Sacred Monuments Research Paper
A self-proclaimed http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/6-quotes-that-perfectly-sum-up-why-obama-loves-hawaii_us_5683314ce4b014efe0d9902a "island boy" with "aloha spirit," it's clear that Hawaii http://www.care2.com/causes/rules-about-swimming-with-dolphins-could-soon-change-in-hawaii.html means a lot to President Barack Obama. http://www.care2.com/causes/president-obama-announces-sweeping-gun-control-reforms.html
In a Paris COP21 speech, President Obama explained, "Some of their [Asia-Pacific] nations could disappear entirely, and as weather patterns change, we might deal with tens of millions of climate refugees in the Asia-Pacific region."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/6-quotes-that-perfectly-sum-up-why-obama-loves-hawaii_us_5683314ce4b014efe0d9902a …show more content…
A far cry from Donald Trump's environmental stance http://www.care2.com/causes/donald-trump-stop-contaminating-the-potomac-river-with-your-golf-course.html (I still shudder thinking about it), President Obama understands how important the environment is both as a politician and as a person.
So it makes sense that Hawaiian leaders are now turning to President Obama for help: They are asking the President to make one of the world's largest marine protected areas http://www.care2.com/causes/the-worlds-biggest-marine-reserve-was-just-created-in-the-pacific-ocean.html -- the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument -- even bigger.http://www.care2.com/causes/is-this-a-hawaiian-marine-refuge-or-a-giant-trash-can.html
A Sacred Monument
The Monument is a "140,000-square-mile area of the Pacific where remote islands, atolls, islets and coral reefs serve as habitat for some of the world's most endangered species," according to the Associated Press' (AP) Big Story.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/59868a2032df47bc845c5cb842c261b2/hawaiian-leaders-seek-expansion-marine-conservation-area The Papahanaumokuakea region is sacred to indigenous Hawaiians for its role in traditional Hawaiian history, culture and cosmology.
As The Big Story http://bigstory.ap.org/article/59868a2032df47bc845c5cb842c261b2/hawaiian-leaders-seek-expansion-marine-conservation-area reports, Native Hawaiian leaders want President Obama to extend the monument's boundary to the entire 200 nautical-mile limit because: "While the current boundary of Papahanaumokuakea includes vital habitat for a number of species, it doesn't fully protect habitat and travel routes for several species including Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, sharks, whales, Black-footed and Laysan albatrosses as well as other …show more content…
species."
The leaders argue that this environmental undertaking would make the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument the largest protected marine area on the planet.
Hope Spots for Our Blue Heart
And our planet desperately needs more protected marine areas. I first learned of the importance of protected marine areas from Dr. Sylvia Earle's http://www.care2.com/care2blog/dr-sylvia-earle-will-be-honored-with-the-care2-impact-award-at-the-2013-women-in-green-forum.html
TED Prize talk. In her speech, the brilliant oceanographer behind the Mission Blue documentary, helped me understand that life on earth wouldn't be possible without the ocean.
"No blue, no green," she says.
Dr. Earle's wish at the time (2009) was for all of us to support a global network of marine protected areas through "hope spots" -- "protected areas that are large enough to save and restore the ocean" (the blue heart of our planet) -- since only 1 percent of the global oceans were protected.
While some experts estimate that 10 percent needs to be protected and others argue that it's more like 30 percent, Dr. Earle brilliantly asks, "How much of your heart do you want to
protect?"
How Much Ocean Do We Really Need to Protect?
Fortunately, fast-forward to 2016, more like 6 percent of our oceans are protected or are planned to be protected. But a 2016 study published in Conservation Letters claims that it's not enough -- 30 percent (or more) of protected marine areas appears to be the most optimal, reports Phys.org. http://phys.org/news/2016-03-percent-ocean-benefits.html The researchers discovered 5 main benefits at this 30 percent threshold:
1. Safeguarding biodiversity
2. Ensuring population connectivity among marine protected areas
3. Dodging fisheries and population collapse
4.Optimizing the value or yield of fisheries
5. Fulfilling the needs of different stakeholders
Even though it may sound counterintuitive at first, protecting more ocean from fishing makes for better fishing. You can't really fish in fishless oceans after all. Like one of the study's authors, Bethan O' Leary, explains to Phys.org, http://phys.org/news/2016-03-percent-ocean-benefits.html "The natural world needs substantial space free from significant human impact to thrive."
Take Action!
At COP21, President Obama invoked https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/11/30/remarks-president-obama-first-session-cop21 the words of an American governor when he said, "We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change, and the last generation that can do something about it." The good news, in the case of the ocean, is that all we need to do is to leave it alone and marine life will thrive. Will you help make Dr. Earle's wish come true by signing and sharing this petition urging President Obama, an island boy at heart, to expand Hawaii's Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument? The blue heart of our planet is on the line.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/661/819/642/president-obama-create-the-worlds-largest-protected-marine-area-on-the-planet/?TAP=1007&cid=causes_petition_postinfo
In a Paris COP21 speech, President Obama explained, "Some of their [Asia-Pacific] nations could disappear entirely, and as weather patterns change, we might deal with tens of millions of climate refugees in the Asia-Pacific region."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/6-quotes-that-perfectly-sum-up-why-obama-loves-hawaii_us_5683314ce4b014efe0d9902a …show more content…
A far cry from Donald Trump's environmental stance http://www.care2.com/causes/donald-trump-stop-contaminating-the-potomac-river-with-your-golf-course.html (I still shudder thinking about it), President Obama understands how important the environment is both as a politician and as a person.
So it makes sense that Hawaiian leaders are now turning to President Obama for help: They are asking the President to make one of the world's largest marine protected areas http://www.care2.com/causes/the-worlds-biggest-marine-reserve-was-just-created-in-the-pacific-ocean.html -- the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument -- even bigger.http://www.care2.com/causes/is-this-a-hawaiian-marine-refuge-or-a-giant-trash-can.html
A Sacred Monument
The Monument is a "140,000-square-mile area of the Pacific where remote islands, atolls, islets and coral reefs serve as habitat for some of the world's most endangered species," according to the Associated Press' (AP) Big Story.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/59868a2032df47bc845c5cb842c261b2/hawaiian-leaders-seek-expansion-marine-conservation-area The Papahanaumokuakea region is sacred to indigenous Hawaiians for its role in traditional Hawaiian history, culture and cosmology.
As The Big Story http://bigstory.ap.org/article/59868a2032df47bc845c5cb842c261b2/hawaiian-leaders-seek-expansion-marine-conservation-area reports, Native Hawaiian leaders want President Obama to extend the monument's boundary to the entire 200 nautical-mile limit because: "While the current boundary of Papahanaumokuakea includes vital habitat for a number of species, it doesn't fully protect habitat and travel routes for several species including Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, sharks, whales, Black-footed and Laysan albatrosses as well as other …show more content…
species."
The leaders argue that this environmental undertaking would make the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument the largest protected marine area on the planet.
Hope Spots for Our Blue Heart
And our planet desperately needs more protected marine areas. I first learned of the importance of protected marine areas from Dr. Sylvia Earle's http://www.care2.com/care2blog/dr-sylvia-earle-will-be-honored-with-the-care2-impact-award-at-the-2013-women-in-green-forum.html
TED Prize talk. In her speech, the brilliant oceanographer behind the Mission Blue documentary, helped me understand that life on earth wouldn't be possible without the ocean.
"No blue, no green," she says.
Dr. Earle's wish at the time (2009) was for all of us to support a global network of marine protected areas through "hope spots" -- "protected areas that are large enough to save and restore the ocean" (the blue heart of our planet) -- since only 1 percent of the global oceans were protected.
While some experts estimate that 10 percent needs to be protected and others argue that it's more like 30 percent, Dr. Earle brilliantly asks, "How much of your heart do you want to
protect?"
How Much Ocean Do We Really Need to Protect?
Fortunately, fast-forward to 2016, more like 6 percent of our oceans are protected or are planned to be protected. But a 2016 study published in Conservation Letters claims that it's not enough -- 30 percent (or more) of protected marine areas appears to be the most optimal, reports Phys.org. http://phys.org/news/2016-03-percent-ocean-benefits.html The researchers discovered 5 main benefits at this 30 percent threshold:
1. Safeguarding biodiversity
2. Ensuring population connectivity among marine protected areas
3. Dodging fisheries and population collapse
4.Optimizing the value or yield of fisheries
5. Fulfilling the needs of different stakeholders
Even though it may sound counterintuitive at first, protecting more ocean from fishing makes for better fishing. You can't really fish in fishless oceans after all. Like one of the study's authors, Bethan O' Leary, explains to Phys.org, http://phys.org/news/2016-03-percent-ocean-benefits.html "The natural world needs substantial space free from significant human impact to thrive."
Take Action!
At COP21, President Obama invoked https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/11/30/remarks-president-obama-first-session-cop21 the words of an American governor when he said, "We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change, and the last generation that can do something about it." The good news, in the case of the ocean, is that all we need to do is to leave it alone and marine life will thrive. Will you help make Dr. Earle's wish come true by signing and sharing this petition urging President Obama, an island boy at heart, to expand Hawaii's Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument? The blue heart of our planet is on the line.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/661/819/642/president-obama-create-the-worlds-largest-protected-marine-area-on-the-planet/?TAP=1007&cid=causes_petition_postinfo