what are you doing?
From our friends at Sailors for the Sea. Pay attention.
Sailors have a deep appreciation for the ocean and a growing awareness of the severe problems facing the ocean. David Rockefeller, Jr., founder, and Dan Pingaro, CEO, of Sailors for the Sea, the only ocean conservation nonprofit focused on the sailing and boating community, invite sailors to support ocean conservation by becoming a Sailors for the Sea Ocean Guardian. This new funding effort recognizes significant philanthropic investors who support ocean conservation and have a passion for sailing.
A life long sailor, David was troubled by the fact that sailors had not organized and taken action for the ocean like surfers and anglers. After working on the Pew Ocean Commission, he founded Sailors for the Sea in 2004 in an effort to bring sailors together to address ocean conservation issues. Ocean Guardian support will strengthen Sailors for the Sea and its ability to continue programs like Clean Regattas, Around the Americans, A Sea Change, Ocean Watch Essays, and Certified Sea Friendly.
Sailors for the Sea works with the cruising and yacht racing communities, marine trade industry, and public to increase the level of protection and restoration of oceans and coastal waters. The organization leverages every dollar of support by collaborating with nonprofits, local governments and business through unique programs, bold special projects, and education that directly addresses the issues – ocean acidification, coral reef bleaching, polar ice melt, overfishing, pollution, etc. – threatening oceans worldwide.
Many of these issues have served as the central theme for the organization’s Ocean Watch Essay program.
Latest Ocean Watch Essay focused on the dangers of bioaccumulation. The most recently published essay – “Bioaccumulation – Are We Poisoning Ourselves? Can We Reverse Course?” – takes a hard look at the process by which contaminants (mercury, arsenic, PCBs, etc.) concentrate and magnify to affect the entire world ecosystems from oceans to humans. While it is unclear if this trend can be reversed, the essay identifies key sources for the toxic pollutants, like plastic debris, centuries of industrial waste dumping, improperly dumped hazardous waste and chemical-based pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, anti-depressants, hormones, etc.) excreted into the waste stream, overuse of pesticides and herbicides, etc., and provides suggested ways to slow its course.
A record number of yacht clubs and regatta organizers commit to ocean preservation and protection standards. The 2010 Clean Regattas season is underway! The first official, certified regattas will be the BVI Kite Jam, and St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Last year over 40 events and 25,000 individuals participated in the Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta program – the 2009 Sailing Anarchy Sportboat World Championship of the World became a certified Clean Regatta. The goal for 2010? Double that number! The organization has added new resources to help regattas reduce their impact. Keep checking cleanregattas.org for constant updates. Consider joining the Clean Regattas – participation is free, easy, and makes a difference for the environment. Register online now, or email [email protected] for more information. Make sure to ask your commodore, sailing director or regatta chair if they are doing Clean Regattas
