Comments on: Video: State of the Oceans Forum: A Call to Action

By: State of the Oceans Forum II: Facing the Crisis: Reasons for Hope | 1planet1ocean

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:28:41 +0000

[...] a powerful message about the enormity of the crisis facing the world’s oceans at the first State of the Oceans Forum. Now, these Explorers return for a follow-up forum about the innovative solutions, leadership and [...]

By: Dave Ebert

Dave Ebert — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:23:13 +0000

About the garbage patches. Is it possible to send a factory ship to harvest and recycle the plastic in the garbage patches? Processing and recycling might defray the cost of cleanup. The ship could manufacture some plastic artifacts that could be sold to the public in museums and Green catalogs to support the cause, but would not be likely to be discarded into the ocean later- coffee mugs, measuring cups, stuffed animals like whales and otters, Rubics Cubes, navigation charting tools, potato chip clips, anything that wouldn’t float. This would be an interesting project for GreenPeace. There is a patch in the North Atlantic gyre and in the Pacific. I betcha it would be easy to collect donations for such a project. Get Bill Gates on board to help buy a small ship.

By: Chemicals Affecting Human Health | Chemical Agents

Chemicals Affecting Human Health | Chemical Agents — Sat, 23 May 2009 05:37:15 +0000

[...] Video: State of the Oceans Forum: A Call to Action | 1planet1ocean [...]

By: Elizabeth Yeatts

Elizabeth Yeatts — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:42:03 +0000

1) In my opinion, I think exploration is less important than cleaning up what we can see and know about now. I think the money that would go to exploration should instead go toward cleaning up the garbage in the ocean that is polluting it and killing ocean creatures now. I think there there should be a paid team of people who go on expeditions to pick up garbage in the ocean and on beaches too on a continuous basis.

2) I think legislation should be created in an effort to completely ban most polystyrene products such as cups and packaging peanuts. These items end up in the ocean and break down into little bits that become impossible to clean up.

3) In my opinion, public education is good, but more important is to have groups of people actually taking action to improve the state of the ocean instead of just education.

Is there a way to just clean up the Great Garbage Patch in the ocean? Is it because it is too expensive? I think maybe there should be a government agency created whose sole purpose is to clean up garbage in the ocean on a continuous basis. Just an idea.

Thank you!

By: Virginia

Virginia — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:39:34 +0000

Hi all you Ocean Doctor’s. That was a fine video and I really enjoyed what each one gave in their fields. This was my third time to get through on my computer. Persistence did it. Getting more people interested in our Oceans and looking for solutions. I found 2 ways I used to make ‘my’ Whidbey Island folks aware, was 1. I would take a wash tub full of Sea Life to the school classes, in doors or out on the lawn. The children and adults present could see first hand and feel the fishes, Octopus for which our Island have the largest ones around 60 lbs and bigger and then the new cold water Coral that was just starting to grow in our waters. I watched the coral start to grow in 20′ and within two years it grew down to 80′ deep and taking ovet the bottom. This, to me, showed Ocean temperature change.
2. The other way the classes would go to the beach where I was diving and see first hand the creatures coming up and be able to see and feel and then put back to the Ocean. I found this a great way to educate and share. I also learned from them too. I was able to introduce the Ocean to the local land schools such as Everett Wa, Seattle, and all of Whidbey Island. So for the divers that live near the Oceans could educate and help to understand and cherish their rich Inheritance with others. While I was living on Whidbey Island, the schools loved it. I found this a great way to share and get input from them also. Plus some young Biology student was able to tell me about the gases in the steams as they rose to the water surface. This was my way of teaching and sharing in the school classes. This I found was a great way to spark their interest and knowledge and pursuit, while I lived on the Island.. Other divers could do the same that live near the Oceans. Dive Clubs could sponsor your suggestions also and make people aware of our Ocean concerns. This could be a harmonious solution and enjoyment. for the whole world. VHC

By: Les Kaufman

Les Kaufman — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:29:50 +0000

Hi David. I reviewed the call to action list. As a top-down list of major grievances ripe for international action, it is fine. However, there must also be a sort of script for responsible ocean stewardship that represents what local or regional governance (and the entire constituency) can and must do. It would run along the lines of:

a) Comprehensive planning, monitoring, and regular adaptive revisions to linked policies for watershed, coastline, and coastal ocean.

b) Creation of a local/regional vision of what people want from the ocean, and a balance sheet for the trade-offs, concessions, and synergies in other areas of peoples’ needs associated with achieving this vision.

c) Development of a spatially explicit ecological-economic model for the region that makes it possible to examine the dynamics of the coupled human-ocean system, and the impacts on the economy and quality of life of policy alternatives.

d) Designation of a local/regional institution of public education- such as a museum or aquarium- as the center repository for plans, models, and information resources, and as the forum for public debate on the future of the ocean domain most closely associated with that region.

e) Promulgation of comprehensive ocean policy legislation for that region, and if such already exists, ensurance that it is richly interpreted, developed, and implemented.

f) readily available information on the balance between all that can be achieved through local action for ocean health, and goals that can be met only through national and international cooperation. This is crucial for it allows people to see how much they can achieve on their own (i.e. the value of their local/regional efforts somewhat independent of global market and world events), and the multiplier for their efforts if they do succeed in getting cooperation at greater geographical scales.