October 13, 2009

Sea Snot: Climate Change Gets Gross

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What’s grosser than gross? Two words: Sea mucus. National Geographic has the scoop on marine mucilages, “jello-like sheets of disease-carrying mucus” that are spreading across the Mediterranean Sea. If you have not eaten in the last hour, check out the video below. A recent study found that sea-snot outbreaks increase when water temperatures rise, making this perhaps the most revolting evidence yet of the unexpected effects of climate change. It has some competition from the Arctic blob, a “fibrous, hairy” black goo that mysteriously appeared off Alaska this summer. It turned out to be an algae bloom, and one scientist suggested it had something to do with climate change. Global blob takeover—do you really need any more reason to get serious about global warming?

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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