|
Over the course of the thousands of
kilometers I had the opportunity to travel
aboard the Indies Trader, we came across
countless natural wonders. From the
relatively pristine reefs we dove in Panama
to the majestic emerald kelp forests in
Canada, some of the habitats we experienced
were among the most magnificent on the
planet. Unfortunately, in the course of our
journey we also encountered many ecosystems
that have been ravaged by man. The multitude
of over-fished reefs and disheartening
ecological wastelands that crept up near
virtually every population center were
constant reminders of a sad reality in
today’s world: where humans are present
marine life is generally in bad shape. |
|
Bob and friends in Panama.
|
|
Reef monitoring in Polynesia
|
|
Unlike other
animals, we human beings are the
first species to live outside of
a local ecosystem. Over the
course of the past 11,000 years
we have learned to control our
own food supply, and in the
course of doing so we have
managed to expand our population
to mind-boggling numbers. The
results are not positive. By
1989, for example, we had
reduced the tropical rain
forests of the world to nearly
half the prehistoric cover. This
is just one of a litany of
sobering numbers that touches on
the kind of planet we are
leaving for our children. |
|
Although in the
short term international borders
and concepts like “third world”
and “first world” may make for
convenient ways to
compartmentalize the earth’s
problems into “theirs” and
“ours”, at the end of the day we
are all on the same chunk of
rock flying through space. We
all depend on the same ice caps
to maintain our sea levels and
require the same trees to give
us air to breathe. Indonesia’s
poverty is the world’s poverty.
Not only is there an inherent
humanitarian obligation upon
those that have to help the
billions that don’t, there is an
responsibility upon every last
thinking individual to see
today’s poverty and its
inevitable end product --
environmental destruction -- in
light of future generations. |
|
Scenes like this need preserving
|
|
The
mission of The Crossing represents a
recognition of these realities, helping
to make it one of the greatest living
adventures on earth.
|
The more we focus on the environment the more
our reefs will be protected.
|
back to top^
|