[Coral-List] a plea

[Benjamin Greenstein]

Colleagues,

I recently received a note from a person who has been working for an  
NGO focused on marine conservation. Their message ended with the  
following passage, and I secured permission to share it with the list.  
Many of us have experienced similar frustrations. What words of wisdom/ 
hope might you have that I may pass along? Thanks.

Ben Greenstein

In the midst of this I am left wondering if there is any hope and I am  
extremely frustrated feeling as though I can't make a difference.   
What do you think the best approach is to conservation issues like  
this?  How do you inspire people to care?  How do we act fast enough  
when all of our political systems are programmed to make slow, careful  
decisions...and why do we require DATA to prove what is so obvious to  
the ordinary observer...that forests, coral reefs, ocean, desert,  
marshes, wetlands, salt ponds, ice caps, tundras and every ecosystem  
in this biosphere is in serious need of some tlc.


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Benjamin J. Greenstein, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of the College
Professor of Geology
Department of Geology
Cornell College
600 First St. SW
Mount Vernon, IA 52314
US

PH: 319-895-4307
FAX: 319-895-5667
WEB: http://www.cornellcollege.edu/geology/greenstein