[Coral-List] NGOs, Corals and Dive Industry

Melbourne Briscoe Mel at briscoe.com
Thu Nov 21 18:45:20 EST 2013 

get Travel Advisor on board with "green" as a rating category

Ed Blume <eblume2702 at gmail.com> wrote:
>Julian,
>
>I wonder whether divers themselves might put some teeth into green
>programs
>for dive operators.
>
>Could a site be created (a lot of work, I know) where divers could
>"rate"
>an operation according to a check list?  The list would contain green
>items
>that an operation might practice, such as "Did the operator or dive
>master
>or someone else brief divers on avoiding contact with corals?"  "Did
>the
>dive shop display brochures or other materials about ocean
>conservation?"
>When another diver checks out an operation on the Web site, the diver
>could
>assess the answers and decide whether that's a good place to patronize.
>Some divers won't care one bit about the checklisted items, and others
>will.
>
>Travel sites let people give star-ratings to destinations, resorts,
>restaurants, etc.  Letting dive customers provide the ratings unburdens
>an
>organization from having to come up with and monitor a rating system. 
>Dive
>operators could respond to whatever a diver might post.
>
>I don't know whether the self-rating system could work, but I read
>customer
>reviews closely when I'm planning a trip.
>
>Ed Blume
>Energy Consulting Network <http://energyconsultingnetwork.com>
>facebook.com/EnergyEfficiencyInWisconsin
>608-225-6591
>
>
>On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 6:21 PM, Julian @ Reef Check <
>julian at reefcheck.org.my> wrote:
>
>> Many dive centres promote themselves as "green" - just ask PADI about
>its
>> Project AWARE and other campaigns. The original GoEco operator status
>> promoted by PADI was one of many voluntary sign up schemes....problem
>is,
>> many of them, being voluntary, have no teeth. So there is no real way
>to
>> know whether a dive centre calling itself eco-friendly (whatever that
>> means)
>> is indeed doing its best to reduce its impacts other than to go and
>dive
>> with them.
>>
>> Then there's Green Fins, which was set up by UNEP a few years ago to
>> promote
>> environmentally friendly guidelines (wiki it for more info). That at
>least
>> has an assessment procedure. And Blue Star in Florida. I am sure
>there are
>> others.
>>
>> But the main problem with them all is that they are usually
>voluntary, and
>> generally there is little or no monitoring of whether people that
>sign up
>> are actually abiding by the rules. I used to operate a dive centre in
>> Malaysia for 6 years, and we were one of the first PADI GoEco
>operators in
>> the country...but all we had to do was sign a piece of paper
>promising to
>> do
>> a few "green" things...no checking, no follow up, no annual
>assessment, no
>> visit - nothing. So the whole thing became degraded after a short
>while as
>> dive operators signed up to use it simply as a promotional tool
>without
>> being interested in the goals.
>>
>> I am in agreement with Steve on this issue. I think the industry
>could do
>> more, without spending a lot of money. As someone else pointed out,
>there
>> is
>> a big constituency out there, with friends, family colleagues. Of all
>the
>> divers - and there are many, and the number is increasing - I am sure
>that
>> some could be convinced by a good, strong message, and then that
>message
>> could be multiplied.
>>
>> If Honda Motor company stops servicing its production lines, it will
>> quickly
>> stop producing vehicles and go out of business. If American Airlines
>stops
>> servicing its airplanes, they will soon start falling out of the
>sky...and
>> they will go out of business. But who is servicing the world's coral
>reefs?
>> Shouldn't the diving industry have some responsibility, since it is
>their
>> main business asset?
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Julian Hyde
>> General Manager
>> Reef Check Malaysia Bhd
>> 03 2161 5948
>> www.reefcheck.org.my
>> Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rcmalaysia
>>
>> HEARD A FISH BOMB? TEXT US AT 012 647 1294 WITH DATE, TIME AND
>LOCATION!
>>
>> "The bottom line of the Millenium Assessment findings is that human
>actions
>> are depleting Earth's natural capital, putting such strain on the
>> environment that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain
>future
>> generations can no longer be taken for granted."
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>> [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Ed Blume
>> Sent: Thursday, 21 November, 2013 3:19 AM
>> To: Steve Mussman
>> Cc: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] NGOs, Corals and Dive Industry
>>
>> Do any dive shops anyplace in the world promote themselves as
>"green?"  The
>> travel industry has green travel certifications, but I've never seen
>> anything like that for the dive industry.
>>
>> Ed Blume
>> Energy Consulting Network <http://energyconsultingnetwork.com>
>> facebook.com/EnergyEfficiencyInWisconsin
>> 608-225-6591
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 9:56 AM, Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >    This pertinent question was raised off-list: Can't the diving
>industry
>> >    acknowledge the problems and speak out
>> >    on the need for action without someone requiring them to pony up
>> money?
>> >
>> >
>> >    That was exactly the point I was attempting to make. What we are
>> > looking for
>> >    from industry leaders is not funding, but acknowledgement,
>> > leadership and
>> >    guidance. In fact, there suddenly seems to be a groundswell of
>> > support for
>> >    proactive engagement derived from divers and business leaders
>who have
>> >    studied  and understand the issues at hand. At least those who
>are not
>> >    predisposed  to reject  scientifically-based findings because
>they may
>> >    contradict  some  core beliefs. The way that the diving industry
>works
>> >    provides mystifying powers of persuasion to certification
>agencies
>> > (and DEMA
>> >    directors). The average diver follows their edicts with
>something
>> > akin to
>> >    religious fervor. If divers can simply be encouraged to follow
>the
>> > science
>> >    rather than rhetoric designed specifically to discredit
>conclusions
>> > based on
>> >    methodical   studies,   we   might   be   able  to  make 
>progress  by
>> >    implementing actions designed to mitigate the blighting impacts
>> > currently
>> >    anticipated.
>> >
>> >
>> >    Steve
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Coral-List mailing list
>> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> Coral-List mailing list
>> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>>
>>
>> -----
>> No virus found in this message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 2013.0.3426 / Virus Database: 3629/6851 - Release Date:
>11/20/13
>>
>>
>>
>_______________________________________________
>Coral-List mailing list
>Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list

More information about the Coral-List mailing list