Baykeeper's E-Newsletter for December 2011

Help Document King Tides in the Bay

Please join us for the 2nd Annual California King Tides Photo Initiative this winter. To participate, grab your camera and take photos around the Bay and local coast during flooding from extreme high tides December 23-24, January 20-22 and February 7-9.

King tides occur when the gravitational pulls of the sun and moon reinforce one another. While not caused by sea level rise due to climate change, they provide a preview of how future increased flooding may impact local shorelines.

The initiative aims to identify the areas most vulnerable to sea level rise, so communities can take steps to mitigate the damage. Your photos can help.

Find out how to take part in the California King Tides Photo Initiative.

America's Cup Races Could Still Harm Bay

Plans for the upcoming America's Cup boat races have improved, but the jury's still out on whether San Francisco's shoreline and the Bay ecosystem will receive all the protections they need.

'Tis the Season for Sewage Spills

We can all help prevent the annual holiday surge of sewage pollution to San Francisco Bay. Cooking and cleanup of rich holiday foods like roasts, gravy and buttery desserts creates fats, oil and grease which get washed down the drain during cleanup of pots, pans and fryers.

Fats and greasy scraps harden and clump together, stick to the inside of sewer pipes and cause clogs in sewer lines. Sewage then backs up into streets, creeks and yards, where it often flows into storm drains and then directly into local creeks and the Bay.

One tip: Wipe down greasy pots, pans and dishes with a paper towel before washing. Dispose of the paper towel in your kitchen scrap recycling or in the garbage.

Read more kitchen tips and find out where to recycle your used cooking oil to help ensure a Bay-friendly holiday season.

Give the Gift of Protecting the Bay

Give someone you cherish the gift of protecting the Bay they cherish.

Gift memberships to Baykeeper make wonderful holiday presents. We'll send your friend or family member a gift membership card or email—your choice. They'll receive a welcome packet and monthly updates on Baykeeper's work all year. And we'll list your gift, along with the name of the person you have honored, in our annual report.

Most importantly, your favorite Bay fan will know they are part of making this magnificent landscape cleaner and safer—for pelicans and porpoises, sandpipers and surfers, sea lions and swimmers.

Give a gift membership to Baykeeper.

Make Your Year-End Gift to Baykeeper Today

With the help of supporters like you, Baykeeper achieved major victories for the Bay this year, from winning better protection from oil spills … to stopping sewage spills in the Bay … to cleaning up toxic pollution from a major ship yard.

Next year, we'll be taking on the Bay's biggest polluters with the launch of our new campaign to rein in industrial pollution.

Please make your year-end gift to Baykeeper today, and help us stand up for a healthy San Francisco Bay in 2012.