In a Climate of Change: What Will You Do?
In a climate of change…what will you do? It is at once both a global and a very personal question. The evidence that our natural climate is changing is real, irrefutable, and not necessarily encouraging. Yet, there is good news. Other ‘climates’ are also changing, including the climate of personal awareness and responsibility for our actions. This latter ‘climate change’ IS encouraging.
At the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, we’ve seen evidence of this ‘climate of change.’ Progress is being made on the long overdue reauthorization of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Boundary expansion is being considered for some existing sanctuaries: Thunder Bay, Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank. And for the first time, your National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is funding a suite of restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting from a damage assessment settlement against a private company charged with dumping in the Gulf.
At our annual Leadership Awards Dinner, Board Chair Bob Talbot debuted a short film featuring the scope and impact of sanctuaries. The film ended with a powerful yet simple question…what will you do? That question has challenged me both personally and professionally. As the mother of two small children, I felt compelled to reexamine our family’s impact on the environment and recommitted to simple changes such as composting and reusable shopping bags. We’ve replaced light bulbs and pursued greater energy efficiency in our home and vehicles, ever mindful of the impacts of CO2 emissions presented during both Capitol Hill Ocean Week and a conference on the global carbon dioxide record the NMSF hosted and coordinated.
Professionally, I’ve had the opportunity to make an impact beyond the Foundation. I am privileged to serve on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Commission, which advises the Secretaries of Commerce and Interior on ocean conservation and protection measures. I am also pleased to serve as the environmental community’s representative to the Outer Continental Shelf Five Year Study Committee, which provides advice on our nation’s energy strategy for the future.
As you read through this report of annual accomplishments by the Foundation, I hope you will seriously consider the question posed in the title of this year’s report: In a climate of change…what will YOU do?
Sincerely,
Lori Arguelles
President and CEO
