Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Earth Day for Boaters


April 22nd is Earth Day… and with over 70% of the earth's surface covered by water, it's a good week for us boaters to think about what we can do to minimize our passion's impact on the environment.

MarineFuel.com is a good resource for boaters to find information about reducing the mess of petroleum or oil on the water. Not only do they point out “fun facts” like “a single pint of oil released onto the water can cover one acre of water surface area”, but they also have tips like why you shouldn't fill your gas tank beyond 90% of its capacity. Visit the Green Captain section of their site for more.

BoatUS also has some “green boating tips” for Earth Day, including a study on which “environmentally friendly” boat cleaners really get the job done. Read their press release about it here.

If you boat a lot, there's a pretty good chance you live near a beach. One of the things you can do this week is participate in an Earth Day Beach Cleanup. But how do you find an Earth Day Beach Cleanup near you? It's easy - Google Earth Day Beach Cleanup and add your home town, and you should be able to find one to join. If not, start your own.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is doing its part by visiting wetland and shoreline restoration projects across the country that were funded by the federal Stimulus bill this year, according to Alan Sorum’s Blog on Suite101.

Then there's the Plastiki, which began its journey across the Pacific last month to bring attention to the amount of plastic floating in the ocean.

Of course, maybe the best thing we can do for the environment is raise a sail instead of turn a key. But how would we water ski? How would we get from point A to point B when there is no wind? How would we... (insert your own reason here, there are certainly plenty!)

Happy Earth Day everybody!

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