So for those who haven’t been paying attention, I have been celebrating June as National Oceans Month. George W. Bush declared June 2007 and 2008 as National Oceans Month, and I waited and waited to hear something about National Oceans Month 2009. And Obama let me down. There was no announcement from the White House declaring June as National Oceans Month.
…Until today!
NATIONAL OCEANS MONTH, 2009
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAA PROCLAMATION
Oceans are the Earth’s dominant feature. They cover more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface and affect our lives in a variety of ways. This month we celebrate the wonder of the oceans, and we commit to protecting and sustaining them for current and future generations.
The oceans are critical to supporting life. From the abyssal plains of the Pacific to the shallow coral reefs and seagrass beds of the Florida Keys, oceans support an incredible diversity of marine life and ecosystems. The base of the oceanic ecosystem provides most of the oxygen we breathe, so oceans are critical to our survival. These bodies of water also drive weather patterns and affect climate.
Our Nation’s economy relies heavily on the oceans. Goods and services are transported across them constantly. They support countless jobs in an array of industries, including fishing, tourism, and energy. The economies of entire regions depend on the oceans.
The United States has been a leader in exploring and protecting this critical resource. We have gained new insights into the ocean ecosystems through research and monitoring. We have promoted innovative conservation efforts, such as setting aside special areas as national marine sanctuaries. We have also reduced overfishing, made great strides in reducing coastal pollution, and helped restore endangered species and degraded habitats.
My Administration continues to build upon this progress, and we are taking a more integrated and comprehensive approach to developing a national ocean policy that will guide us well into the future. This policy will incorporate ecosystem-based science and management and emphasize our public stewardship responsibilities. My Administration also is working to develop a systematic marine spatial planning framework for the conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources. I am committed to protecting these resources and ensuring accountability for actions that affect them.
During National Oceans Month, we celebrate these vast spaces and the myriad ways they sustain life. We also pledge to preserve them and commend all those who are engaged in efforts to meet this end.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as National Oceans Month. I call upon all Americans to learn more about the oceans and what can be done to conserve them.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA
It made me really happy to see this today, even if it comes two weeks into June. Every person on this planet is dependent on the oceans. Sylvia Earle sums it up perfectly, “No water, no life. No blue, no green.” We finally got the green movement going, now we have to get people thinking blue too!
A second notice from the White House outlines the growing need to change our ocean policy:
We have a stewardship responsibility to maintain healthy, resilient, and sustainable oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of this and future generations.
Yet, the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are subject to substantial pressures and face significant environmental challenges. Challenges include water pollution and degraded coastal water quality caused by industrial and commercial activities both onshore and offshore, habitat loss, fishing impacts, invasive species, disease, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification. Oceans both influence and are affected by climate change. They not only affect climate processes but they are also under stress from the impacts of climate change. Renewable energy, shipping, and aquaculture are also expected to place growing demands on ocean and Great Lakes resources.
The oceans are facing numerous threats. We can’t keep living the way we do and expect things to get better. Changes must be made….big changes. In this line of thinking, Obama has established the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, composed of senior policy-level officials from the executive departments, agencies, and offices represented on the Committee on Ocean Policy. In the next 90 days, the Task Force will develop recommendations including:
- A national policy that ensures the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources; and enhances their sustainability.
- A framework for policy coordination of efforts to improve stewardship of the oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes.
- An implementation strategy that identifies and prioritizes a set of objectives in order to meet the objectives of a national policy for the oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes.
Obama is right. Policy needs to change. The way we think needs to change. Most importantly, the way we act needs to change. I have never doubted that people can make a difference in the world, much as Margaret Mead did. People may think this naive of me, but I genuinely believe that one person can make a difference. My rebuttal to them is the starfish story, or some variation of it. One person may only be one person….but if everyone believes in the power of one and tries to make a difference….well it starts to add up. Every little change contributes in some small way. So what will you do?
(Hint: You can start by making smart seafood choices.)
