Andy Rindsberg wrote:

>
> Negative population growth? Averting one's eyes and maintaining a
> Buddha-like calm? Writing an angry note to the Times? Hakuna matata? Signing
> the Kyoto accord? Some days it's hard to decide.
>
> One measure that works better than most is to declare no-fishing zones in
> some of the most biotically diverse areas, which at least reduces the
> environmental stress. This kind of thing can't happen unless people start
> talking about it.

Sane fishing laws and strong enforcement of them is certainly
one of the few hundred actions that should be taken. But that's
as futile as getting a sewage plant operating in violation of
state and federal laws to clean up its act. That's as futile as
getting the Army Corps of Engineers to obey CITE, that protects
S. gigas, or pumping mud (yes, they did that recently) onto beaches.

What needs to happen is that the public needs to be made aware
of what's out there under water, and the importance of those
habitats.

But the public doesn't much care about the visible - the
Everglades, e.g. - much less the invisible, the reefs, the
turtle grass beds, the ocean in general.

Hans Hass, National Geo, even Imax exposes the undersea world to
some of the public, but none stir up any real interest. A friend
of mine is very active in working with the county and state to
enforce existing regulations affecting the reefs. He formed a
501(c)3 and has the support of several state agencies, Harbor
Branch, and others. Only a tiny fraction of the money he gets
comes from divers or fishermen, though. Even they don't much care.

Negative population growth? Averting one's eyes and maintaining
a Buddha-like calm? Writing an angry note to the Times? Hakuna
matata? Signing the Kyoto accord?

Futile. Maybe some serious eco-terrorism?

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