AP Photo/Richard Vogel
DCL
World-renowned surfing champion Kelly Slater is working hard to bring the world's attention to the threats currently facing the bodies of water that have helped bring him his fame. Two years ago, he formed a non-profit that is working to protect precious coral reef systems, a third of which are threatened around the world because of climate change and water pollution.
Slater's foundation also aims to stop urban runoff?a serious problem because as an area becomes urbanized, its natural landscape is altered in such a way that the accompanying pollutants are carried more directly into the surrounding waterways. Paved roads and other hard surfaces replace vegetation and topsoil that used to absorb rainfall. Rain instead goes into storm sewers, which deliver the runoff, along with suspended sediment and contaminants like oil, grease, pesticides, road salts, and bacteria that the rain has picked up along the way, into local streams and waterways.
Slater is also advocating to improve public access to beaches, and joined the governor of Florida to call for the protection and preservation of beaches.
Among things you can do to help: volunteer with restoration projects, talk with enterprises that have?or can create?opportunities to control runoff, teach children about pollution and how to prevent it, or find more ways to help the oceans here.
Watch videos from this episode:
- The Most Polluted, Onondaga Lake
-Pacific Plastic, The Garbage Patch
Dive into Blue August for more on ocean and water issues.
