May 2010

Houseboat Lending Now Available!

After a nearly 4 year hiatus, Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union has stepped up to the plate to offer houseboat lending in the Seattle area. We salute SMCU for embracing this amazing Seattle tradition which truly helps to define the Seattle character. For those thinking about purchasing a Houseboat in Seattle, this is great news.
The program details allow for 75% financing of the combined sales price plus sales tax, 30 year amortization with a 10 year balloon payment, and rates comparable to those for yacht lending. Credit and Income guidelines are similar to those required for purchasing a home. A Marine survey, and haulout is required. Further details can be obtained by contacting Denise Carlson at (206) 398-5581 or by emailing her at denisec@SMCU.com. For a list of available houseboats, please visit Special Agents Realty.

Seattle Attractions and Things to do

Seattle, Washington is probably best known as the birthplace of Starbucks Coffee and Grunge music and although true, this spectacular city is paving the way again as it makes its mark as one of America’s Greenest cities on it’s quest to redefine the American Metropolis living up to it’s ‘Emerald City’ nickname.   Nestled below the watchful eye of Mt. Rainier and the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Seattle is situated on the Puget Sound and surrounded by Elliot Bay, Lake Union and Lake Washington making it one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Visitors to this breathtaking city will have no problem finding things to do as they move through and around Seattle.   Attractions are both manmade and natural elements, satisfying and stimulating all of the senses and leaving tourists wanting more.

The Space Needle dominates Seattle’s skyline, not because it’s the largest building in the city but because its revolutionary architecture stands alone among American structures.  Built to be the dominant structure in the 1962 World’s Fair, the space needle has been a popular attraction ever since.  A great thing to do is dine at the SkyCity Restaurant that hovers 500 feet in the air and rotates 360 degrees as you experience some of Seattle’s finest cuisine.  Entrees start around $40 and patrons receive a free elevator ride and admission to the observation deck, which alone usually runs about 20 bucks a person.  While in the area visit the Pacific Science Center that houses an IMAX theatre, planetarium and laser dome theater in addition to 6 acres of hands on fun with abundant things to do.  Other nearby attractions include the Seattle Children’s Museum and the Seattle Center Monorail.

A great way to explore Seattle and its rich history is by visiting one of its many museums.  From traditional art and science museums to those chronicling the Asian Pacific American experience these local attractions allow visitors to walk through the North West culture which expands beyond its borders and into the world.  Two of the most unique museums in Seattle are the Experience Music Project (EMP) and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM).  These two museums are combined in one architecturally amazing location and bring two popular passions together through state-of–the-art exhibitions and hands-on interactives.   This attraction provides many things to do and see as you learn about how the Seattle music scene has evolved and discover the basic building blocks of science fiction.  The EMP|SFM is a leader in education to the Seattle community providing many programs and things to do for children and adults.

One of Seattle’s most iconic attractions is the Pike Place Market, established in 1907.  Filled with endless things to do, this market is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers’ markets in the U.S.  Overlooking the Elliot Bay waterfront, Pike Place Market covers over 9 acres and includes buildings, streets, walkways and alleys all dedicated to the people of Seattle and founded to bring farmers and consumers together.  Filled with over 190 commercial businesses, 50 restaurants and take out food shops, and 200 table spaces rented by the day, over 9 million people visit the market each year.  The unique shops include: comic book sellers, antique dealers, specialty food shops and handmade clothing boutiques.  If you can imagine it, someone is selling it at Pike Place Market.  A great thing to do is to stop by Pike Place Fish and experience the extravagant sight of the Salmon tossing fishmongers or stroll along the cobblestones to hear some of the many street performers as varied and diverse as the market itself.

Music and Seattle seem to go hand in hand.  Always going against the grain of the era, Seattle has been influential in the music industry since the 1920′s when it embraced the politically radical American Folk scene.  Seattle native Jimi Hendrix and bands like Sound Garden, Nirvana and Pearl Jam have kept the music culture alive and diverse.  Today Seattle is home to hundreds of celebrated music venues playing a wide variety of music every night of the week.  Inspired by Paris, The Can Can located in Pike Place Market is one of Seattle’s most notable attractions and award winning nightspots.  Chop Suey is an attraction that stands alone as one of the city’s most diverse venues hosting rock, electronic, indie, hip hop, world, alt-country, and DJ’s of all kinds.  The music lover will not have a problem finding a venue to suit their taste.  There are clubs of every kind scattered through out Seattle with unending possibilities and things to do in the search for entertainment. 

For a family friendly activity look no further than one of Seattle’s many festivals through out the year.  These attractions provide countless things to do for ‘kids’ of all ages.  The Seattle International Children’s Festival is one of the largest performing arts festivals for families in the United States.  Artists from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas perform in downtown Seattle providing a cultural education and experience for all.  The Sea Fair has been an annual tradition for over 50 years, this festival last for about a month from the beginning of July until the fist Sunday in August.  It was voted in the Top 10 events in the country overflowing with activities and things to do including arts and crafts, live music, parades and triathlon.  For movie lovers the Seattle International Film Festival gives cinema buffs 25 days of film viewing.  More than 300 works are showcased from famous directors to independent filmmakers covering every genre.  If travelers are looking to add a fitness adventure to their trip the Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon is sure to deliver.  Held annually on the first Sunday after Thanksgiving this event is a great way to celebrate the holiday season.  Combining this event with your holiday shopping is a great thing to do as you enjoy Seattle during the holidays.

Because the North West is abundantly beautiful a great way to spend time is finding things to do in the great outdoors.  Seattle has a wide variety of natural attractions for beginners and seasoned adventure travelers alike.  Visitors to this incredible landscape will not have a problem finding activities like mountaineering, hiking, white water rafting, whale watching and even scuba diving.  Seattle has done an amazing job keeping its natural resources pristine and their devotion to being a leader in the Green charge is apparent everywhere.  There is also a wide range of attractions for the Green minded traveler.  Enjoy a tour of one of the many Green buildings, visit ecological restoration sites, tour a state-of-the-art recycling center or sample alternative transportation options.  The city also has a Free Ride Zone in downtown that allows visitors to get on and off as they sight see—for free.

Seattle has earned the reputation for being one of America’s top cities for the size of its carbon footprint and has been recognized for its commitment to protecting the environment.  Placed among the top cities for walkability, Seattle’s attractions are easily accessible giving travelers an abundance of things to do and see that are low cost or free.  Her neighborhoods are welcoming and whether you are enjoying a cup of coffee at a local café, taking in the view of the mountains or listening to a local band jam Seattle will leave you feeling refreshed.

Planning A Cruise Vacation For The Perfect Cruise Experience

Cruise vacations are one of the most exciting and fun vacations you and your family will ever have. Planning your cruise vacation is the key to making the most of the cruise experience.

Cruise ships are floating hotels that sail through ocean while you enjoy all the hotel’s amenities provided. They have casinos, swimming pools, theaters, restaurants, shopping centers or boutiques, spas, gyms and more.

As great as taking a vacation on cruise ships may seem, you still need to know how to plan a cruise ship vacation properly so you have the perfect cruise experience. You need to know about the different types of packages the cruise lines offer.

When planning a cruise ship vacation you need to know how to choose one that will meet your expectation or tailor to your needs. Here are some guidelines that you can follow to plan your cruise travel and enjoy the perfect cruise experience:

Think of who you want to take with you on your cruise vacation. There are many different packages offered by cruise lines. There are packages for the whole family and there are packages for single travelers.

Will you be taking the cruise vacation with children? Maybe you will take your significant other for a romantic getaway. There are cruise ships that are tailored for children and there are cruise lines that cater to single cruisers and honeymooners. There are even some ships that offer wedding services. What could be better than to get married on the ship and have your honeymoon built in?

Decide how long you want to cruise. If you just want to try it out, opt for a three day cruise. Normally, cruises start at three nights and can go anywhere from seven to fourteen days. But there are also world cruises that can last as long as three months. My advice is if you are going to cruise in Europe you should pick a fourteen day cruise because of the expense and long plane rides to get to your port of embarkation. If you live near a port and you just want to take a long weekend choose of three or four day cruise. Decide what cruise travel is best for you.

Choose the perfect destination for you and your family. Alaska is beautiful but can only be cruised in the summer months. If you live in the colder climes you may want to take a mid winter cruise to the Caribbean or even South America. If you want your cruise travel to be in the Caribbean and you want to spend two weeks on your cruise vacation, choose a line that alternates between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. This cruise vacation takes you to many different islands.

The cruise lines have a variety of destinations to choose from. Visit your cruise travel agent to go over the different itineraries or check out the individual websites of the cruise lines.

Consider the port of departure. Since 9/11 cruises have been emphasizing home port cruising. Now there are many cruises that depart from Bayonne, New Jersey, Galveston, Texas, or Seattle, Washington, not just Miami and Fort Lauderdale.. Depart from the one closest to you and you will save money on expensive airfare.

Speak to a knowledgeable cruise travel agent. Make sure they have personally sailed on many different cruise ships so they can give you an honest opinion on what each cruise line has to offer and which would give you the perfect cruise experience.
A cruise travel agent will also be able to supply you with cruise tips. Scour the cruise reviews for additional cruise tips.

Large cruise lines have a variety of activities and facilities that you can use on the ship. If you like to gamble then choosing a cruise ship with casinos is probably right for you. Or if you are taking your kids with you, a cruise ship that offers activities and facilities for children would be the best choice for your cruise travel. For instance, Disney is, of course, geared toward children but they do not have casinos. So if you are taking the family but you want to gamble steer away from Disney and choose one of the other major cruise lines. Almost all of them have children’s programs. If you don’t want to be on a ship with children sail on one of the fancier lines that don’t cater to children. Here, again, it pays to read as many cruise reviews as you can to pick up additional cruise tips.

Cruise vacations do not necessarily mean that you have to spend all your vacation time onboard. All the cruise ships offer land and shore excursions. The cruise lines offer pre and post cruise land vacations usually for two or three days.

Land excursions are a great way to explore different cultures and destinations when taking a cruise vacation. You can choose from many activities once you reach a port of call. You can go kayaking, scuba diving or go shopping in the markets of the ports of call.

Following these guidelines will give you some ideas on planning your cruise vacation properly. Proper planning will give you a more exciting cruise experience.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Protecting National Water Resources: A Call to Ban Copper Sulfate for Use in America’s Ponds and Lakes

Protecting National Water Resources

The purpose of this paper is to recommend a prohibition of the use of copper sulfate, a toxic and bioaccumulative chemical, in America’s waters.

Background

Copper sulfate, a naturally occurring inorganic salt, is an algaecide, herbicide, germicide, and fungicide and is commonly used to maintain the aesthetic appearance of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds.  Being a trace element, its poisonous effects can be detected at levels as low as .33ppm, and its toxic potency is inversely related to the alkalinity and pH of water.[1] Copper sulfate is typically applied on a bi-weekly schedule, and what does not flow out of a water body into a receiving stream ends up binding to the underlying sediment. Here, this heavy metal accumulates indefinitely, serving as a reservoir of toxicity until the sediment is disturbed and conditions favor its release into the environment.

Because of its highly caustic nature, copper sulfate has been classified by the EPA as being in toxicity class I – highly toxic – and requires the signal words “DANGER – POISON” on its container.  Having the direct potential to disrupt photosynthesis, and because of its toxicity to downstream endangered species, its use requires a permit in certain jurisdictions and applications.[2]

Copper sulfate’s toxicity and propensity for accumulation is leading to a burgeoning problem at sites located throughout the US and the world.  Copper pollution is beginning to affect many coastal regions where river and storm water systems discharge; sites experiencing hazardously elevated levels of copper include: Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Naples Bay, North Miami, and Lake Pontchartrain.[3] In some cases, “[copper sulfate]…is the largest contributor to copper contamination.”[4]

As the effects of copper compounds and their persistence in coastal areas become better understood, some municipalities have included in their water resource management plans measures to reduce copper levels in stormwater discharge.  The application of copper sulfate as an algaecide has also been questioned in New York City, where authorities identified it as the primary cause of excessive copper levels in the City’s wastewaters and harbor.[5] However, in some cases, the specific regulatory approaches adopted have been criticized for their inefficiency.  San Francisco’s initiative to control copper contamination is estimated to have an end cost in excess of one billion dollars, primarily because of its inclusion of metallic copper, as well as all copper compounds, whatever their toxicity or fate.[6] Recent initiatives are taking a new direction, which is to improve upon water resources by targeting only volatile forms of copper, including copper sulfate.

Copper Sulfate: Detrimental to National Waters

Damaging Natural Habitats

The deleterious effects of copper sulfate on natural habitats have been widely documented. Long-term case studies have shown that, while algae is temporarily killed as intended, its decaying matter contributes heavily to dissolved oxygen depletion, fish kills, and the accelerated recycling of phosphorus which promotes algal blooms.[7] Eventually, the natural balance of the water body is upset: phytoplankton, the base of the food chain, are greatly reduced and no longer support small aquatic life; sediment-dwelling insects are killed by the accumulating poison; and plants, serving as both fish food and habitat, are killed by copper sulfate’s photosynthesis disruption.  After a local pond’s ecosystem has been become debilitated, the highly water-soluble residual algaecide is flushed downstream during a rain event, becoming a hazard for downstream organisms.

Catfish, one of the Fox River’s prime game fish, are visibly stressed by concentrations as low as 1.7ppm.  Enzyme activity in other fish increases due to stress at 2ppm, and the negative effects suffered were still observable after two weeks in clean water.[8] Furthermore, even at suggested application rates, the algaecide has been found to be lethal to salmonoids (e.g. salmon, trout, etc.).[9]

Animals that ingest copper sulfate by drinking from contaminated water bodies are also at risk as chronic exposures have lead to problems at levels as low as 20ppm per day—commonly leading to malfunction of the endocrine gland and testes.  After consumed, copper sulfate is strongly bioaccumulated, primarily in the heart, liver, brain, kidneys, and muscles of animals.[10]

Detrimental to Water Quality

As a treatment strategy, the use of copper sulfate as an algaecide addresses only the symptoms of the water body’s degraded condition, not the causes.[11] The underlying cause of the algal blooms is the urban runoff of fertilizers, detergents, and other phosphates.  The use of copper sulfate does nothing to minimize or manage these nutrients.  In fact, as a germicide, it destroys the beneficial bacteria that would naturally break down nutrients and, as an herbicide, kills plant life that would absorb them.

When this water is released into receiving streams, it brings with it the burden of excess nutrients and very low dissolved oxygen.  Considering that nutrient overabundance is already problematic for many  U.S. rivers and streams, any effort to lessen the problem should be taken.  This is especially important to downstream communities that already assume additional treatment costs to make water safe and potable for their residents.

Contributing to Pollution

Pollutants are defined as chemical constituents present at toxic levels and in bioavailable forms for a sufficient period that they adversely affect the beneficial uses of a water body.  Copper and its compounds are designated as pollutants, however it is the free form of the copper II ion that is biologically available and the most toxic form of this substance.  It is therefore important in creating a control approach to differentiate between sources such as metallic copper from brake pads and liners, and a wide array of ionic forms of copper of varying degrees of potential toxicity, the most problematic of which is copper sulfate.  Thus, environmental scientists continue to emphasize the importance of focusing “pollutant control on those chemical constituents that are significantly impairing…waterbody(s) within and downstream of the watershed.”[12]

Residents add copper sulfate to water bodies to satisfy an aesthetic desire, often without considering its potentially harmful effects.  This is especially true for storm detention ponds, which are increasingly seen as amenities and not as serving a specific, environmental function.  No longer should copper sulfate be permitted at the detriment of the local and downstream environments. An opportunity to remove an unnecessary, biologically available toxin from your local water bodies presents itself without significant drawbacks—and because of this, use of the copper sulfate pollutant should be forbidden.

On the Environmental Frontier

In considering a ban on copper sulfate, your community would not be unprecedented.  A number of jurisdictions are, or have, considered a ban on the use of copper sulfate.  Based on data revealing that copper “hot spots” coincide with storm water discharge points in the bay, the Naples City Council will consider a resolution in November 2008 that would prohibit the use of copper sulfate as an algaecide.  In early 2008, the City amended its budget, approving the installation of aerators in its stormwater retention ponds and lakes, in place of algaecide use to control algal blooms.13

Across the ocean from Naples, the European Union had scheduled a complete ban on all copper based algaecides because of the “effects of its use on the aquatic environment, impact on aquatic organisms, and soil accumulation.”[13] Reviewers found copper sulfate “not compatible with sustainable ecosystems and recommended against its use,” expressing concern about the impact it has when flushed into natural water bodies. [14] For these reasons, the review panel concluded that copper sulfate “should never be considered as a routine and convenient treatment to handle [algal] problems.”[15]

A Call to Action

As copper pollution becomes more widely recognized, more jurisdictions will move toward legislative and regulatory prohibitions targeting copper and its compounds.  Your local community has the opportunity to protect its ecosystems and preserve its vital water resources by preventing the intentional application of copper sulfate, a toxin and pollutant, to its waters.

By limiting this ban to copper sulfate as an algaecide, rather than more broadly to other copper species, smaller municipalities will be able to apply limited resources in the most beneficial and cost-effective manner.

References

1.  Iowa State University. Managing Iowa Fisheries: Use of Copper Compounds in Aquatic Systems.” http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM13521.pdf

2.  Extension Toxicology Network. Pesticide Information Profiles: Copper Sulfate. http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/coppersu.htm

3.  Thomas O’Connor and Gunnar Lauenstein. “Status and trends of copper concentrations in mussels and oysters in the USA.” National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in Marine Chemistry, no. 97 (2005) p 49-59.

4.  http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/24/federal-study-naples-bay-national-hot-spot-copper-/

5.  http://www.grredlee.com/wswqsour.htm

6.  http://www.gfredlee.com/watershe.htm

7.  Mark Hanson and Heinz Stefan. “Side effects of 58 years of copper sulfate treatment on the Fairmont Lakes, Minnesota.” Journal of the American Water Resources Association. Vol 2:6, pp 889-900. June 2007.

8.  European Union Technical Advisory Panel. “Copper sulfate for use as an algicide and invertebrate pest control,” September 2001. http://www.omri.org/coppersulfate.pdf

9.  ISU, Managing Iowa Fisheries

10.  Extension, Pesticide Profiles

11.  ISU, Managing Iowa Fisheries

12.  Lee, Aquatic Chemistry

13.  Personal Communication and Staats, Federal Study

14.  EU, Copper Sulfate for use

15.  Ibid.

16.  In light of these events, we have limited our recommendation to a ban on copper sulfate specifically for water applications.