I salute the Navy SEALs (and all personnel in the United States Armed Forces). They keep us safe, get the bad guys, and many make the ultimate sacrifice. They are heroes one and all. But can they act in a motion picture?

In “Act of Valor,” the rock and roll tribute to Navy SEALs who counter an array of national security threats around the world, actual SEALs star in the film. Unfortunately, there are no budding Audie Murphy’s or R. Lee Ermey’s among them. When the SEALs are in action they are entirely believable and compelling, but when authentic pathos in the form of non-fighting dialogue is required of them they come up short.

But it really matters little because the point of this movie is not to delve into the inner lives of the characters too much. “Act of Valor” is about kicking terrorist ass, and in that regard it delivers like a well-placed shot from an assault rifle. If you like guns, equipment, technology, and double taps to the head this movie has it all. We travel the world with a SEAL team which, at first, simply rescues a hostage from a terrorist camp. At the camp, however, they recover intelligence that leads to something much, much bigger, and they then race from Asia to the South Pacific to Mexico to neutralize the threat.

In this movie, there’s no shortage of sky diving, submarines, Chinook helicopters, UAVs, exotic firearms, mountains, deserts, and so much more. At times I thought I was watching the kind of military recruitment advertisement that one sees on NFL Sundays. There’s no question that films like this have the cooperation of the Department of Defense, but “Act of Valor” also capitalizes on the gaming trend, and frequently the audience’s point of view is similar to what one would see in a video game such as “Call of Duty.”

I’m guessing the reason for casting real SEALs was mainly to hype the film, but I think it was a mistake. I have no doubt they make the battle scenes more realistic, but I did not notice any more technical competence in this movie than I did in, say, Black Hawk Down. Indeed, “Black Hawk Down” used an array of very good, professional actors as leads, and the comparison, in that regard, to “Act of Valor” is stark.

“Black Hawk Down” also did not indulge in clichés—the wife and child who seem there solely to set up an eventual tragedy, the heirlooms passed from previous generations of soldiers, and the soldier who jumps on a grenade to save the rest of his squad. In Act of Valor, any depth the producers give to the characters feels contrived (along with the toothpick that dangles from the mouth of the team leader through the whole of the movie). And since the performances aren’t quality enough to give the quieter scenes any life, they feel that much more mannered. By comparison again, “Black Hawk Down” simply felt much more organic and original.

Nevertheless, “Act of Valor’s” production value is enough to keep you engaged throughout—the battle on the river at the terrorist training camp is masterfully filmed and will thrill any war-film junkie.

I do have one plot quibble, and please read no further if you don’t want the story spoiled. I am by no means a geopolitical expert, but I simply don’t see Mexican drug cartels, which have no ideology, wanting to aid suicide bombers hoping to gain entry into the United States. This is where the entire film leads and ends up, with the SEALs tracking down would-be suicide bombers as they attempt to cross into tunnels on the southern border with the help of the cartels. The cartels exist to make money off drugs, so why would they risk bringing down the wrath of the entire American military apparatus by helping some radical jihadist? Is there some of this activity on our southern border and in Latin America? I’m pretty sure there is, but I’m not sure it would receive major cartel support and the sacrifice of dozens of their fighters, which is what happens in the final shoot out.

“Act of Valor” is an interesting glimpse into what the Navy SEALs do around the world, and it’s probably no coincidence this movie comes just a short time after SEAL Team Six found and killed Osama Bin Laden. If you are looking for a wild, two hour ride, then this is your movie. If you’re looking for a memorable war film in the mold of “The Dirty Dozen,” “Platoon,” or “Black Hawk Down,” then you’re best off returning to base, mission not accomplished.

Dear EarthTalk: What is the status of Hawaiian monk seals and how will the new national monument designation in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands affect them?

– Polly LaBarre, New York, NY

Easily exploited by hunters, whalers and fishermen in the 19th century, Hawaiian monk seals essentially never recovered. As early as 1976, the Hawaiian monk seal was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The species is also on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species, and trade in the species or its parts is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

According to statistics from the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, beach counts of‚  populations of Hawaiian monk seals declined by some 60 percent between 1958 and 1996. Today only 1,300-1,400 of the animals exist in the wild, and their populations have declined about four percent annually in recent years.

What makes marine biologists and environmentalists so sad to see Hawaiian monk seal populations dwindle is the fact that the charismatic mustachioed creatures are one of the few mammals known to science to have evolved very little from their ancestral beginnings some 15 million years ago. In a sense, the monk seals are living fossils, and provide scientists with a window in days long gone by.

In June 2006, the Bush administration created the Papah„naumoku„kea Marine National Monument, a 1,200-mile-long, 140,000-square-mile stretch of open ocean northwest of Honolulu. The area is dotted with uninhabited islands and reefs that provide perfect habitat for some 7,000 different species of marine wildlife, a quarter of which, like the monk seal, are found nowhere else on the planet. The establishment of the monument ensures that no development or resource extraction will take place in the area, which is roughly the size of California and is the largest protected marine area in the world. Meanwhile, public access is restricted. And commercial and sport fishing will be phased out there within five years.

The establishment of the new national monument is key to saving the monk seals, as habitat loss is currently their chief threat, given that hunting is no longer allowed. Other threats include incidental capture in fishing gear, ingestion of fisheries debris or toxic substances, a decrease in prey availability-monk seals are carnivores-and even intentional kills, in some cases by misguided fishermen thinking that the seals are competing for their catches. These factors, along with an inherently slow reproductive rate, continue to threaten the remaining Hawaiian monk seal population.

While the protection of critical habitat, such as in Papah„naumoku„kea, is an important part of an overall strategy to try to save the charismatic species from extinction, other conservation efforts include learning more about the animals’ reproductive habits, the rehabilitation and release of undersized seal pups that would not otherwise make it in the open ocean without help, captive breeding, the removal of marine debris, and the mitigation of other human disturbances-from loud boat engines to oil spills.

CONTACTS: IUCN, www.iucn.org; CITES, www.cites.org; U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, www.nmfs.noaa.gov; Papah„naumoku„kea Marine National Monument, www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov.

Dear EarthTalk: We will need to replace our house gutters soon. What are our best options from an environmental perspective? – Jodie Green, Dallas, TX

First understand clearly why your gutters need to be replaced. Are they rusted or broken? Are the fasteners no longer holding them in place? Or have the gutters leaked and failed to keep water out of your house? Answers to these questions will help you decide which type of gutter to choose.

Use a material that is the most durable for your climate; ultimately the longer your gutters last, the less environmental cost there will be in the product lifecycle, from manufacturing to recycling. A cheaper product that degrades twice as fast as another would not be the best choice, even if it does have a greener production process: The extra cost of having to fix your water-damaged home-and the health problems that could arise from exposure to mold-would make a “cheaper” gutter in reality much more costly.

“Galvanized steel, copper and aluminum are preferred gutter materials,” reports Austin Energy, the Texas capitol’s community-owned electric utility. Copper is a more expensive, high-end gutter material, as are stainless steel and wood, although wood is used mostly in historical restoration.

According to home improvement expert Don Vandervort, who writes for ThisOldHouse.com, steel and aluminum each have big pluses. Steel is sturdy, while aluminum will not rust. Copper and stainless steel are sturdy and lasting, too, says Vandervort, but they can cost three to four times as much as steel or aluminum. “Steel gutters can stand up to ladders and fallen branches better than aluminum,” he says. “But even thick galvanized steel eventually rusts.” He advises buying “the thickest you can afford.” Austin Energy says that gutters should be a minimum of 26 gauge galvanized steel or 0.025 inch aluminum.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is also used for gutters, but “can get brittle with age or in extreme cold,” says Vandervort, and cannot carry as much snow load as metal gutters. PVC is also not a very green-friendly choice. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) calls PVC plastic “one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created…dangerous to human health and the environment throughout its entire life cycle.” When produced or burned, says CHEJ, PVC plastic releases dioxins, a group of potent synthetic chemicals that can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive systems.

Replacing your gutters can be an unfortunate expense, but it can provide an environmental opportunity, because the way you handle your roof’s water is important. Consider linking your gutters to a “rooftop catchment system” that captures rainwater in a cistern or rain barrels and can then be used to water non-edible plantings. Efficient water use is a guideline in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes standard for certifying green-built homes.

Finally, if you have a problem with debris, consider a RainTube. This recycled-plastic gutter insert (which won the 2008 Sustainable Product Award from Green Building Pages) keeps gutters clear of debris, preventing overflow into your house. Of course, cleaning your gutters now and then is probably the best environmental option in that it may head off any need for replacement or modification.

CONTACTS: Austin Energy, www.austinenergy.com; U.S. Green Building Council, www.usgbc.org; RainTube, www.raintube.com; Green Building Pages, www.greenbuildingpages.com.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

“Butchered babies’ skins are a lack of compassion — not fashion,” PETA said Wednesday in an email to reporters.

In a move that should surprise no one, PETA is coming out strongly against Gucci for their supposed use of seal-fir in boots found in Russia.

In an e-mail to Gucci CEO Robert Polet, (Download it now) PETA describes what they call “documented seal hunt horrors.”

“Is this kind of blatant cruelty to animals something that Gucci wants to associate itself with?” the email states.

According to PETA, Canada’s annual seal hunt, which begins this week in Labrador and Newfoundland, is the largest massacre of marine mammals in the world.

“People worldwide have looked on in horror for years as the Canadian government has permitted the annual slaughter of up to 335,000 baby harp seals, with the quota set at 275,000 seals this year,” PETA said. “The terrified seals are shot or clubbed repeatedly, and as many as 42 percent are skinned alive.”

“Whether it’s clubbing baby seals, electrocuting minks on fur farms, or crushing lynxes’ legs in steel-jaw traps, every fur that Gucci sells represents unimaginable suffering,” siad PETA Assistant Director Matt Prescott. “From Moscow to Milan and everywhere in between, cruelty to animals is never in fashion.”