For Earth Day 2009, many folks turned their attention to the other 70% of the planet, the part underwater. Earth's oceans providing us with clean air, a regulated climate and a playground for divers, boaters, swimmers, and surfers. They are also home to an astonishing variety of sea life, as you can see if you flip through a copy of Santa Cruz photographer and ocean activist Marc Shargel's coffee table book, Wonders of the Sea.
Former Assemblymember John Laird penned an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle applauding California for being proactive about ocean health, urging us to stay the course and create a strong, science-based network of protected areas through the Marine Life Protection Act.
Santa Barbara professor and life-long diver Carl Gwinn expressed a similar sentiment in a story that ran in the News Press--he believes setting aside key areas now will help ensure our kids and grandkids get to experience a truly abundant ocean.
May 13, 2009
The other 70% of the planet
