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Dear Surfrider,
Crazy storms. Snow in Tahoe. Swells the size of
skyscrapers at Mavericks. The Governator throwing
Trestles and dozens of other parks under the bus. And
a partridge in a pear tree. If you're anything like me,
2008 is already feeling like its been a hell of a year,
even without lending a thought to a new years
resolution. And we at Surfrider are just getting
started.
We had our 2008 planning and strategy meeting a
couple of nights ago, and we realized we have more
goals for 2008 than any previous year. Oil
spill response trainings. Plastics reductions at San
Francisco stores and restaurants. Beach cleanups.
Education in classrooms. Firepits at Ocean Beach.
More political pressure for a
master plan and major improvements at Ocean
Beach. Sloat erosion monitoring. A presence
at Bay Area events. The list goes on.
There are currently over 1,500 Surfrider members in
our chapter. Our planning meeting was a small,
core-group oriented meeting of about 20. If I can
appeal to
everyone on this list, I want you to know that in the
room there were guys and girls, surfers and
non-surfers, young and old, fully employed and
students,
hyper-activists to 1-hour-per-monthers. Our group
is bound primarily by a commonality to ensure access
and protection of our local beaches. We're not an
exclusive or cliquey bunch, much the opposite. In fact
we're probably a lot like the other
1,480 members who weren't there. We're busy people
with busy lives who happen to make a little time every
month for a good cause.
I mention this because 2008 can be a year of major
positive changes for San Francisco and for
Ocean Beach, but it really does start with our
members giving a few hours of time every now and
then.
So if you haven't already signed and sealed your new
years resolutions, tack on a couple of hours for
Surfrider and make a plan to come out to meet
everyone and get involved. We're all in this together,
and Surfrider is here to ensure we all figure it out
together.
So HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! And see you out in the
water!
Wes
wes@sfsurfrider.org
| Oil Spill Legislation - Sign This!!! |
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Surfrider's national headquarters were so moved
by
the recent oil spill events in our part of the world that
they helped our chapter channel some of your energy
to good use in the political arena.
Below is a petition that you can sign online that
addresses two bills being considered by Barbara
Boxer right now, both of which have critical
amendments to the decade-old rules around oil
containment, spill response, and
accountability.
Sign this petition to urge Senator Barbara Boxer to
continue her support of legislation to protect our
marine waters and beaches from oil spills.
Petition to Kill the Next Spill <click here>
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| Ocean Film Festival - January 31 - February 3 |
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Now in its fifth year, The San Francisco
Ocean Film
Festival (SFOFF) celebrates the sea with inspirational
films that increase our appreciation of the oceans that
surround us. View the beauty and mysteries of the
ocean, experience the thrill of saltwater sports, explore
coastal cultures, and pause to reflect on the
importance of this vital ecosystem.
When: January 31 - February 3, 2008
Where: Fort
Mason Center, San Francisco
More Information at:2008 Ocean
Film Festival
Thursday Jan 31 - Sunday Feb 3
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| SURFACE - Art Event February 21 |
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Surfrider San Francisco is proud to endorse an
upcoming art show from one of the area's premier
surf artists. SURFACE is the culmination of two years'
work from Brown Cannon. In his own words:
"The project is something I have been working on for
the last two years. In collaboration with two
surfboard designers from Santa Cruz, I have brought
my fine art images to fifteen classic surfboard designs.
The images are of water texture, ocean life, and
coastal environments ... as a collection, they
carry a strong message about the importance of
the ocean and it's conservation."
When:February 21st
Where: Terra Gallery, San
Francisco
Artist Information at: www.browncan
non3.com
Hope to see you all there!
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| Twitter and SF Surfrider |
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If you're a Twitter user you can track the progress
of
this issue by following the new SFSurfrider account
here:
http://twitter.com/SFSurfrider
Or the RSS feed here:
http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/9606462.rss
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| This Month's Project - Know Your Sustainable Seafood |
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Most of us love seafood, but the need to monitor
what
is being overfished and safely managed for health
and sustainability has never been greater. The
Monterey Bay Aquarium keeps a regularly updated list
of those fish which are being threatened with
overfishing, and all it takes is a couple of minutes on
their website to become better informed for your next
menu selection.
Educate yourself on
sustainable seafood choices now!
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Next Beach Cleanup: Sunday 10am across from Beach Chalet |
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If you're interested in helping
Surfrider keep the
beaches and OB firepits clean, come out to the
cleanup this Sunday morning at 10am in front of
Beach Chalet. Cleanup supplies provided.
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