Loretana
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National Geographic article "Grey Whales Saved Off Baja California"
<http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/27/gray-whales-saved-off-baja-california/>
San Ignacio Lagoon is wonderful!
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration."
-Nikola Tesla
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David K
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From the link above: "Movie stars and famous musicians joined with local activists and American campaigners to stop the salt works and bring
international attention to the plight of the gray whale. In 2000, Mitsubishi declared its intention to withdraw its plans. We had won!"
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Interesting that over in Scammon's Lagoon (Laguna Ojo de Liebre) the grey whale population keeps growing and booming, despite the salt mining
operation of pumps, barge shipments from that lagoon to Cedros Island, etc. ? The whales don't seem bothered at all. I wonder what the difference
would be at San Ignacio lagoon salt beds? I know one objection was a long pier to ship out the salt from. Maybe that was it?
Salt is made in central Baja by pumping sea water onto salt pans and then letting the sun evaporate away the water... a renewable resource.
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liknbaja127
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Is it true they us the salt for PVC piping?
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David K
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Never heard that... as salt will 'melt' when wet, it doesn't seem like it would be used to make water pipe (PVC)...
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liknbaja127
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thanks Dave, I will check it out this weeked, will be down for a few days.
first time in that area. can't remember were I heard that, have a hard time
remembering what I did last week!!
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David K
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PVC= Poly Vinyl Chloride... and is used to make a LOT of things, not just sprinkler and drain pipe. I took a peek at Wikipedia and couldn't find any
connection with table salt, but who knows?
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Whale-ista
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yes re PVC piping. PV= polyvinyl and C=chloride. source of this is salt,=sodium chloride
Yes regarding fears of impacts of massive pier on local fisheries. concerns were that the pier would disrupt flows of currents into lagoon and along
coast that help distribute larvae for many species of fish commercially harvested in SI lagoon and other areas near Vizcaino/Pta Abreojos.
Also increased operation of ships carrying salt offshore to Cedros for transport might interfere with whales migrating south
Finally, GN is a very different area, heavily industrialized for decades, and not part of an internationally recognized biosphere reserve dedicated
under UNESCO
For more historical info see: http://www.netconnection.com/commentary.html
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
PVC= Poly Vinyl Chloride... and is used to make a LOT of things, not just sprinkler and drain pipe. I took a peek at Wikipedia and couldn't find any
connection with table salt, but who knows? |
NaCl is source of chloride in poly vinyl chloride,... Go look it up!
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Salt is made in central Baja by pumping sea water onto salt pans and then letting the sun evaporate away the water... a renewable resource.
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Depends on what resource you are talking about, and how you define renewable.
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DianaT
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The whales were great poster children for stopping something that would have been a disaster for the locals. There were also labor issues involved.
The fishing co-ops were opposed to the develop for very good reasons.
The salt water at Ojo de Liebre is diverted into large ponds where the evaporation occurs and there are local environmentalists who are concerned
about the future health of the lagoon and the possible effects on the Whales. And the destruction of the surrounding landscape is really ugly.
[Edited on 2-28-2013 by DianaT]
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shari
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Diana is correct that whales attract the attention needed to stop or postpone a mega-project. Ojo de Liebre IS a world heritage Unesco site as well
but the salt works were there before the designation. The whales have gotten used to all the noise from the pumps..and pangas...and dont really feed
in the lagoons anyway but shipping traffic does present a problem especially for sleeping whales who do get hit by boats.
I wonder if the new change in government may reverse the decision to expand the salt works to san ignacio in the future???? big money there.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
I wonder if the new change in government may reverse the decision to expand the salt works to san ignacio in the future???? big money there.
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I hope not. 
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Gypsy Jan
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Gray Whales Saved Off Baja California
From National Geographic
By Mark J. Spalding, President, The Ocean Foundation
It's gray whale migration season on the west coast of North America
"One of my early major marine conservation campaigns was to help with the protection of Laguna San Ignacio in Baja California Sur, a primary gray
whale breeding and nursery estuary-and still, I believe, one of the most beautiful places on Earth. In the late 1980's, Mitsubishi proposed
establishing a major salt works in Laguna San Ignacio. The Mexican government was inclined to approve it for economic development reasons, despite the
fact that the lagoon has multiple designations as a protected area both nationally and internationally.
A determined five-year campaign drew thousands of donors who supported an international effort that was implemented by a partnership that included
many organizations. Movie stars and famous musicians joined with local activists and American campaigners to stop the salt works and bring
international attention to the plight of the gray whale. In 2000, Mitsubishi declared its intention to withdraw its plans. We had won!
In 2010, the veterans of that campaign gathered at one of the rustic camps of Laguna San Ignacio to celebrate the 10th anniversary of that victory. We
took the children of the local community out on their first whale-watching expedition-an activity that provides the winter livelihood for their
families. Our group included campaigners such as Joel Reynolds of NRDC who still works on behalf of marine mammals every day, and Jared Blumenfeld,
who has gone on to serve the environment in government service.
Also among us was Patricia Martinez, one of the conservation leaders in Baja California whose commitment and drive carried her places she could not
have imagined in defense of that beautiful lagoon. We traveled to Morocco and Japan, among other places, to defend the lagoon's World Heritage status
and ensure global recognition for the threats it faced. Patricia, her sister Laura, and other community representatives were a major part of our
success and remain a continuing presence in defense of other threatened places along the Baja California peninsula.
In early February, I attended the Southern California Marine Mammal Workshop. Hosted by Pacific Life Foundation in partnership with The Ocean
Foundation, this workshop has been held in Newport Beach each year since January 2010. From senior researchers to marine mammal veterinarians to young
Ph.D. candidates, the workshop participants represent an array of government and educational institutions, as well as a handful of other funders and
NGOs. The focus of the research is on marine mammals in the Southern California Bight, a 90,000 square mile area of the Eastern Pacific extending 450
miles along the Pacific Ocean coast from Point Conception near Santa Barbara south to Cabo Colonet in Baja California, Mexico.
The threats to marine mammals are diverse-from emerging diseases to shifts in ocean chemistry and temperature to fatal interactions with human
activities. Yet, the energy and enthusiasm of the collaborations that emerge from this workshop inspires hope that we will succeed in promoting the
health and protection of all marine mammals. And, it was gratifying to hear how well the gray whale population is recovering thanks to international
protections and local vigilance.
In the beginning of March, we will toast the 13th anniversary of our victory in Laguna San Ignacio. It will be bittersweet to remember those heady
days because I am sorry to say that Patricia Martinez lost her struggle with cancer at the end of January. She was a valiant spirit and a passionate
animal lover, as well as a wonderful sister, colleague, and friend. The story of the gray whale nursery of Laguna San Ignacio is story of protection
supported by vigilance and enforcement, it is the story of local, regional, and international cooperation, and it is the story of working out the
differences to achieve a common goal. By this time next year, a paved highway will connect the lagoon to the rest of the world for the first time. It
will bring changes.
We can hope that most of those changes are for the good of the whales and the small human communities who depend on them-and for the lucky visitors
who get to see these magnificent creatures up close. And I expect that it will serve as a reminder to remain supportive and vigilant to ensure that
the gray whale success story remains a success story."
Mark J. Spalding is president of the The Ocean Foundation
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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Whale-ista
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Thanks for sharing this post. Brings back good memories when I had more time to travel in Baja.
Mark and I worked on this when he was at UCSD and I was living in Ensenada. That's when we co-authored this commentary for San Diego and Mexico City
publication.
Has anyone heard of new plans to expand salt works? I hope not...
http://www.netconnection.com/commentary.html
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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The Gull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Whale-ista
yes re PVC piping. PV= polyvinyl and C=chloride. source of this is salt,=sodium chloride
Yes regarding fears of impacts of massive pier on local fisheries. concerns were that the pier would disrupt flows of currents into lagoon and along
coast that help distribute larvae for many species of fish commercially harvested in SI lagoon and other areas near Vizcaino/Pta Abreojos.
Also increased operation of ships carrying salt offshore to Cedros for transport might interfere with whales migrating south
Finally, GN is a very different area, heavily industrialized for decades, and not part of an internationally recognized biosphere reserve dedicated
under UNESCO
For more historical info see: http://www.netconnection.com/commentary.html |
So the salt shaker on the table is a contaminate because NaCl is table salt?
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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Leo
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Yes and No, Gull
The grass is always greener....
and so, there is always a better spot in Baja
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The Gull
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When is it yes and when is it no?
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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