new york city and billion oysters

Oyster Shells. Governors Island, NY (photo credit: e. pang)

According to Observer, New Yorkers can consume "up to half a million oysters in local restaurants" on a weekly basis.  That statistic might not be surprising if you're an oyster lover like myself.  The interesting story, however, is where some of these oyster shells end up - back in the Hudson River thanks to the Billion Oyster Project (BOP).  A non profit that started in 2014, BOP is restoring the New York Harbor with oyster reefs, which used to be plenty but have since been depleted due to factors like "pollution, disease, [and] over-harvesting."  The Nature Conservancy (TNC) highlights how this natural infrastructure is great for water filtration - "one adult oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water" each day.  With the goal of a billion oysters back in the harbor by 2030, BOP has partnered with local restaurants to reclaim the shells and divert this food waste from landfills.  In early summer of 2018, some 400 oyster reef structures were launched into the Hudson River, totaling 5 acres in coverage.  Read more on the restoration and latest findings in May 2018 report published by TNC and BOP.  

lobster and maine: boom or bust?

Route 1, Maine (photo credit: HY)

It's nearly impossible to drive through Maine and not being reminded of its most well known industry. Side road lobster shacks, piers with stacks of lobster trap, and eye-catching decorations (see balloon above). According to Bloomberg, about 80% of American-caught lobster comes from Maine. Last year, Smithsonian examined how different factors, including climate change, contributed to a lobster boom in Maine. This past summer, New York Times highlighted how the warming water can also bring about a bust, and discussed conservation practices by the industry.

"tell me something good"

March for Science 2017. Washington, D.C. (photo credit: e. pang)

Last week, Google launched a new Assistant feature for its U.S. users called "tell me something good."  The result is a daily summary of good news from communities around the world.  Curated by non-profit Solutions Journalism Network, the focus is on "how problems are solvable and that doing better is possible."  The network has developed a searchable database called The Solutions Story Tracker, where you can find stories based on criteria like issues and success factors.  Search results for climate change included recent articles on Norway's plastic pollution, trees and urban heat island effect in Dallas, and dogfish and Cape Cod fisheries.  The network also has a learning hub for journalists with training and toolkit.  Its end goal is to close the gap in current coverage where the emphasis is on problems, instead of solutions.