The Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter will host a cleanup at the last park on Sand Island, on Sun., 8/30/09, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Surfrider is partnering with Everpaddle to remove trash not only from the park area, but also from the water. Everpaddle will bring demo stand-up paddle boards for participants to use while removing debris both on and off shore, and conduct water testing in this industrial area. Volunteers are invited to recycle old plastic bags, bring reusable water bottles, and use the “watercraft” of their choice to help clean difficult to reach areas along the island. Meanwhile, the Sunetric Company will provide lunch and solar-powered live music.
As part of its Rise Above Plastics campaign, Surfrider is working to raise awareness of plastic marine debris and reduce the proliferation of single-use plastic bags and water bottles, as well as the number one littered item worldwide—cigarette butts. The Rise Above Plastics program also seeks to promote a more sustainable lifestyle and educate people about the prevalence of plastic marine debris on our beaches and oceans and how deadly it can be to marine life. “In certain areas of our oceans, the amount of suspended plastic particles outnumbers plankton by a ratio of six to one,” says Stuart Coleman, who oversees the RAP program in Hawaii. “Subsequently, we see all this plastic in fish and making its way up the food chain. But it also entangles, chokes and kills hundreds of thousands of birds and sea mammals.”
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.” Surfrider’s monthly cleanups help to keep our beaches and oceans clean while bringing the community and local sponsors together to enjoy our coastal areas.
Sunetric is active across the Hawaiian Islands and works with local and national alternative energy finance partners to make solar energy an accessible, affordable option for Hawaii residents and businesses, along with government and non-profit entities. For more information, visit www.sunetric.com.
The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and preservation of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers, the Surfrider Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary and now maintains over 50,000 members and 70 chapters across the United States. The Oahu Chapter is in its 14th year of activism and has been working on issues of beach access, water quality, coastal preservation and plastic marine debris.