Blue Frontier Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Blue Frontier Campaign is a United States marine conservation
activist
organization founded by David Helvarg
in 2003.
The Campaign has established a nationwide network of grassroots
(the marine conservation community or Blue Movement calls this 'seaweed') lobbyists. It is campaigning for an American Oceans Act to protect what the members call "our public seas" and is working to improve ocean policies in the 23 coastal states of the United States. Blue Frontier supports maritime community activists by distributing model policies and practices. Its other objectives include the creation of books, a TV documentary series, and other educational materials on ocean exploration and stewardship. The first such creation was the 2005 - 2006 Ocean and Coastal Conservation Guide. The Blue Vision Conference in Washington DC in July 2004 and Blue Vision Mid-Atlantic Conference at the National Aquarium in Baltimore
in April 2005 were the start of a series of seminars to introduce seaweed activists to oceanographers, port officials, and other marine stakeholders. Annual awards called "The Breakers" are presented in ten categories: Art & Entertainment, Conservation Science, Marine Education, Best Business Practices, and Hero of the Seas.
Future plans for the Campaign include endowing a fellowship for investigative reporting on waste, fraud and abuse on America's Seas, working to include marine education in middle school and high school curricula, and developing a media campaign that highlights lessons from the past American frontier, and "applies these to our new blue one".
The directors of the Campaign represent other activist organizations including Clean Ocean Action
, The Democracy Collaborative, EarthEcho International
, Khaled Bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, National Alliance for Hispanic Health
, Reef Relief, and Save Our Shores
. It also has a panel of over twenty advisors.
In 2007 two new Blue Frontier projects include Roz Savage
's solo crossing of the Pacific Ocean
, and a school program for the 50 Ways to Save the Ocean book.
Marine conservation
Marine conservation, also known as marine resources conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. Marine conservation focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, and on restoring damaged marine ecosystems...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
organization founded by David Helvarg
David Helvarg
David Helvarg is an American journalist and environmental activist. He is the founder and president of the marine conservation lobbying organization Blue Frontier Campaign, a part of the Seaweed rebellion, which arose from his second book Blue Frontier...
in 2003.
The Campaign has established a nationwide network of grassroots
Grassroots democracy
Grassroots democracy is a tendency towards designing political processes where as much decision-making authority as practical is shifted to the organization's lowest geographic level of organization: principle of subsidiarity....
(the marine conservation community or Blue Movement calls this 'seaweed') lobbyists. It is campaigning for an American Oceans Act to protect what the members call "our public seas" and is working to improve ocean policies in the 23 coastal states of the United States. Blue Frontier supports maritime community activists by distributing model policies and practices. Its other objectives include the creation of books, a TV documentary series, and other educational materials on ocean exploration and stewardship. The first such creation was the 2005 - 2006 Ocean and Coastal Conservation Guide. The Blue Vision Conference in Washington DC in July 2004 and Blue Vision Mid-Atlantic Conference at the National Aquarium in Baltimore
National Aquarium in Baltimore
The National Aquarium, Baltimore is a public aquarium located at 501 E Pratt St. in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was constructed during Baltimore's urban renewal period and opened on August 8, 1981. The aquarium has an annual attendance of 1.5 million and a collection of...
in April 2005 were the start of a series of seminars to introduce seaweed activists to oceanographers, port officials, and other marine stakeholders. Annual awards called "The Breakers" are presented in ten categories: Art & Entertainment, Conservation Science, Marine Education, Best Business Practices, and Hero of the Seas.
Future plans for the Campaign include endowing a fellowship for investigative reporting on waste, fraud and abuse on America's Seas, working to include marine education in middle school and high school curricula, and developing a media campaign that highlights lessons from the past American frontier, and "applies these to our new blue one".
The directors of the Campaign represent other activist organizations including Clean Ocean Action
Clean Ocean Action
Clean Ocean Action is a non-profit organization which works to protect the marine water quality in the New York Bight through research, public education and citizen action efforts. It was formed in 1984 by a broad-based coalition of environmentally-conscious businesses, groups and organizations....
, The Democracy Collaborative, EarthEcho International
EarthEcho International
EarthEcho International is an environmental nonprofit organization founded in honor of Philippe Cousteau, by his children and widow. EarthEcho is based in Washington, D.C.. The foundation was originally named the Philippe Cousteau Foundation, but changed its name after a dispute with the Cousteau...
, Khaled Bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, National Alliance for Hispanic Health
National Alliance for Hispanic Health
National Alliance for Hispanic Health is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improve the health and well being of American Hispanics by providing health care information, emphasizing cultural competence and culturally proficient programs...
, Reef Relief, and Save Our Shores
Save Our Shores
Save Our Shores is an environmental organization based in Santa Cruz, California, founded in 1978 and organized under IRS code section 5013. The organization spear-headed creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and lead opposition to offshore oil drilling...
. It also has a panel of over twenty advisors.
In 2007 two new Blue Frontier projects include Roz Savage
Roz Savage
Rosalind Savage is a British ocean rower and amateur runner, now pursuing a career as an environmental advocate, writer and motivational speaker.-Background:Savage was born in Cheshire...
's solo crossing of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, and a school program for the 50 Ways to Save the Ocean book.
Publications
- Helvarg, David, 50 Ways to Save the Ocean, (Inner Ocean Publishing, 2006) ISBN 978-1-930722-66-8
- Helvarg, David, Blue Frontier: Dispatches from America's Ocean Wilderness, (Sierra Club BooksSierra Club BooksSierra Club Books is the publishing division of the Sierra Club, founded in 1960 by then Sierra Club President David Brower. Volumes intended for club members had been published prior to 1960. In addition, books under their name had been published before 1960, but done through already established...
, 2006) ISBN 1-57805-157-6 - Helvarg, David (ed.), Ocean and Coastal Conservation Guide 2005-2006: The Blue Movement Directory, (Island Press, 2005) ISBN 1-55963-859-1
- Helvarg, David, Blue Frontier: Saving America's Living Seas, (W. H. Freeman, 2001) ISBN 9780716737155