Are Divers ENVIRONMENTALISTS?

[DivingPrincessE]

I am an environmentalist, tree hugger, animal right activist...the whole nine yards. I set up a recycling program at my work, obviously I do so at home. I started using reusable grocery bags when I heard when I heard how much plastic was hurting ocean life. I'm waiting for my LDS to set up a trip to do reef clean up in FL. We (humans) have done so much damage the earth, the least we can do is try to fix it a little.

 

[drbill]

I think we all need to understand that EVERY species on Earth and under the water modifies its environment. None of us can claim to be innocent, all we can do is try our best to limit our impacts as much as possible. This can be done in a wide variety of ways: by doing our best to limit our generation of solid waste, reducing our use of energy to the greatest extent reasonable, avoiding acts at home that might introduce pollutants into our water systems unnecessarily, etc.

We can also do what we can to open people's eyes to the issues... preferably without being too preachy or self-righteous about it. Lead people to make the right conclusions on their own... they will stick with them much longer that way. Set good examples, be good educators or leaders, etc.

 

[Bob Vincent]

Well this can now open ... some are some ain't. Surprised?

 

[jason.elias]

Well this can now open ... some are some ain't. Surprised?

Nope, not really surprised. Most people posting mention how they personally take interest in the idea but the larger Dive Community has not, as far as I can tell, done much in terms of coordinated conservation action (regardless of how we describe it).

But it is good to chat about. The whole reason I asked in the first place was because I am trying to understand why every individual Diver I have spoken to has mentioned the same care for the oceans, yet there are few coordinated efforts, either from the the Dive community or from the Dive Industry, to maintain the places we all dive..

 

[Babydamulag]

I think you have defined the word in laypersons words. The word is:

Free-market environmentalism

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Free market environmentalism is a theory that argues the free market is the best tool to preserve the health and sustainability of the environment. This is in sharp contrast to the most common modern approach of looking to government intervention to prevent destruction of the environment. The current Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is an advocate of free market environmentalism.

 

[undrwater]

It is good to chat about.

Interesting point a page earlier regarding how much of a negative (carbon?) impact diving makes on our environment. I guess that begs the question Jason has asked; if diving makes us more environmentally aware, does it offset the negative impact?

There are fewer divers out there than surfers I'd bet, and there are diver organized / involved environmental organizations (was that redundant?) such as ReefCheck, Ships to Reefs, Save the Bay, etc...just not as many.

Also, please don't let "political baggage" be an excuse for not being sensitive to environmental issues.

Russell

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I am NOT an "environmentalist." I am to the FAR right, politically speaking, especially here on a college campus.... And because I want to vote for a candidate that sticks to the Constitution and would cut many Federal programs and stand for lower taxes, many liberals claim that I'm hurting the environment and I'm a horrible person.


I drive a truck because I need to. It's not a big truck, it has a 4 cylinder engine. I dont drive a gas guzzler.

I know where the campus Arboretum is, and I know the trails better than half of the arboretum staff. Infact, recently I was talking with someone who would criticize me for being "uncaring" and he didn't know where it was, had never visited it.

I know where the lake is on campus, and I kayak there almost daily. I have pulled 10 kayak loads of trash out of the lake.

I do not purchase bottled water, as I do not want to pollute the planet with those bottles. I also am careful with my resources such as water. I believe it is wrong for a campus to give us all the utilities without charging us more or less, I feel that the only system that will encourage us to use less water and whatnot is one that charges us for the utilities and I wish they'd move to a system like that.

So am I an environmentalist? No. Do I care for my environment more than all of the very outspoken and vocal "environmentalists" in my english class? Heck yes.

And that fact annoys me somehow.

 

[jason.elias]

I think you have defined the word in laypersons words. The word is:

Free-market environmentalism

Okay, though I am an Obama supporter, so let's define it under your terms. But if we believe that is the case, it still begs the question, Diving has been around for quite a while, and yet why has no market-generated conservation constituency materialized? Or why has no-one organized the Dive Community on this issue, regardless the reasons?

To be honest, I have been thinking about this for a while, as we have all seen some effect of human impact, regardless where we dive. The easiest answer is one that is too cycnical for me, particularly when I know many Divers of all politcal definitions who care deeply about the places they Dive (just look at the posts in this discussion as an example).

But is it that people have not been affected enough personally to do anything about it? I find that difficult to believe when every Diver here says they care in one way or another...

Here in Southern California, they want to build a new toll-road near a great break in the surf that few ever surf at as it is hard to get to. And yesterday at the coastal commission meeting, over 3,000 surfers showed up to protest. Maybe surfers have a different demographic or maybe they are more organized...

I am guess I am wondering, would that happen in the Dive Community?

 

[undrwater]

JahJah: I'd say Jason was using the term "environmentalist" for what you do rather than how you label yourself. Based on your post, you act like an environmentalist...or at least you are sensitive to your environment.

 

[undrwater]

I am guess I am wondering, would that happen in the Dive Community?

If the Catalina Dive Park (or other protected area) were somehow in danger of losing its protections, as an example...you might see a similar response.