In an attempt to prevent shark attacks, the Australian government has proposed a plan that can only be described as horrific.

Shark attacks are scary. Despite what “Jaws” taught us, however, they’re also extremely rare. Global statistics show that wasps, toasters, chairs, domestic dogs and even falling coconuts kill far more people every year than sharks. But that didn’t stop Western Australia’s government from buying into the hysteria by proposing a plan that is both barbaric and ecologically devastating.

There have been six fatal shark attacks in Australian waters over the past two years. In response, officials in Western Australia have proposed a highly controversial “shark management” plan that calls for the slaughter of any shark longer than 3 meters (9.8 feet) found swimming anywhere near popular beaches. According to the Guardian, sharks unlucky enough to get hooked on baited drum lines will be ‘humanely destroyed’ with a firearm. Them the shark corpses will be then tagged and taken further out to sea and dumped.

For just a moment, let’s set aside the glaring fact that sharks have called the ocean home for over 400 million years, and that Australians are encroaching on their habitat, and not the other way around. Instead, let’s focus on huge impact this plan will have on the ocean ecosystem, and the very slim chance it will actually reduce attacks.

“As predators, [sharks] shift their prey’s spatial habitat, which alters the feeding strategy and diets of other species,” explains Oceana. “Through the spatial controls and abundance, sharks indirectly maintain the seagrass  and corals reef habitats. The loss of sharks has led to the decline in coral reefs, seagrass beds and the loss of commercial fisheries.”

Around the global, growing awareness about the sharp decline of shark populations has led to a surge in conservation efforts. Shark finning, spurred by the demand for shark fin soup, has been banned in several significant regions, and there’s been a successful push to establish shark sanctuaries.

“While the rest of the world is turning to shark conservation, our government is sticking his head in the sand, ignoring all the experts and employing an archaic strategy,” Ross Weir, founder of Western Australians for Shark Conservation, told TIME magazine. “What they are doing is illegal and violates 15 different United Nations conventions and treaties.”

There’s also nothing to suggest that killing sharks will actually stop shark attacks. “…what will the killing of this one shark achieve? There is absolutely no evidence to support the “rogue shark” theory, sharks are no more or less likely to bite a human if they have bitten before. It will not act as a deterrent for other sharks,” blogged Dr. Rachel Robbins, chief scientist of the Fox Shark Research Foundation.

“The way to reduce attacks is not to kill anything that poses a threat to us. It is to educate people on how to minimize their risk, the times of day and conditions under which attacks are most likely to occur, put warnings at beaches that these areas are known to be frequented by white sharks.”

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Image: steve.garner32

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Ever wonder if vegetarians really live longer? An Australian life insurance company is banking on it.

Eating a plant-based diet comes with a lot of benefits: fewer health problems, lose a little weight, harm fewer animals, smaller carbon footprint, among other wonderful perks. But now, vegetarians in Australia may find themselves also enjoying cheaper life insurance rates.

Make A Difference Insurance in Cheltenham is offering discounts up to 20% off premiums for vegetarians.

“There is growing … evidence that suggests vegetarians have a lower risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer, obesity, strokes, osteoporosis, diabetes and kidney disease,” said Brian Jones, managing director. ”Life insurance premiums are calculated based on several factors, including family medical history, lifestyle choices such as alcohol and nicotine intake, so surely a vegetarian or vegan diet should be considered, too.”

Jones also highlighted statistics that a plant-based diet reduces the likelihood of some cancers and heart disease, and all those delicious vegetables have been known to decrease cholesterol. See what I mean about all those great perks?!

This article appears courtesy of Ecorazzi

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitterand Facebook.

Related on EcoSalon:

Daryl Hannah’s Top 5 Ways To Stop Global Warming

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Blue Whales & Earwax: What Can They Teach Us About Ocean Pollution?

Image: John Hill

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Like people, beautiful parks come in all shapes and sizes. Here are five urban parks that enhance their surroundings by sprouting up where you’d least expect them.

Cities are constantly changing. Businesses open and close. New buildings constructed while old ones are torn down. While exciting, this dynamic often leaves ugly gaps and holes. Vacant lots. Empty storefronts. Abandoned train tracks.

For many, these less-than-beautiful cityscapes are just the price of progress. For others, they represent unique opportunities to reintroduce the healing power of nature into the otherwise gray reality of city life. Now, more than ever, designers and architects are working to reclaim these abandoned areas, infusing them with life, both literally and figuratively.

If you’ve ever thought that moving to the big city meant giving up access to real grass, flowers, and fruit trees, here are five stunning urban parks that prove you can have both.

1. The High Line – NYC

Cities don’t have a lot of extra space, so creating a new park often means getting creative. The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It is owned by the City of New York, and maintained and operated by dedicated citizens and donors. A stroll through the park allows visitors to enjoy many species of perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees. Many of the self-seeded species that originally grew on the High Line’s abandoned rail bed were incorporated into the park that their presence inspired.

2. Lost River Park – Seoul

It seems crazy, but city planners in Seoul, South Korea, once opted to bury a pristine river under a highway rather than find a different way around. For 30 years, the Cheonggyecheon Stream lay forgotten under a multi-lane freeway. Then, in 2003, officials decided to tear down the highway and restore the stream to its rightful place in the sun. In what has become Seoul’s “Lost River Park” visitors can now enjoy the more than twenty beautiful bridges that cross the stream. And according to Inhabitat, “over 75% of the material torn down from the old highway was reused to construct the urban park and rehabilitate the stream.”

3. Paddington Reservoir Gardens – Sydney

Australia is mostly desert, so water was very important to early settlers. A reservoir built on Sydney’s east side was a vital source of water for the rapidly growing city during the 19th century. It stopped supplying water in 1899, and went through a bit of an identity crisis–including stints as a gas station and a garage. In 2009, it reopened as the Paddington Reservoir Gardens, a unique urban park that some have called “a blend of the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.” Original brick, timber and iron fixtures were included in the upcycled design. Visitors can also check out a sunken garden on the roof, and vibrant graffiti art in the eastern chamber.

4. Eco-Park – Governor’s Island

Once a defunct military base, Governor’s Island is in the process of an eco-friendly transformation. An investment of more than $250 million from the Bloomberg Administration will turn this previously ignored island into an urban explorer’s paradise. New features will include Liggett Terrace: a sunny, six acre plaza that features moveable seating, public art, water features and seasonal plantings; Hammock Grove: 10 acres with 1,500 new trees and hammocks (sounds ama-zing); and complimentary wooden bicycles with which visitors can cruise the winding paths of the park. And that’s only a fraction of the new amenities.

5. Rail Overpass Public Garden & Orchard – Edmonton

It doesn’t look like much in the image above, but that dirty little overpass is about to become one of the city’s newest urban parks. Left over from a time when Edmonton was one of the busiest rail hubs in Canada, the “old overpass connecting 97th Street to Edmonton’s downtown rail yards has morphed into a poorly finished, unattractive concrete pedestrian walkway and bicycle path” reports ArchPaper.com. Now, three local female artists, with the help of a volunteer crew, will upgrade the bridge into an open public garden complete with edible crops from which visitors can actually pick fruit.

Images: HighLine.org, Iwan Baan, Inhabitat, newtown_grafitti, Governor’s Island Park, Google Maps

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For the past few years, the world has been caught up in a superfood phenomenon. With an increased emphasis on maintaining health and wellbeing in today’s modern society, we are constantly looking for nutritious and healthy ingredients to give our diets that extra buzz.

Amongst all the talk of quinoa, maca powder and goji berries, there is a lesser known ingredient that is starting to gain international attention. It is indigenous to Australia and has been used by the world’s oldest surviving culture for thousands of years.

The Kakadu plum is harvested predominantly in Northern Australia and although it is called a plum, is actually more closely related to almonds.

What makes it stand out from the suite of other superfoods, is that it is the world’s richest natural source of vitamin C, making it a healthy dietary supplement, but also a potent ingredient for modern skincare and beauty products.

Without delving too deeply into the science, research has shown the Kakadu plum to have strong antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activities and also, anti carcinogenic effects on human tissue. In addition, it contains high amounts of folate, magnesium, iron and zinc, among other properties.

Traditional Aboriginal communities used the Kakadu plum for medicinal purposes, and it is only recently that scientists and health companies are starting to work with organizations and communities to make this elixir accessible to Australians, as well as to a worldwide audience.

Kakadu plum is now available in both juice and powder form, and although it has been criticized for a higher than average price point , in many cases, it negates the need for other supplements. Making Kakadu plum that little bit easier to purchase and store, means it can be used in the same way as many other supplements, such as sprinkled onto cereals, whizzed up in super smoothies or simply mixed in with water for a nourishing, nutrient hit.

But it isn’t just the foodies getting excited about this little gem. With an increase in the use of natural and organic ingredients in skin and beauty products, the Kakadu plum is also finding its way into our bathroom cabinets. A whole raft of Australian skincare companies such as Mukti, Li’tya and Uandi Naturals are infusing Kakadu plum into their concoctions and pitching it as a new skin elixir. The vitamin C content is used to improve the visual appearance of skin, reduce irritation of dry skin and prevent future skin damage, making it a coveted ingredient for Australia’s harsh climate.

It has only been in recent times, that the world has started to take notice of Australia’s Indigenous superfoods like lemon myrtle, Davidson plum and wild rosella. The Kakadu plum may be the first to be gaining momentum in the health and beauty industries, but it may just be only the beginning of what we will uncover from Australia’s ancient wisdom.

Images:  Kakadu, Bush Food Sensations , Mukti

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Every day is better with a new track. 

Little Surprises by juliaandthedeepseasirens

Every day we bring you one track for a little musical inspiration. Have a track you want to submit? Email us at contact@ecosalon.com.

Image: Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens

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Every day is better with a new track. 

Caves by Founds

Every day we bring you one track for a little musical inspiration. Have a track you want to submit? Email us at contact@ecosalon.com.

Image: Founds

The post Daily Track: Caves – Founds appeared first on EcoSalon.

Every day is better with a new track. 

Gasoline by alpineband

Every day we bring you one track for a little musical inspiration. Have a track you want to submit? Email us at contact@ecosalon.com.

Image: Alpine

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Because every day is better with a new track.

Snakadaktal – Dance Bear by iohyouparty

Every day we bring you one track for a little musical inspiration. Have a track you want to submit? Email us at contact@ecosalon.com.

Image: Snakadaktal

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VideoAround the world on two wheels.

Be they humorous or touching, all of these videos are about celebrating life on two wheels, for work, for pleasure, for simplicity, proving that no matter where we are in the world, the bicycle is a beautiful thing.

USA with Euro flare: Le Velo

India + Zambia + Ghana + Guatemala + USA: With My Own Two Wheels

USA: Scrapertown

Ghana: Bikelordz

Scotland: Way Back Home

USA: If I Ride

Canada: Lifecycles

USA: Holstee LIFEcycle

Gambia: Freestyle Cycling

USA: LIFECYCLE: 365 Days in the Life of a Bike in NYC

Slovenia: Making of Orto Bikes

Sweden: Robo-Rainbow

China/USA: The Flying Pigeon

Denmark: Copenhagen: City of Cyclists

South Africa: South African Bicycle Portraits

Australia: Marry Me

The post 15 Bike Videos From Around the World appeared first on EcoSalon.

Every day is better with a new track.

Avalanches by Founds

Every day we bring you one track for a little musical inspiration. Have a track you want to submit? Email us at contact@ecosalon.com.

Image: Founds

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