[Coral-List] The Saga of Dean Jacobson and Majuro Coral Mining (Jim Hendee)

Wed Mar 19 13:25:51 EDT 2014

Anyone know anyone at 60 minutes?  Anderson Cooper?  Where are all of those
media-connected people?

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On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 10:50 AM, Dennis Hubbard <dennis.hubbard at oberlin.edu
> wrote:

> Hi all:
>
> I very quickly signed Dean's petition way back when, so I assume that path
> isn't working well. More recently I have been researching places to write
> and at least be a thorn in their side. I just posted on the Facebook page
> for the Marshall Islands EPA office (see url below). I didn't check the
> option to "like" the page.
>
>
> https://www.facebook.com/pages/RMI-EPA-Marshall-Islands-Environment-Protection-Authority/567859269972579?ref=stream
>
> I seem to remember Jim posting that we had reached 8,000 members. If this
> is correct, we have a significant strength in numbers. If we pass around
> any information on agencies/individuals that could be flooded by 8,000
> individual emails that would at least raise the specter that the word's out
> (other than our congress - they've been oh so effective lately).
>
> And, we need to make each one personal - not just a document with a bunch
> of electronic signatures. Clicking on "sign me up" doesn't take much
> initiative and folks who receive these know it. But 8,000 individually
> crafted objections by obviously cranky members of the scientific community
> could make some difference. I talked about sea-level rise in my class today
> and brought in both our recent research on SL vs reef building.... and
> Dean's saga. The result is a good number outraged students - so we have a
> couple more dozen voices.
>
> I will continue to look for outlets in between lecturing and being chair.
> If we can share these, we might be able to create a sort of clearinghouse
> that we could use to build a unified response to what is a clearly
> rediculous situation. I have learned that it derives largely from the
> Marshall Islands renewed status under the Compact of Free Association
> following WWII and all the wonderful things we did to these islands.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:14 PM, mtupper <mtupper at coastal-resources.org
> >wrote:
>
> > Jim, would it be worthwhile sending all the Coral-List discussions about
> > Dean's
> > saga along with a petition to some decision-makers who might have the
> > clout to
> > intervene?
> >
> > Just a thought...
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> > Dr. Mark Tupper
> > Coastal Resources Association
> > 2503-13618 100 Ave., Surrey, BC, Canada V3T 0A8
> > www.coastal-resources.org
> > Email: mtupper at coastal-resources.org
> > Tel. +1-778-903-6420
> >
> > > On March 17, 2014 at 2:25 PM "Delbeek, Charles" <
> CDelbeek at calacademy.org
> > >
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > What I find somewhat disturbing is that this not new, Dean has been
> > actively
> > > petitioning this list for help in raising awareness at all levels of
> > > government for this issue, yet it seems as if some are treating this as
> > new.
> > > It is not ... Dean has been waging this battle for several years, with
> > little
> > > help from those in a position to actually help.
> > >
> > > J. Charles Delbeek, M.Sc.
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > > [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Carly
> > Kenkel
> > > Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 11:27 AM
> > > To: coral list
> > > Subject: Re: [Coral-List] The Saga of Dean Jacobson and Majuro Coral
> > Mining
> > > (Jim Hendee)
> > >
> > > Dear Coral-Listers,
> > >
> > > I feel compelled to write in support of Dean Jacobson and his attempts
> to
> > > raise awareness concerning the impending doom of reefs in Majuro. I had
> > the
> > > pleasure of meeting Dean in 2010 when I spent a few weeks in the US
> > > Marshall Islands sampling corals as part of NOAA funded project aimed
> at
> > > evaluating genetic connectivity of Acroporids across Micronesia. Dean
> was
> > > kind enough to introduce me to the local reefs and share some of his
> work
> > > documenting reef diversity in the region.
> > >
> > > The fragile status of reefs in and around Majuro are a conservation
> > > biologist's worst nightmare. Majuro and Arno contain some of the most
> > > striking atolls I have ever seen. The structure of these reefs is
> > > breathtaking and though far from pristine, there are coral species on
> > these
> > > island that I have never seen anywhere else, such as the super-rare
> > > "elkhorn" coral that made headlines a few years ago (
> > >
> >
> http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38566957/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/worlds-rarest-coral-found-remote-pacific-atoll/#.UyMs8V5siA0
> > ).
> > > However, these islands are also some of the most impoverished in
> > > Micronesia, combining the worst attributes of a US-funded welfare state
> > > with a social structure that places all the wealth and power in the
> hands
> > > of a corrupt minority.
> > >
> > > While I'm sure the Marshallese care about their home, reef conservation
> > > will always take a backseat to feeding their families. There are
> > > individuals and organizations involved in conservation efforts in
> Majuro.
> > > However, I witnessed as members of a conservation organization on
> Majuro
> > > turned a blind eye to a massive female turtle when she rolled onto the
> > dock
> > > in Arno, filling the bed of a truck, belly up. She was caught while
> > digging
> > > a nest on the beach and destined to be the prime delicacy at a birthday
> > > cook-out back on Majuro.
> > >
> > > Given Dean's experience and my own observations, I do not think local
> > > efforts to prevent dredging are capable of success. However, the
> Marshall
> > > Islands are a US protectorate, and clearly the FAA and EPA have some
> > > control over this project. I know people who read this listserv have
> > > connections to policy makers in the US. As Dr. Hendee pointed out, more
> > > can be done. If you are able, please take the time to make inquiries
> > about
> > > the runway extension project at Majuro. I believe our combined efforts
> > can
> > > make an impact.
> > >
> > > Best,
> > >
> > > Carly
> > >
> > > --
> > > Carly Kenkel
> > > PhD Candidate
> > > Dept of Integrative Biology
> > > The Univ of Texas at Austin
> > > carly.kenkel at gmail.com
> > > office: 512-475-6424
> > > cell: 623-910-2394
> > > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Dennis Hubbard
> Chair, Dept of Geology-Oberlin College Oberlin OH 44074
> (440) 775-8346
>
> * "When you get on the wrong train.... every stop is the wrong stop"*
>  Benjamin Stein: "*Ludes, A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream*"
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