from sea to summit

Surfrider Foundation

• We are a non-profit grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.

• Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu.

• Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide.

• San Francisco chapter of Surfrider Foundation consists of over 2,000 members.

• Visit our website to find more information and to become a member or to join in one of our Beach Cleanups. http://www.sfsurfrider.org/

Surfrider Foundation• Several local committees:

- Music Outreach Program (MOP)- Rise Above Plastics

- Plant Don’t Pave- Storm Drain Stenciling

- Fire Rings at OB

- Beach Cleanups- Erosion at Sloat - Ocean Beach Vision Council - Coastal Education - Future Sea Levels- Waster Quality Testing- Watersheds that Work - The Lobos Creek Valley & Baker Beach Watershed - Oilspill Prevention

From Sea to Summit Recap- What the Ocean provides people:

• food• recreation: surfing, swimming, sports fishing, tidepooling…• jobs

- How the Ocean is polluted by people: • untreated sewage• trash • urban runoff• cruise ships

From Sea to Summit Recap

- How Rivers & Streams affect the Ocean:• positively: sand, water, nutrients• negatively: trash, urban runoff, farm residue

- The Water Cycle:• Water evaporates from ocean• creates clouds• clouds travel over land - precipitation falls (rain/snow)• water travels over land -creeks/streams or absorbed &

becomes ground water • water travels via creeks,streams & rivers to ocean• cycle starts again with evaporation

From Sea to Summit Recap - Pollutants

PLASTICS• Largest pollutant; 60-80% of marine debris is

plastic, 90-95% in other areas - plastic bottles, caps & packaging dominate marine

litter• 3.8 billion plastic bags used in Bay Area every year• Millions of these bags end up in Bay every year• There are 100 plastic bags for every seal, duck &

pelican combined• 60,000 plastic bags are used every 5 seconds in

the US


PLASTICS- Americans consumed 50 billion plastic

water bottles last year • with 23% recycling rate - we dump 38

billion bottles a year into landfill• $ 1 billion worth of plastic - why not save

money and recycle?

• 2 million plastic beverage bottles are used every 5 minutes in the US


PLASTICSGreat Pacific Garbage Patch• a gyre of marine debris in Central North Pacific

Ocean. (gyre: a swirling vortex created by large ocean currents)

• over 300,000 pieces of plastic/sq. mile • Twice the size of Texas and growing• plastic outnumbers plankton 6 to 1. • 80% of plastic from land-based sources, 20%

from ships• plastic longevity ranges from 100 - 1000 years


PLASTICS100,000 marine mammals & 2 million sea birds die

everyyear after ingesting or being caught in marine

debris.


Cynthia Vanderlip, manager of the State of Hawaii’s Kure AtollWildlife Sanctuary, cut open the dead body of a juvenile Laysanalbatross to find more than half a pound of plastic in its stomach. Tothe right is what was found, e.g. Plastic lighters, bottle caps.


10 things you can do to help:1. Recycle & reuse all plastic you use2. Use reusable water bottles and coffee mugs3. Avoid plastic bags - use cloth/canvas instead4. Don’t litter5. Use Eco-friendly products - Seventh Gen, Ms.

Meyers6. Scoop your pets poop!7. Keep storm drains and street gutters free of debris8. Fix auto-leeks 9. Plant don’t pave10. Throw cigarette butts away

Environmental Careers

• Volunteer/Internships: Surfrider Foundation, Cal Academy of Sciences, Save The Bay, Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association, SF Zoo

Green careers:

environmental lawgreen design green architecture environmental non-profits:- business- grassroots organizing

Science careers:

field/lab researchenvironmental consultingeducation/academiagreen engineering: - civil, mechanical,chemical, biochemical, electrical.