Posts by Mike Gravitz
Biggest Climate Bill Ever Signed into Law; It’s a Game Changer With some Compromises Wrapped Inside the Inflation Reduction Act
On August 16th President Biden signed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act into law after passage by a vote of 51-50 in the Senate where all Democrats voted for the bill and all Republicans against. Only the presence and tie-breaking vote of Vice President Harris allowed the bill to pass. The new law is a combination…
Read MoreUPDATE: Florida Keys and Oculina Coral Reefs
Florida’s abundant and diverse marine life – snappers, groupers, sharks, marlin, sea turtles, manatees – and special habitats like the Florida Keys coral reefs have made it an important destination for millions of visitors and new residents for decades. But these rich marine and coastal ecosystems are fraying at the edges or in sharp decline…
Read MoreFight to save rare Oculina coral reefs off Florida continues; Round 3 of the battle is on!
Featured Image: Professor John Reed: 200305 Oculina_ROV20 Photo14 anthiid school in live Oculina Sometimes marine conservation groups like ours have to engage in lengthy battles just to protect important marine life that should never be threatened in the first place. In this case, Marine Conservation Institute and its allies in Florida are battling to save…
Read MoreDon’t celebrate Earth Day for the Earth or the Ocean. Do it for yourself, your children and their children!
Don’t try to save the Earth on Earth Day. Does this seem like heresy coming from an ocean conservation blog? The Earth has pleaded her case since the first Earth Day in 1970, over and over for more than 50 years. Many have heeded her cry for help — yet in many ways the world…
Read MoreThe U.S. Wants to Save 30% of the Ocean. But Real Conservation Will Take More than Numbers—Here’s How
How to address catastrophic climate disruption? How to approach our treatment of nature? These are important choices that the US faces. For over 150 years, American conservation efforts have seesawed between strict protection of unique, natural places and an approach that can be summarized as ‘multiple use’ or ‘sustainable use’. Thinkers and conservationists like Henry…
Read MoreJune Is Abuzz with Ocean Celebrations…but how can you really make a difference?
Oceans are here, there and everywhere in the month of June. June 8th is World Ocean Day, June 8 to June 12 is the UN World Ocean Week, and in the US, the entire month of June has been designated by President Biden as National Ocean Month. The attention is well-deserved: oceans constitute about 70%…
Read MoreBeyond Seaspiracy: here’s what we know about fishing and what you can do about it
https://marine-conservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Bottom-Trawling-Blog.mp3 From pink nigiri pressed softly atop rice, to buttery seared salmon that melts in the mouth, seafood has long been a culinary pleasure, a lauded source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids . . . and a problematic indulgence in a world imbalanced by destructive fishing practices, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Fish farms…
Read MoreWhat’s Killing the Keys? A new report shows a way forward for Florida’s reefs and marine life
Featured Photo: Last Stand photo but Richard Barnden Florida’s coral reefs and the Florida Keys marine sanctuary are national treasures enjoyed by millions every year, but they are dying bit by bit, the victim of climate change, coral disease, self-interest, and lack of urgency in addressing underlying problems. In places, the hum of life is…
Read MorePresident Biden Could Save the Ocean. Here’s How.
The future of the ocean hangs in balance. We came up with 11 actions that the current administration must take while there’s still time. On January 20th Joseph R. Biden was sworn in as the 46th President and many of us breathed a sigh of relief, as if watching Donald Trump fly away wasn’t enough…
Read MoreRed Fish, Blue Fish: How does the ocean fit into America’s election results?
For voters with environmental values, there are probably as many different ways to interpret this election as there are fish in the sea. Some of us are elated that four years of Trump’s attacks on the environment, climate, and truth will end on January 20th. Others feel disheartened that President Trump still attracted an historic…
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