WHAT: A blog about ocean politics
WHEN: Every Tuesday
WHERE: Here
HOW: Using the magic of cyberspace
WHY: Because scientists do a lot of talking about policy (not as much listening), but often understand very little about politics. Dave and Jack will share the down and dirty details of ocean conservation, politics-style.
About Ocean Champions: As co-authors of the 2003 report, Turning the Tide, Dave and Jack urged the ocean conservation community to participate fully in the political process. Then they took their own advice and founded Ocean Champions, the first and only advocacy organization dedicated to building champions (with any party affiliation) for the oceans in U.S. Congress. Ocean Champions is directly involved in elections--endorsing and supporting pro-ocean candidates and running campaigns to defeat bad guys. They recently helped to defeat Arch Ocean Enemy Richard Pombo (R-CA).
About Dave Wilmot: A Ph.D. turned political guru, Dave Wilmot was Executive Director of the Ocean Wildlife Campaign and National Audubon Society's Living Oceans Program before co-founding Ocean Champions with Jack Sterne.
About Jack Sterne: A lawyer and activist, Jack works from Alaska. Before Ocean Champions, Jack co-counseled the precedent-setting Steller sea lion litigation, which many credit with producing the most significant changes in fishery management practices since passage of the Magnuson-Stevens Act in 1976.
Let's extend a warm welcome (the oceans are, after all, getting warmer) to Dave and Jack since they live the cold, harsh reality of policy-making. They will be joining us in one week...