Save the Planet!

[bbowers2004]

Obviously out of the population most sailors and cruisers are leaving a smaller foot print then their land base counter parts, but what opportunities are their available on the travels to actively try to further balance the scale.

While I'm going around to these various countries around the globe to different eco systems and such. I will be attending college via online studies and would also like to make some sort of scientific....lol... research or impact along the routes.

I saw the plantkten app, that's pretty neat in my book, where other ways are we able to positively effect the world around while cruising?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by bbowers2004

Obviously out of the population most sailors and cruisers are leaving a smaller foot print then their land base counter parts, but what opportunities are their available on the travels to actively try to further balance the scale.

While I'm going around to these various countries around the globe to different eco systems and such. I will be attending college via online studies and would also like to make some sort of scientific....lol... research or impact along the routes.

I saw the plantkten app, that's pretty neat in my book, where other ways are we able to positively effect the world around while cruising?

if you want to save the planet,our biggest threat is over population

as a yachtsman visiting remote communities and crossing oceans you are ideally placed to take a leaf out of our forebearers book..........

a bit of spanish flu,or new strain of small pox would go a long long long way towards saving the planet

[Neo]

Good on you, friend! I wish I had your spirit. I can barely muster the energy to recycle my trash, never mind save the planet.

I think it will require changes in the large systems that shape our daily lives (transportation, housing, manufacturing, packaging, distribution) to make a meaningful impact on the environment, and I think it will require the government to encourage (subsidize) these sorts of changes.

I am not a fan of big government, but this is a big problem involving big systems that cannot be managed by local government or little people.

[Neo]

What is the plankton app?

[laika]

Still waiting on that eco-friendly bottom paint that actually works I'm continually appalled at the nasty solvents and dirty marine products my boat asks for.

I think over-population is a bit of a red herring and makes the solution seem hopeless. The billions of people in the 3rd world are contributing substantially less to the environmental problem than the hundreds of millions living a more western lifestyle (and in countries whose populations have largely leveled off). Education, clean water, and sustainable development!!

[stevesailor]

Originally Posted by bbowers2004

Obviously out of the population most sailors and cruisers are leaving a smaller foot print then their land base counter parts, but what opportunities are their available on the travels to actively try to further balance the scale.

While I'm going around to these various countries around the globe to different eco systems and such. I will be attending college via online studies and would also like to make some sort of scientific....lol... research or impact along the routes.

I saw the plantkten app, that's pretty neat in my book, where other ways are we able to positively effect the world around while cruising?

while i totally disagree that sailors are unanimously leaving a smaller footprint, or even think that's an appropriate strategy, if you're looking for references around "green sailing" and all those eco-style projects paul calder recently had a good blog post about it:
The Second Age of Sail? | Sailfeed

[bbowers2004]

Atoll .... I'm not sure if you want me to kill myself or just take deceases or a form of chemical warfare...to kill everyone else off...

[bbowers2004]

Originally Posted by laika

Still waiting on that eco-friendly bottom paint that actually works I'm continually appalled at the nasty solvents and dirty marine products my boat asks for.

I think over-population is a bit of a red herring and makes the solution seem hopeless. The billions of people in the 3rd world are contributing substantially less to the environmental problem than the hundreds of millions living a more western lifestyle (and in countries whose populations have largely leveled off). Education, clean water, and sustainable development!!

They would disagree with china leaving a smaller foot print, India is equally guilty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKEt...e_gdata_player

[bbowers2004]

Originally Posted by Neo

What is the plankton app?

The secchi plankton app info can be found here....

http://www.secchidisk.org

[bbowers2004]

Originally Posted by stevesailor

while i totally disagree that sailors are unanimously leaving a smaller footprint, or even think that's an appropriate strategy, if you're looking for references around "green sailing" and all those eco-style projects paul calder recently had a good blog post about it:
The Second Age of Sail? | Sailfeed

I'm all about "green" sailing, but I was more looking at things we can do as individuals to add purpose and meaning to our daily lives as we "do our part".

Good news on the big corporations though, they are the reason there is a problem to begin with ...

As well I concur on the unanimous sailor, as I'm not talking 10 care and 15 guest yachts, but just the average cruisers 1-4 people couples, singles, friends .

[laika]

Originally Posted by bbowers2004

They would disagree with china leaving a smaller foot print, India is equally guilty

That's what I was saying..it's not so much about population as it is about development, ie unsustainable development. To get on the soapbox, we who already enjoy the luxuries of the 1st world need to be the ones to pave the path forward, because you can't ask the developing world to invest in new, improven technologies. They're gonna go with what's made all us over here so fat and happy!!

[stevesailor]

Originally Posted by bbowers2004

I'm all about "green" sailing, but I was more looking at things we can do as individuals to add purpose and meaning to our daily lives as we "do our part".

Good news on the big corporations though, they are the reason there is a problem to begin with ...

As well I concur on the unanimous sailor, as I'm not talking 10 care and 15 guest yachts, but just the average cruisers 1-4 people couples, singles, friends .

well, that article i linked references organizations that try to offer opportunities for cruisers to do aid work. organizations like green seas, oceans watch, etc, offer infrastructure for cruisers to deliver aid etc. although cruisers have been giving supplies to people in the developing world informally for decades, without the infrastructure and budgets of non-profits and whatnot, with lots of personal connection and success. you can think of it as giving change directly to homeless folks, as opposed to giving change to some organization led by people who aren't homeless who think they know homeless person's needs better than they do. im not looking to debate this, as this forum isn't the place for it, but id suggest looking more critically at the 'green sailing' push along with all 'green' pushes where the companies that are directly responsible for destroying the planet for profit are pushing the responsibility onto consumers and offering products to save the planet, for profit. regardless of anything you do, tankers still use over a thousand gallons of bunker diesel an hour.

[MaryEllenCarter]

bbowers2004, Before you try to save the planet, try to save yourself.I've read your blog and you don't seem ready for your dream. It's a nice dream, but do you really need a dog and a TV on a 26 ft sailboat on a circumnavigation?

Some from your blog:

As I am looking around the cruising community it is inherent that I am of a younger class and social status then many cruisers. My moderately sized 26' boat gets dwarfed by the quad cabin, twin shower, 50' catamaran that is more common in the "online" presence that I usually find myself looking for advice from these days, since I am still maintaining a presence at work and have yet set sail. While I'm looking towards these boats and their adventures I am beginning to realize how differently not only our expectations of day to day living are, but on life.

Good Lord son, how beaten down are you in Europe? I am an American, and have pulled alongside multimillion dollar yachts in 23, 24, 26, and 28 foot sailboats. I've treated them all as my equal, and they have always responded in kind. Rich yachts seem to be full of people who find me and my small sailboats interesting.

"Social status" is just something that you were taught. The truth is, we are all equal in the eyes of the sea. You seem to have a lot of learning to do, but the sea is a great school yard.

You should try mastering the subject of sailing before you attempt to teach others how to "save the planet". If you were a day sailing hippie, that would be just fine, but you seem to be attempting a circumnavigation. I don't see Panama Canal plans on your blog.

Maybe you just decided not to include your Panama Canal plans on your blog. I hope that is the case. If not, perhaps you should take a little time off from your plankton studies and look into it.

Stay focused, and save yourself first. The planet will be just fine with or without you.

[sabray]

Here's hope. We are replacing sight lighting metal halides. With led down lights. Better lumina and at 75 watts compared to 250 more efficient.
Most business are paying attention to cost of utility and replacement value. Some places still have not got on board but we are getting faster at reducing costs and making alternatives viable.
Still strip mining and overfishing but the tide turning.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by bbowers2004

Obviously out of the population most sailors and cruisers are leaving a smaller foot print then their land base counter parts, but what opportunities are their available on the travels to actively try to further balance the scale.

While I'm going around to these various countries around the globe to different eco systems and such. I will be attending college via online studies and would also like to make some sort of scientific....lol... research or impact along the routes.

I saw the plantkten app, that's pretty neat in my book, where other ways are we able to positively effect the world around while cruising?

I think if you can efficiently make use of any power you use or generate , avoid polluting , recycle/reuse where you can, avoid damaging chemical compounds as far as practical , then that's about as much as you can do. Modern boars ( and the sailors in them ) are a product of a hydrocarbon based high tech , high energy environment , so there's not much you can do there.

I would add support local business and food production , simple basic stuff.

Dave