[Coral-List] My Last Comment on The Great Guana Cay Debate
Pete Raines
psr at coralcay.org
Fri Mar 17 17:41:29 EST 2006
Dear all,
I've just rejoined the List and am starting to regret having done so: my
emails having been immediately swamped today by "The Great Guana Cay Debate"
etc etc,....
Much of what I have read and been party to on this issue (in just the past
12 hrs since I rejoined) seems somewhat polarised and extremely focussed (I
choose my words very carefully here!). At best, my view is just skewed
because of my recent rejoining. At worst, some would say that coral-list has
been hijacked. I shall remain on the List for a few days more in the hope
that my initial concerns are unfounded.
Important as the Guana issue is (and it is), perhaps it's now time for those
wishing to pursue it so passionately (and you have all made us all now know
very load and clear who you are) to do so amongst yourselves, move off to
another dedicated communication channel amongst yourselves, and not clog-up
the open channel that coral-list was established for.
So, having said all that: anyone out there want info on the status of coral
reefs in Southern Leyte (Philippines)? Some really interesting data coming
out of there, if you are interested.
Cheers,
Pete
_____________________________________________
Peter Raines MBE FRGS FIBiol CGeog CBiol MInstD
Founder & Chairman
Coral Cay Conservation Ltd
40-42 Osnaburgh Street, London NW1 3ND, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7874 5212 (direct line)
Tel: +44 (0)777 176 7423 (cellphone)
Fax: +44 (0)870 750 0667
email: psr at coralcay.org
www.coralcay.org
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______________________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
[mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Todd Barber
Sent: 17 March 2006 20:53
To: Greg Challenger; Coral-List Subscribers
Subject: [Coral-List] My Last Comment on The Great Guana Cay Debate
First, thanks to everyone that engaged in this important debate...important
because we will face the same scenario in different places around the world
for a long time to come.
I am off to the Turtle Islands in Sabah tomorrow to save the turtle nesting
grounds from erosion for those totally protected (from humans) islands, so I
won't be able to respond for the next week. So if you have a comment try
emailing it to me directly with a catchy subject that I can pick out on a
slow internet connection.
So, let me sum up what I believe everyone should do for Guana Cay...
If you are a local resident or stakeholder....fight for your
rights...continue your court battle and use all your legal means to achieve
your goals.
If you are privately concerned, consider joining their fight or helping them
fund it.
If you are a scientist you have several options. If protecting the reef
touches you emotionally, consider donating some of your skills or time to
the saveguuanacay.org group.
If you are neutral, consider contacting the government of the Bahamas or
Livingston Marshall to donate your skills to helping find ways to minimize
the impact of the development should the legal efforts fail.
If you are a consulting scientist, you may wish to sell your skills to any
of the parties involved either through EISs, EIAs, legal mitigation or
private consulting.
If you are an NGO, follow your organizational mission statement guidelines
and do what you can to aid in your mission.
If you are a developer, join the debate and express your side of the
issues.....many of us "get it" that the fight is not about winning and
losing but working together to achieve better things.
If you are from government, use the great wisdom of the 3,470 folks on this
list that care about corals to help answer your questions regarding corals
and how or why they should affect your policy. If in doubt, ask a
question...you may get 5 different answers....but 4 of 5 might be right!
I am confident, that no matter how you get involved or "whose side you are
on" that anyone on this list most likely cares very deeply for corals and
our world oceanic ecosystems therefore if you lend your skills in whatever
capacity, I believe the outcome will be better than it would otherwise be.
Herein lies the power of this list...knowledge can overcome problems. And
if every time we face similar threats or opportunities to our oceanic
ecosystems we join together....no matter how far apart each of our positions
on the particular issue separates us we will achieve more together.
'till next week!
Thanks,
Todd Barber
Chairman Reef Ball Foundation, Inc.
3305 Edwards Court
Greenville, NC 27858
reefball at reefball.com
http://www.artificialreefs.org
http://www.reefball.org
http://www.reefball.com
Direct: 252-353-9094
mobile: 941-720-7549
Fax 425-963-4119
Personal Space: http://www.myspace/reefball
Group Space http://groups.myspace.com/reefballfoundation
Skype & MSN For Voice or Video Conferences:
Available upon request
Atlanta/Athens Office
890 Hill Street
Athens, GA 30606 USA
770-752-0202
(Our headquarters...not where I work see above)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg Challenger" <gchallenger at msn.com>
To: "Coral-List Subscribers" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] The Great Guana Cay Debate
> Forgive me if this topic has been covered. Focusing only on environmental
> issues....What type of development is acceptable? Any? ..and where?
>
> It would be interesting to hear opinions about how this development should
> be modified to better protect the environment. I believe if you stop
> them, you have only won a NIMBY battle and not the war. They seem to have
> a pile of money. If the hassle factor affects their cost/benefit, they
> will move their carnival to the next town. Considering that populations
> continue to grow and people (including ourselves) are always looking for
> lovely places to visit...amenities will be constructed to support our
> demand. There seems to be a lot of anger directed at "rich developers",
> but aren't they just responding to demand from us? How many of you have
> neighbors that travel to destination resorts to play golf and fish? Is it
> more productive to focus on limiting development footprints and addressing
> how and where amenities are constructed rather than stopping them
> altogether? Perhaps both are important. I think pressure from citizens
> to abandon these projects is not always practi
> cal, but it may result in pressure for better development practices and
> reduced footprints.
>
> 2 cents
>
> Greg Challenger
>
> visit us at:
> www.polarisappliedsciences.com<http://www.polarisappliedsciences.com/>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jim Hendee<mailto:Jim.Hendee at noaa.gov>
> To: Coral-List Subscribers<mailto:coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 3:54 AM
> Subject: [Coral-List] The Great Guana Cay Debate
>
>
> Hey, Team, this Guana Cay debate has been a great focus from the more
> general problem discussions over the past two weeks and has been
> constructive. However, I just want to ask that in the heat of
> discussion that we are all careful about any personal attacks,
> defamatory or slanderous comments, or emotionally laden language that
> serves no other purpose than to enrage the recipient (or person referred
> to). "Just the facts, Ma'am," as Sargent Joe Friday used to say on
> Dragnet [okay, so I'm aging myself...]. Please? I'm not saying anybody
> in particular has gotten too far out of control, but I do see the steam
> rising in the cauldron.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Cheers,
> Jim
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list<http://coral.aoml.noa
a.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list>
> _______________________________________________
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