[Coral-List] What now?

[Taya Lazootin]

Thank you for sharing, Sarah. 
After days of depression, I woke up and realized this election actually provides a platform for us to step up our game and rethink our strategy. We saw Tuesday night what happens when intelligent human beings try to speak to the general public using big fancy words and a whole heck of a lot of jargon. For those that voted against her, Hillary was pretentious and snobby and too smart for her own good. Trump offered something easy. His message, although void of substance, was simple and digestible. I believe this election has taught us a huge lesson: no body wants to feel stupid. When people feel stupid, they get defensive and they shut down; immediately support is lost.  I am not making excuses for those that are ignorant, but if we truly want the support of the non coral-hugging people, we have to communicate effectively. 
By channeling our inner teacher, we must communicate science to the general public in a way that they can understand it. In addition, they must walk away feeling comfortable regurgitating it to others. Our youth are the future. Thanks to NGSS and STEM, science curricula across the country are under major reform. Each day more and more school districts adopt NGSS and STEM teaching strategies, allowing all types of learners the opportunity to engage in difficult concepts through kinesthetic and inquiry based lessons. 
Get your students and grad students outside. If you don't have students, find some. Everyone can be a teacher in one way or another. Touching (ok, maybe not corals) and seeing stimulates inquiry. Inquiry leads to comprehension, which empowers people. From empowerment you will gain support, and that support will lead to activism. And, finally, activism results in policy reform.

Yes, humans will rally for change, but they must understand what change they are rallying for.  Taya C. Lazootin"The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will." -Theodore Roosevelt 

    On Sunday, November 13, 2016 10:37 AM, Brennan McDonald <brennandmcdonald at gmail.com> wrote:
 

 I agree with you, Steve. That letter by a professor to his students is exactly what everyone on this list needs to keep in mind when moving forward onto the next four years. President Trump poses a difficult situation to those who hold science and nature close to their hearts. Though I may be at fault for not doing this, it is essential that we all fight for the changes that we want instead of complaining, and I will work on incorporating this into my activities as I go forward. Our president may not listen to a couple scientists, but if millions of his citizens are rallying for change, then he is almost obligated to make the change that they want. Let’s continue the fight for bringing justice to science, nature, and the environment!

-Brennan McDonald
> On Nov 10, 2016, at 4:42 AM, Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> I imagine that many of us are trying to wrap our minds around all the implications of a Trump administration. To the marine science community, your work just became even more important and challenging. I thought that this letter written by a college professor to his coastal and estuarine ecology students might provide some much needed encouragement and motivation.  https://labroides.org/2016/11/09/an-open-letter-to-my-class/
> Regards,
> Steve
> 
> Sent from my iPad
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