The Ocean’s Survival Guide to Global Warming
May 29th, 2008
We all want our children and our grandchildren to be able to enjoy what we love about the ocean – from fishing trips to beach vacations to seafood dinners. But this legacy is at risk. No where is this more apparent than in Florida. Flanked by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, Florida’s fishing, diving, and beach-going industries are not only vacation magnets for the nation, but they generate billions of dollars for the state. And they depend on healthy beaches and coastal waters, vital coral reefs and diverse and robust fish populations – all threatened by global warming.
That’s why the report issued yesterday by a coalition of scientists and experts from internationally and nationally recognized environmental groups – including my group, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) – is so important. The Florida Ocean and Coastal Commission’s “Preparing for a Sea Change in Florida: A Strategy to Cope with the Impacts of Global Warming on the State’s Coastal and Marine Systems” is a blueprint for helping oceans and coasts survive global warming in Florida. But it’s reach is wider than it – the report’s recommendations are relevant to the rest of the country and the world, as our oceans and coasts face the stresses associated with global warming and ocean acidification.
One central recommendation in the report is that Congress pass laws that provide funding, as well as require federal and state agencies to protect and strengthen the health of coastal and ocean ecosystems. The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008 provides an important example for how to do this, and is scheduled to come before the United States Senate as early as next week. This bill is estimated to provide billions of dollars every year to protect and restore natural resources impacted by global warming, and to help fish, wildlife, habitats and ecosystems become more resilient. The longer we wait to act, the more expensive and difficult it will be to fix later.
The coalition’s report also underscores the need for a comprehensive national policy for healthy oceans as a whole. Currently, our oceans are managed under 140 different laws, implemented by 20 federal agencies, without an overarching vision or coordinated implementation of that vision. The basic problem is clear: we are only managing the details, but not the big picture. Legislation like this – Oceans-21 (H.R. 21) – is currently in Congress and our oceans are relying on a strong bill.
By following the recommendations outlined in the coalition’s report, we can help change the forecast for Florida’s oceans and coasts and ensure that its economy, natural resources and the Florida way of life will endure for generations to come. By applying these recommendations on a larger scale – we can restore, protect and preserve our oceans everywhere.
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