50 Ways to Save the Ocean - New Book of the Month

by David Helvarg (GC1020 .H448 2006)

"Whether you play in the waves, work in its waters, are nourished by its bounty, or are refreshed by its beauty, the oceans need us -- now.”

Helvarg says that we need to make fundamental changes in our everyday habits, and he gives us plenty of examples. Among them: wear waterproof sunscreen (to keep grease out of the water); pick up any litter you find on the beach; suggest that your church hold a worship service by the ocean; eat organic (fewer chemical fertilizers entering the sea); patronize stores and restaurants that support sustainable, healthy fisheries. He provides great advice for taking a child to a local tide pool (avoid stepping on clumps of seaweed which might harbor crabs and other creatures). You may not have thought that keeping your tires properly inflated (thus making your car more efficient) would help the ocean, but Helvarg points out that fossil-fuel-driven climate change is already increasing water levels and temperatures, killing corals, and causing beach erosion. The least surprising advice? “Vote for those who protect the coast.”