Coastline Pilot

2 December 2005

 

Chasing the Muse

Catharine Cooper

 

On my library table, Ann Morrow Lindberg’s exquisite book, Gift from the Sea, her compelling meditation on life, love, solitude and contentment.  I’ve pulled it from the shelf as I do each holiday season, with the reverence, gratitude and love I hold for the waters which nourish my creative soul.

 

From seaside strolls to frolicking in her deep waters, the sea provides a space for contemplation and renewal.  Sweet remembrances of my children’s sand castles, of boating adventures in search of fish, and voyages over water to foreign destinations fill my heart as well as my mind. 

 

The sea affects us – whether or not we live near her shores, although nearly half of Americans live in coastal-close communities.  We are fed by her bounty and her vast palette of blue cools our planet.  She absorbs excess carbon and generates life-giving oxygen.  She is reported to hold a genetic diversity greater than any other earth system. She gives without asking, and like most of our planetary resources, we have long taken her for granted. 

 

We have all had the sorrowing experience of seeing our beaches closed for reasons of urban runoff, sewage spills and abject human pollution.  In the far north, oil spills have wreaked havoc with shore birds, water mammals and even the fish beneath the surface.  These damaging events have all been at the hands of man – behavioral events over which we have control.

 

The Pew Ocean Commissions Report, “America’s Living Oceans, Charting a Course for Sea Change”, released in 2003, provides a summation of two and a half years of research and study.  What the Commission discovered was that there is .. “a growing crisis in America’s oceans and along our coasts.”  They also found, that among coastal communities, there was “.. a shared sense of urgency and commitment to reverse the decline of the health in the oceans.”

 

The Report identified nine major threats to our oceans, which include the following.

Nonpoint Source Pollution – oil from street and driveway runoffs, released nitrogen, eutrophication of estuaries and bays.

Point Source Pollution – manure from feedlots & cruise ship waste (sewage, grey water, dirty bilge water, solid waste, toxic cleaning fluids, photo-processing chemicals).

Invasive Species – non-native species introduced into habitats.

Aquaculture – nitrogen, phosphorus, fecal matter from fish farms.

Coastal Development – wildlife habitat, degradation of water, disappearing coastal marshes and wetlands.

Overfishing – removal of top predators, change to marine ecosystems, extinction of species.

Habitat Alteration – destruction of seafloor from drag nets, trawl fisheries, bycatch of sea-birds, dolphins & turtles.

Climate Change – rise in mean sea-surface temperatures, destruction of coral reefs, modification of energy flow and cycling of materials within ecosystem.

 

In summation of the report, Leon Panetta, who chaired the Commission, called for the development of an “Ocean Ethic” – extending environmental protection to the seas as both a practical measure and a moral obligation.  He asked for Congress and the President to lay out a strategy, to develop and Ocean Policy to guide the nation’s actions.  And he also asked for participation from leaders and citizens alike, to recognize the power of our actions – and to demand healthy oceans for our ourselves and our children.

 

It starts with us.  This holiday season, we can begin our gift giving with conscious actions toward our oceans. 

 

Here are eight (there are actual hundreds) ‘sea savvy’ things you can do to help the ocean.

Reduce Household Pollution – The fewer hazardous chemicals you use, the less you will have to swim in!  Try non-toxic cleaners and organic gardening methods.

Reduce Run-off – Put trash, pet waste and cigarette butts in the garbage – not the gutter.  Avoid using disposable products

Be a Smart Shopper ­– Avoid purchasing seafoods which are endangered – either in markets or restaurants.

Conserve Water – Use low-flow showerheads.  Take shorter showers. Turn off the water while shaving or brushing your teeth.  Check for leaky faucets.  Don’t overwater your yard.

Recycle or Dispose of all Trash Properly -  Learn where to dispose of toxic materials such as paint, batteries, and florescent light bulbs.  Never flush non-biodegradable products, such as diapers, down the toilet.

Reduce Oil Pollution -  Fix care leaks!  Drive less!

Be considerate of ocean wildlife – Don’t dispose of fishing lines or nets in the water. Don’t release helium balloons outside.  Minimize your use of Styrofoam.  Cut plastic six-pack rings apart.

Get involved – Take part in a beach clean-up.  Be respectful of tidepools.  Report illegal dumping, full catch-basins or storm sewers.  Recycle.

 

Happy holiday season.  I’m headed for a walk on the beach!

 

Catharine Cooper loves wild places.  She can be reached at ccooper@cooperdesign.net.