[Coral-List] Save the reefs?

[Michael Burton - NOAA Federal]

I can't help but notice, there is a big difference between 9 billion pounds
vs. 9 billion tons....are we preventing pounds or tons?  , i don't know if
one over the other changes the conclusion dramatically, but some
clarification as to which is which would be appreciated....thanks...mlb

On Thu, Jan 8, 2015 at 10:49 AM, John Ware <jware at erols.com> wrote:

> Peter et al,
>
> As important as all the information you have provided about the fate of
> coral reefs is, I see some fundamental problems - not with you or your
> information - but about how to get the message across.
>
> (BTW: Following is extracted from a presentation I gave at International
> Congress on Conservation Biology, 2013).)
>
> In the famous words of Cool Hand Luke (1967): "What we have here is
> failure to communicate".
>
> To my way of thinking, there are a couple of rules to be followed for
> successful communication:
>
> 1- Have something to say.
> 2- Say it in terms intelligible to your audience.
>
> The example I used was based on the following quote:
>
>   "If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a light bulb
> that's earned the ENERGY STAR, we would ... prevent 9 billion pounds of
> greenhouse gas emissions per year."
>
> The public response is: So what?  Sounds like a big number, but is it?
>
> I proceeded to show the following "facts" (which could be argued):
>
> 1- Each US ton of CO2 emitted has killed ~0.5 ft**2 of coral reef.
>
> 2- The 9 billion tons equates to about 40+ US football fields of coral
> reef/yr.
>
> 3- American kill (via GHG emissions) ~0.1% of world's coral reefs/yr.
>
> 4- World total is almost 1%/yr.
>
> So the message is put in terms the average person can understand.
>
> HOWEVER, it begs the question: Why should the average person be
> interested in saving coral reefs?  The answer better not be that they
> are really pretty and have nice fish, but that is the way that Americans
> probably view coral reefs.
>
> John
>
> --
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> If you are a coral-reef scientist and you are not a member
> of the International Society for Reef Studies, then
> shame on you.
> Become a member of the International Society for Reef Studies
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>
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