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Index of Subjects This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0065_01C8E023.A26D04F0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I spend much of my summer on the water in the Bay of Fundy and we have = also picked up balloons from Massachusetts, advertising a car = dealership. It only makes sense that any balloon released to the SW of = us will travel this way in the summer. On our whale watch trip Saturday there were at least a dozen helium = balloons drifting in tide streaks, the largest was a huge red lobster! = The paint comes off the helium balloons very quickly when they land on = the water and they quickly resemble very large moon jellies, partially = filled with sea water. We can spend most of our trip just picking up = balloons some days - frequently celebrating birthdays, graduations, 4th = of July, etc. There are much better uses of helium than for our = entertainment. Although we don't see as many opaque balloons (the = smaller traditional balloons) as we used to, when we do there are = usually several tied together. The largest glob of balloons we picked = up, we actually watched drop from the sky on an overcast day and land on = the water - over 50 of them. Not only is the balloon a problem in = digestive tracts, so is the long ribbon attached to the balloon. Many = years ago a sperm whale was found dead after ingesting a weather = balloon. Plastic bags are an issue both on land and on the water and so are the = sheets of plastic that are used to wrap pallets. Another common sight = for us is styrofoam cups floating along - we only use refillable, = washable cups on our boat. And there are other plastics that end up in = the ocean that you might not expect. A necropsy (dissection) of a minke = whale a few years ago revealed a lid from a yogurt container in the = whale's stomach. Another of my pet peeves is that the beverage containers in New = Brunswick can be redeemed but not the lids! Needless to say, my = beverage containers are returned with the lids. On beach cleanups, the = lids are one of the more common items. Laurie Murison Grand Manan, NB ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Gloria Gilbert=20 To: Nature NS=20 Sent: Monday, July 07, 2008 9:26 AM Subject: [NatureNS] BALLOONS JELLYFISH AND PLASTIC BAGS It's a good guess that plastic bags present a similar threat to = wildlife. Anything we can do to encourage the use of non-disposable = shopping bags is a positive step.=20 Ask your grocery store to find a way to reward folks who bring their = own carry bags. Food banks can do this too! Gloria ------=_NextPart_000_0065_01C8E023.A26D04F0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.6000.16674" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I spend much of my summer on the water = in the Bay=20 of Fundy and we have also picked up balloons from Massachusetts, = advertising a=20 car dealership. It only makes sense that any balloon released = to the=20 SW of us will travel this way in the summer.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>On our whale watch trip Saturday there were at least a = dozen=20 helium balloons drifting in tide streaks, the largest was a huge red=20 lobster! The paint comes off the helium balloons very quickly when = they=20 land on the water and they quickly resemble very large moon jellies, = partially=20 filled with sea water. We can spend most of our trip just picking = up=20 balloons some days - frequently celebrating birthdays, graduations, 4th = of July,=20 etc. <FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There are much better uses of = helium than for=20 our entertainment. </FONT></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Although we = don't see=20 as many opaque balloons (the smaller traditional balloons) as we used=20 to, when we do there are usually several tied together. The = largest=20 glob of balloons we picked up, we actually watched drop from the = sky on an=20 overcast day and land on the water - over 50 of them. Not = only is=20 the balloon a problem in digestive tracts, so is the long ribbon = attached=20 to the balloon. Many years ago a sperm whale was found dead after=20 ingesting a weather balloon.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Plastic bags are an issue both on land = and on the=20 water and so are the sheets of plastic that are used to wrap = pallets. =20 Another common sight for us is styrofoam cups floating along - we only = use=20 refillable, washable cups on our boat. And there are other plastics that = end up=20 in the ocean that you might not expect. A necropsy (dissection) of = a minke=20 whale a few years ago revealed a lid from a yogurt container in the = whale's=20 stomach.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Another of my pet peeves is that the = beverage=20 containers in New Brunswick can be redeemed but not the lids! = Needless to=20 say, my beverage containers are returned with the lids. On beach = cleanups,=20 the lids are one of the more common items.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Laurie Murison</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Grand Manan, NB</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20 style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A title=3Dturtlevoice@ns.sympatico.ca=20 href=3D"mailto:turtlevoice@ns.sympatico.ca">Gloria Gilbert</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20 href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">Nature NS</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, July 07, 2008 = 9:26 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] BALLOONS = JELLYFISH=20