http:\/\/www.bluefront.org\/wordpress\/?p=4620<\/p>\n
Recent gatherings themed around ocean conservation included among their sponsors the American Petroleum Institute, BP, Shell, the French oil giant Total and ExxonMobil. It\u2019s as if a medical convention on how to reduce heart and lung disease were sponsored by coal and tobacco companies.<\/p>\n
As leaders of groups dedicated to protecting our public seas and ocean planet we will not accept financial sponsorships from the fossil fuel industry. In addressing the critical challenges our blue planet faces from overfishing, pollution, loss of habitat and climate change we recognize the need to engage with all sectors of the marine community.<\/p>\n
However we also understand that almost all ocean users including fishing, shipping, ports, recreation and tourism, science, national defense and clean energy have the potential to be part of a unified effort to sustain our coasts and ocean for future generations.<\/p>\n
Forty or fifty years ago the same might have been thought of the fossil fuel industry when oil spills from drilling and shipping were seen as the main challenge for marine conservation and common efforts could be sought to balance the risk of pollution against the need for energy.<\/p>\n
Today science and observation informs us that the burning of fossil fuels contributes to climate disruption including increased coastal storminess, sea level rise, warming seas, loss of arctic sea ice, coral bleaching and ocean acidification among other dangerous impacts. These changes are already putting millions of people and billions in property at risk along with the marine ecosystems we all depend on.<\/p>\n
This is why we will not take any contributions from fossil fuel corporations that will allow them to greenwash (or bluewash) their role in climate change and undermine the marine conservation community\u2019s credibility.<\/p>\n
We need to make climate a blue issue by educating the public on why we have to make a rapid transition from fossil fuels to clean non-carbon renewable energy on and offshore as part of our greater effort to protect and restore the wonders and promise of our blue marble planet. Not taking money from big oil is a minimal step we all can commit to.<\/p>\n
James N. Barnes
\nExecutive Director
\nAntarctic & Southern Ocean Coalition<\/p>\n
Anna Cummins
\nExecutive Director
\n5 Gyres Institute<\/p>\n
Jim Curland
\nAdvocacy Program Director
\nFriends of the Sea Otter<\/p>\n
Tim Dillingham
\nExecutive Director
\nAmerican Littoral Society<\/p>\n
Vicki Nichols Goldstein
\nFounder
\nColorado Ocean Coalition<\/p>\n
Randy Hayes
\nExecutive Director
\nFoundation Earth<\/p>\n
David Helvarg
\nExecutive Director
\nBlue Frontier<\/p>\n
Alex Hobbs
\nActing Executive Director
\nHeal the Bay<\/p>\n
Linda Hunter
\nExecutive Director
\nThe Watershed Project<\/p>\n
Phillip Johnson
\nExecutive Director
\nOregon Shores Conservation Coalition<\/p>\n
Laura Kasa
\nExecutive Director
\nSave Our Shores<\/p>\n
Kurt Lieber
\nExecutive Director
\nOcean Defenders Alliance<\/p>\n
Millard McCleary
\nExecutive Program Director
\nReef Relief<\/p>\n
David McGuire
\nDirector
\nShark Stewards<\/p>\n
Bill McKibben
\nFounder
\n350.Org<\/p>\n
Wallace j. Nichols, PhD
\nFounder
\nBlue Mind<\/p>\n
Jeff Pantukhoff
\nPresident & Founder
\nThe Whaleman Foundation<\/p>\n
Louis Psihoyos
\nExecutive Director
\nOceanic Preservation Society<\/p>\n
Phil Radford
\nExecutive Director
\nGreenpeace USA<\/p>\n
Daniella Dimitrova Russo
\nCo-Founder and Executive Director
\nPlastic Pollution Coalition<\/p>\n
Carl Safina, PhD
\nPresident
\nBlue Ocean Institute<\/p>\n
Cynthia Sarthou
\nExecutive Director
\nGulf Restoration Network<\/p>\n
Todd Steiner
\nExecutive Director
\nTurtle Island Restoration Network<\/p>\n
Mike Tidwell
\nExecutive Director
\nChesapeake Climate Action Network<\/p>\n
Marc A. Yaggi
\nExecutive Director
\nWaterkeeper Alliance<\/p>\n
Cindy Zipf
\nExecutive Director
\nClean Ocean Action<\/p>\n
Special thanks to Blue Frontier as it appeared in Blue Notes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
http:\/\/www.bluefront.org\/wordpress\/?p=4620 Recent gatherings themed around ocean conservation included among their sponsors the American Petroleum Institute, BP, Shell, the French oil giant Total and ExxonMobil. It\u2019s as if a medical convention on how to reduce heart and lung disease were sponsored by coal and tobacco companies. As leaders of groups dedicated to protecting our public seas … Continue reading Blue Frontier Campaign: Marine conservation groups pledge not to accept money from the fossil fuel industry.<\/span>