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

[Dennis Hubbard]

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*"