Op-Ed: To save the Earth, think like a ‘blue water’ sailor
From left, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a joint press conference after the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan in May 2017.
I have a deep-seated belief that it can be done. To save the Earth, think like a ‘blue water sailor’ — Captain Paul Watson.
I saw it when I was a young boy on our family vacation, when my dad brought home a pair of blue whales that had washed up on the shores of my father’s property, and I saw it when I was working with the U.S. Coast Guard as a young lieutenant.
I have seen it time and time again, in my travels through the world as an environmental journalist.
I have seen the beauty of the planet and its people as well as the ugly parts of it — the toxic waste dumps; the polluted rivers; the collapsing coastal ecosystems; the melting ice caps and disappearing polar bears.
In these places, I have seen the solutions that have made the difference: clean water, energy, technology, food, and more.
As a sailor, I have seen the importance of getting to know the land and its people. I’ve seen the beauty of the ocean and coral reefs, and watched the destruction of those treasures because of us. And I’ve also seen how that destruction contributes to problems like overfishing for fish, ocean acidification, ocean warming, and coastal erosion.
As a sailor, I am reminded of the importance of keeping the water blue and the sea and the people safe.
And I know that as we get closer to the end of this administration — as we face an onslaught of climate-changing pollution and energy sources, and as we have to confront ongoing threats to our food supply and our health — this is one of the most important issues that humanity faces — and we must make the right decisions now.
So here’s what I would do if I were in Trump’s shoes right now.
First, I would keep talking to the American people.
The time for action is now. Now is when climate action must happen.