee.

The park has had a storied history and has held many social events as well as political rallies.

Today, the park remains a beautiful spot to enjoy a quiet lunch, a convenient location to meet up with friends and a perfect place to host an event.

Victoria Park was recently the site for the finale of the City Food Festival, and during the summer the central city location plays host to the Summer n PHOTOS BY ROBYN BARDGETT Sundays in the Park, which features music and entertainment throughout PEACE: Victoria Park is a haven in the middle of the summer months. n the busy City of Hamilton.

Sponge threatens Florida, Caribbean coral reefs

BY KEN KAYE Sun Sentinel (MCT)

It’s such a vibrant orange that divers think it’s part of South Florida’s colourful coral reefs.

But it’s a destructive sponge that for the past decade has been spreading

and threatening corals, which already are deteriorating around Florida and the Caribbean.

“It’s a beautiful orange sponge, but it is an excavating sponge, able to bore inside the coral,” said Andia Chaves-Fonnegra, a PhD student at the Nova

Southeastern University Oceanographic Center in Dania Beach, who is heading up a research project into the scourge.

Normally, reefs have natural defenses. Yet, the current mortality rate for Florida reefs has been high because of seaborne diseas-

es and warmer waters.

That has given the orange sponge –– which can reproduce three to five times per year –– more room to grow, said Ms Chaves-Fonnegra, 34, of Delray Beach.

“The sponge is not what we call an invasive species, but it is a strong competitor, specifically with coral,” she said.

Monitored

For now, the sponge’s spread is being monitored.

But to stem its growth, Ms Chaves-Fonnegra said ocean pollution should be reduced, as it is nurtured by sewage and other materials.

Often crusty and pockmarked, sea sponges are classified as animals, even though they don’t have circulatory, digestive or nervous systems. They survive on the power of water flowing through

their bodies to obtain food and oxygen.

Ms Chaves-Fonnegra, with help from others at NSU, recently discovered the orange sponge, formally called Cliona delitrix, is proliferating because its larvae attach to dead parts of corals. That aspect of its attack had gone undetected, even though it was widely known the sponge could be deadly.

When it leaches onto corals, it takes up space where new corals –– made up of colonies of tiny animals that secrete calcium carbonate –– would otherwise start to grow.

“The sponge makes holes inside the coral and dissolves the calcium carbonate,” she said. “It erodes the coral’s threedimensional structure.”

Of some consolation, the orange sponge has not grown as fast in South

Florida as in other regions, thanks to high levels of algae and ocean sediments, said Ms Chaves-Fonnegra.

She said algae and sediments form “carpets” of sorts, making it difficult for the sponge to get into the coral. Even without the threat of killer sponges, coral reefs are under constant attack from parasites and predatory fish, such as the lionfish.

Ms Chaves-Fonnegra has been diving into waters around the Caribbean to monitor the sponge and is writing her doctorate dissertation on it.

Her work is important toward ensuring the coral reefs remain healthy, said Joe Lopez, an associate professor at the NSU Oceanographic Center.

“We’re trying to understand how the sponge reproduces and its overall pattern,” he said. n

n MCT PHOTO

DESTRUCTIVE: The orange sponge has been threatening south Florida’s coral reefs, which have already been deteriorating.

BELCO 2013 Energy Efficiency Final Go Green Ad fp.:BELCO Energy Efficiency Guide

7/8/13

3:56 PM

Page 1

Find the right setting

Pull the plug to save

Don’t make your fridge too cold and always

Even when electronics are turned off,

use the energy-saver setting. Maintain

they still use energy in standby mode, drawing “phantom

according to manufacturer’s instructions. If you have a fridge

load”. Put electronics on power strips and turn off the strips.

or freezer that is not fully used, unplug it or dispose of it.

Turn off lights and TVs when you leave rooms. When you travel, unplug everything possible at home.

Control your water heaters carefully

Switch to CFLs and LEDs A big energy saver is the small bulb. Switch to light-emitting

Water heaters use a lot of

diode (LED) or compact fluorescent

electricity. Setting them no higher

lightbulbs (CFLs). They last a long

than 120° F, or according to

time and suit most applications.

manufacturer’s instructions, will

Put the pieces

save money and be ample for your dishwasher, washing machine and shower. When travelling, unplug your home water heater.

Put timers everywhere

together to save energy, money and

Look for the smallest appliance Microwave ovens cook food quickly

the environment.

and with relatively little energy. Toaster

Timers on water heaters can save hundreds of dollars a year. Timers also save energy when used with other appliances, lighting and electronic items.

Get the AC to fit your bill Air conditioning can make energy bills soar.

ovens use less energy than full-size ovens and produce less heat. Use lids with pots and pans to keep heat in and use the smallest pot and burner.

Use appliances efficiently Use dishwashers, washing machines and dryers only when they are full, and use the shortest, coolest or most energy-efficient settings.

Turning the AC on when you come home and off when you leave costs less than leaving the AC running continually. You don’t use energy when the air conditioner is off. Choose fans and open windows when you can.

Watch the size of your TV

Choose “Energy Star” Appliances with the Energy Star label use less energy, save money and help protect the environment.

When buying home appliances or electronics, choose highly rated Energy Star models.

The bigger the TV screen, the more energy is used. Some TVs consume more energy than others. LEDs are the most energy efficient, while plasma TVs are energy hogs.

For further information visit

www.belco.bm