With so much depressing news concerning the environment and man’s appetite for destruction hogging the headlines we need to grab hold of every scrap of good news we can, shout it from the rooftops, unfurl the banners and run naked through the streets gleefully singing Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World.”
Okay, maybe not that last bit. But we should definitely shout it from the rooftops… and Tweet it, Facebook it, blog-it, tap the shit out of your morse-code machine if you like, and spread the word to as many people as possible, because only on the back of small victories will the tide begin to turn. *unintentional ocean metaphor, but I’m so keeping it*
(c) xx-p4nd0r4-xxx deviant art
And today’s news about the United State’s plan to create the world’s largest ocean reserve in the Pacific is just that. Great news. Fan-dabby-dosie. Super, smashing, great (Place your own favourite TV catchphrases here).
From the Guardian: Thursday’s proclamation will expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument reserve, created by George Bush, to about six times its current size.
We need more positive action like this. If oceans are the lungs of the planet then they’re just about to develop the sputum cough of 100-a-day chain smoker. It’s time the UN and its member countries showed some real intent when it came to the planet’s welfare, on land or sea. We’ve proven we’re not responsible enough to co-exist with nature in healthy and natural habitats. So it’s time we were evicted. We need exclusion zones. We need countries and corporations to put the planet’s welfare ahead of profit. And we need people to light the fires of their indignant rage and lobby for change – and bang the drum when governments at last get something right.
Like I said earlier, this is just one piece of good news, but creating a reserve is just the first part. For it to be successful it needs to be enforced and protected by the weight of the law. But it’s a start. And to pop another metaphor out (at least I think it is)…
… from little acorns mighty oaks grow!
Blurred Worlds 
While you are spreading good news and cheer, you should also mention the sperm whale. It has now been demoted from “endangered” to “vulnerable” due to aggressive conservation efforts, as it was one of the first whale species to be protected. Yay! Way to go sperm whale!
And woohoo for protected oceans!
Oh, um… Maybe it was the Blue Whale? I heard it on my local NPR station the other day… I should google this before typing any more half-baked sentences
That’s great news, Kelley…whichever whale it was lol! I quickly googled and they’re both in the top 5 most endangered whales list. But it’s still good news, so…
Yay sperm/blue whale 🙂
Wonderful news, indeed. I needed to hear this after learning that we’ve been miscalculating the rate of decline for endangered species — and it’s worse than previously thought.
Protecting the ocean is a huge step forward, and you’re right, we need as many people as possible pushing this forward so that it becomes in-your-face-real and no one can mess with it unless they want to spend some time in the pokey!
Absolutely Kate! I don’t know about official miscalculations, but you don’t need to be a genius to see where it’s going if we carry on the way we are. I’ll drop you an email when I get a bit more time about that new blog idea.
This may sound counter-intuitive, but I think spreading the good news can also encourage people to take action when they might not have before. When all the news reports are bad, it’s too easy to think “there’s nothing I can do.” But when we see that we can make a difference, many of us are more likely to step up and do something.
I think you’re right. I sometimes get like that when we’re continually inundated with bad news. Let’s spread the power of positivity!
Thanks for reading 🙂