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It’s akin to using a bulldozer to catch a butterfly, destroying a whole ecosystem for the sake of a few pounds of protein. We wouldn’t do this on land, so why do it in the oceans?

Sylvia Earle

Why is it that scuba divers and surfers are some of the strongest advocates of ocean conservation? Because they’ve spent time in and around the ocean, and they’ve personally seen the beauty.
SYLVIA EARLE

Advocate Conservation Driver Ocean Scuba Some Spent Strongest Surface Time
Some experts look at global warming, increased world temperature, as the critical tipping point that is causing a crash in coral reef health around the world.
SYLVIA EARLE

Cause Crash Critical Global Health Increase Look Point Reef Some Expert Temperature Tip Warming
What we once used as weapons of war, we now use as weapons against fish.
SYLVIA EARLE

Against Fish Once Use Used War Weapon
For heaven’s sake, when you see the enemy attacking, you pick up the pitchfork, and you enlist everybody you see.
SYLVIA EARLE

Attack Enemy Enlist Everybody Heaven Pick Pitchfork Sake See
A lumberman will look at a forest and see so many board feet of lumber. I see a living city.
SYLVIA EARLE

Board City Feet Forest Live Look Lumberman Many See Tumbler Will
Just as we have the power to harm the ocean, we have the power to put in place policies and modify our own behavior in ways that would be an insurance policy for the future of the sea, for the creatures there, and for us, protecting special critical areas in the ocean.
SYLVIA EARLE

Behaviour Harm Have Just Modify Ocean Place Policy Power Put Way
Far and away, the greatest threat to the ocean, and thus to ourselves, is ignorance. But we can do something about that.
SYLVIA EARLE

Away Far Greatest Ignorance Ocean Ourselves Sometimes Threat
Forty percent of the United States drains into the Mississippi. It’s agriculture. It’s golf courses. It’s domestic runoff from our lawns and roads. Ultimately, where does it go? Downstream into the gulf.
SYLVIA EARLE

Agriculture Culture Downstream Drain Forty Gold Golf Lawn Mississippi Percent State Unit
They have curiosity. ‘Who, what, where, why, when, and how!’ They never stop asking questions, and I never stop asking questions, just like a five year old.
SYLVIA EARLE

Ask Curiosity Five Just Live Old Question Stop Year
Every time I slip into the ocean, it’s like going home.
SYLVIA EARLE

Every Go Home Into Ocean Sip Time
I’m friends with James Cameron. We’ve spent time together over the years because he is a diver and explorer and in his heart of hearts a biologist. We run into each other at scientific conferences.
SYLVIA EARLE

Biologist Diver Explore Friend Heart Occur People Person Spent Together Year
The Arctic is a place that historically, during all preceding human history, has largely been an icy realm with an impact on ocean currents.
SYLVIA EARLE

Arctic Been Current During Historical History Human Icy Impact Largely Ocean Place Priced Real
The best scientists and explorers have the attributes of kids! They ask question and have a sense of wonder.
SYLVIA EARLE

Ask Attribute Best Explore Have Kid Question Scientist Sense Wonder
On a sea floor that looks like a sandy mud bottom, that at first glance might appear to be sand and mud, when you look closely and sit there as I do for a while and just wait, all sorts of creatures show themselves, with little heads popping out of the sand. It is a metropolis.
SYLVIA EARLE

Appear Button Closely Creature First Floor Glance Look Must Nud Sandy Sea Sort Themselves Wait
We have taken the manatees out of the areas in the Caribbean and really elsewhere in the world, and this disruption to the system makes such systems vulnerable to changes as they come by, whether it’s in terms of disease or terms or global warming for that matter.
SYLVIA EARLE

Area Believe Change Disruption Elsewhere Global Make Mandates Matter System Taken Vulnerable Warming World
The sudden release of five million barrels of oil, enormous quantities of methane and two million gallons of toxic dispersants into an already greatly stressed Gulf of Mexico will permanently alter the nature of the area.
SYLVIA EARLE

Area Barrel Country Dispersant Enormous Five Gallon Gulg Million Permanent Quantities Release Sudden

It’s akin to using a bulldozer to catch a butterfly, destroying a whole ecosystem for the sake of a few pounds of protein. We wouldn’t do this on land, so why do it in the oceans?

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It’s akin to using a bulldozer to catch a butterfly, destroying a whole ecosystem for the sake of a few pounds of protein. We wouldn’t do this on land, so why do it in the oceans?

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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