SURFRIDER FOUNDATION LAUNCHES RISE ABOVE PLASTICS CAMPAIGN AND HOSTS A BEACH CLEANUP WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERS ON SUN., 12/7/08
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii (December 2, 2008) On Sun. morning, 12/7, the Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter will launch its Rise Above Plastics Campaign and ho st a beach cleanup with several other local environmental groups at Ala Moana Park, right across from the Magic Island parking lot, from 9:00-11:00am. The Oahu Chapter is working with a coalition of other environmental partners to make people aware of the prevalence of plastic marine debris, reduce the use of single-use plastics (ie., bags and water bottles) and to promote a more sustainable lifestyle in Hawaii. Co-sponsors of the beach cleanup include: Styrophobia, Muumuu Heaven, Stop Styrofoam Hawaii, Sierra Club and Kokua Hawaii.
The Rise Above Plastics program seeks to reduce the amount of plastics making their way into our beach and marine environments though education and outreach efforts. “In certain areas of our oceans, the amount of suspended plastic particles outnumbers plankton by a ratio of six to one,” says Angela Howe, who oversees the program for the Foundation. “Subsequently we see all this plastic making its way up the food chain, where it harms and kills birds and marine life.”
The Surfrider Foundation began the initial outreach for its Rise Above Plastics (RAP) program earlier this summer as part of Jack Johnson’s All At Once tour. “People are ready to make behavioral changes that benefit our environment,” says Kim Johnson, who along with her husband Jack, helped in the planning and launch of Surfrider’s RAP program. “Simple choices such as utilizing reusable tote bags and water bottles make a big difference in helping to reduce the amount of plastics in our marine environments."
The public is invited to visit the program’s website, www.riseaboveplastics.org, where they can learn about how plastics impact our marine and coastal environments, as well as find information on how they take steps to reduce their own plastic “footprint.”
Nationally, the Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through Conservation, Activism, Research and Education (C.A.R.E.). The Oahu Chapter is in its 12th year of activism and has been working on issues of beach access, water quality, coastal preservation and plastic marine debris.