Support Strong Comprehensive Federal Oceans, Great Lakes & Estuary Policy
HONOLULU: JANUARY 7, 2009 -- You are cordially invited to join us on the 4th floor lanai of the Hawai'i State Capitol on Wednesday January 13th, 2009, between 11 am-3 pm as we celebrate our oceans and marine life, and show our support for stronger federal protections for our threatened oceans, Great Lakes and estuaries-- only weeks before the White House Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force delivers its final recommendations to President Obama. There will be many displays of interest to students and all who love our oceans, and a group photo of all wearing blue will be taken at 12 noon which will be sent to President Obama. The messageis, "Malama our oceans!"
Wear Blue For The Ocean: the first 200 to arrive at the capitol will receive free blue T-shirts featuring cartoon characters, Finley and Clawdia the Crab from Jim Toomey's nationally syndicated cartoon strip, Sherman's Lagoon! We will have keiki sizes.
More about our national effort at <http://wearblueforoceans.org/>.
WHERE: Hawai'i State Capitol; 4th floor lanai
WHEN: 11 am-3 pm on Wednesday January 13th, 2010
WHY: To send a strong message via an "open mic" video camera and a group photo (12:00 pm)to President Obama to implement a strong, uniform national oceans & Great Lakes policy.
- Set up 10-11 am
- Official opening time 11 am with pule and welcome
- T-shirt distribution at 11 am
- "Open mic" video messages to the President, and 4th floor display exhibitions, door prizes, fun & conversation beginning at 10 am (ongoing)
- Assemble for group photo at 12 noon
- Close 3 pm
- Take down 3-4 pm
Hawai'i joins a growing national coalition including: The Ocean Conservancy, Ocean Champions, Ocean River, Ocean Defenders, BFC, Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservation Law Foundation, Gulf Restoration Network, Pacific Environment and many more who will be creating a wave of action and a media splash to show support for a uniform national ocean policy. So far, events and rallies are planned for San Francisco and Seal Beach, California, Washington D.C., Cambridge, New Orleans, Tampa, Houston and Honolulu.
Other personal options for the 13th -- go to school or work in blue (like the Coast Guard) and explain why. Videotape yourself and your friends in blue, post it and send it to <http://wearblueforoceans.org/>. Forget the green flash and create a blue flash mob! Talk about wearing blue to Oprah, Ellen, Ed Begley, Laird Hamilton and Jack Johnson. Spread the word through blogs, facebook pages, emails, action alerts, newsletters, you tube, you name it. Whatever you do, please do something! Remember, you can't judge a person by what they wear, unless it's blue on January 13th! Please join us!
HAWAI'I PARTICIPANTS
Featuring the students and faculty of Halau Lokahi Charter School; transportation provided by Project Citizen,
Representative Lyla Berg, State Coordinator. Project Citizen is sponsored by the National Conference of State
Legislatures <http://www.ncsl.org/> and the Center for Civic Education <http://www.civiced.org/>
- Conservation Council for Hawai'i
- Eyes on the Reef
- Hanalei Watershed Hui
- Hawai'i Community Stewardship Network
- Hawai'i Community Stewardship Network E Alu Pu
- KAHEA: The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance
- Lost Fish Coalition
- Marine Conservation Biology Institute
- Makai Watch
- Malama Hanalei
- Malama Ha'ena
- Malama Maunalua
- Malama Waikiki
- NOAA Coral Reefs and Fisheries Local Action Strategy - NOAA Protected Species
- Reef Check
- Sea Grant
- Surfrider Foundation
- Others now being confirmed.
PARKING INFORMATION
Participants can drop off display materials in the basement area of the Capitol (enter Miller Street, 1/2 block Mauka Beretania, from Ewa side of Punchbowl across from Queens Hospital between Health Department and the Department of Education. Drive down into parking basement, go left and look for unloading zone, take doors into the capitol basement and look for freight elevator nearby. There is some metered parking - quarters only - but usually difficult.
- 'Iolani Palace grounds; enter from Beretania, just Ewa the Library; metered parking quarters only).
- Ali'i building across from State Art Museum; municipal parking; enter off Alakea Street, 1/2 block Mauka of King Street.
- Various other or commercial parking lots downtown <http://chinatownhi.techmonde.net/?q=node/59>
- Street meters (difficult and need to feed every hour or two).