How can we motivate people to get involved in oceanic conservation and restoration efforts?

Question

How can we motivate people to get involved in oceanic conservation and restoration efforts?

Answer 1

Show everyone pictures of cruise ships, frieghters, fishing vessels, dumping their garbage every day into the ocean. I don't believe everyon realizes this has been happening for decades. Some cities if fact have barge loads of garbage they take offshore and dump. It makes me absolutley furious to know this.

Answer 2

You can't permanently get them involved since it is not a paying job/gig. Yeah, you can say sweet words to make some people join for a while. However, they will get tired or circumstances change (e.g age or income level) and then they will dump the movement. Examples of this happening are the  hippie movement (destroyed by the hippies realizing that you actually need jobs to pay bills and them getting mentally maturing) and renewal fuel movements of the 1970's (killed by the oil companies).

Answer 3

Associate conservation efforts with something the public might care about more. For example, everyone cares about taxes, paychecks, and saving money. Perhaps you could inform them about how it might affect the middle class economically in the future. Also, the average person avoids doing those little everyday eco-friendly things (like turning off lights or fixing leaking fossits) for the sake of convenience, even if it involves the simplest tasks. Educate them about how these tasks might cost less than usual.

I also think that schools should have educational programs that teach students about the importance (and financial benefit) of conservation.

Answer 4

talk to them and say lets go have some fun.

Answer 5

go detail, like save the whale family in Utah or somewhere.

restoration for the future landmark.

Answer 6

The problem these days is that few people feel a personal connection to the world they live in. We have become so disconnected from the natural world that we have begun to take it for granted, and as a result the idea of the earth being 'in danger' is preposterous.

So, really the most important thing is to help the people around you understand the importance, urgency, and meaning of your cause.

Answer 7

Points to consider

* Experts in oceanic conservation & restoration should be made to commit to educate common people around the world about importance of conservation &  about dangers ahead if oceanic conservation is neglected.Communication & orientation in this need to be done in all popular  world languages to reach human society around the world.

* Locally in all coastal areas & non coastal areas local organisations need to be developed to involve in action research over problems identification due to improper conservation.

* Especially in the coastal reagions from primary school education & onwards the subject has to be introduced & in graduate & higher education  technical courses need to be created(in line with environmental engineering course offerd in developed & developing countries).

* Govenments around the world should create a separate machinery/department/ministry to address the problem.

* Governments should support local /regional groups working on this issue.

* countries successful in their strategies in conservation should share know- how with other countries impartially & all the governments mutually should agree for exchange know how & strategies.

* Corporate & business organisations in each country should commit to jointly support for the strategies of the Government/provide their idea /financial support jointly

Answer 8

CREATE AN AWARENESS!!!

duhh!!

:)

Answer 9

I take people fishing for dolphins with those plastic 6pack beer holders to help inform people the importance of oceanic conservation.

Answer 10

As I am sure you are aware, it is never easy to make anyone think twice about something they are unaccustomed to worrying about. Most people are too wound up in their own lives to pay any mind to issues that might disrupt their world view. I suggest that if you wish to motivate the public to get involved in conservation efforts, you must capture their attention by appealing to them on an individual level.

At websites like http://www.carbonfootprint.com/ one can calculate their 'carbon footprint' and essentially get an idea of how many earths it would take to sustain the human population if everyone had their individual consumption habits. You might adapt this idea to oceanic conservation by focusing on water conservation and water pollution, and then also stress the importance of the issue.

Answer 11

your going to hate this .. but let the guys from madison av make it popular for people to do it .. if they can sell suvs maybe they can sell conservation

Answer 12

I moved to Seattle, Washington just about two years ago.  Until that time, I'd lived a long distance from any major body of water.  When I got here, I started to have a sense of how very connected we all are to the oceans, and how the things that I, personally, do can affect the oceans.  

I believe that many people are like I was; they don't feel a sense of personal responsibility toward the oceans.  They don't have a sense of the fact that what goes in a drain or a stream or a river actually MATTERS when it gets to the ocean.  Until they understand this, they're not going to change their behavior.  

I'm not saying I really know how to get it across to people that this is a global resource for which we are all responsible; I only know that it has to be done.  Perhaps what Al Gore has done for the atmosphere needs to be done for the oceans in some way.  Movies and mass media are powerful tools; certainly your father understood this, and used them very well.  I think that you, who are carrying on his wonderful work, have the power to use it as well, not simply to explain the curiosities of the oceans, but to inform the people of the world and to educate them.  

When we as individuals see that we can make a difference, I believe it will happen.  Gore's movie discussed the individual's "carbon footprint," and discussed simple ways for each person to change, such as fluorescent lighting, low-pollution vehicles, etc.  Perhaps you need to do a similar, ocean-based project that will bring a greater awareness that each of us has an impact, and that each of us can help effect a change.

Thank you for your very important work.  I'm sure you hear about your father all the time, but his work would not be continuing without you, and that makes it your work!

Answer 13

Go, man, go.  Where would we be without you and your dad?

Answer 14

as a beach lover i stay about less than 2 hrs away from the beach.when we go on vacation,we can help contribute by cleaning up behind ourselves,and not leaving a mess.

Answer 15

i think that the best way to do this,is teach to the childrens

how much important is the sea and it's natural beauty,

because it's through the love to the natural life,teached to everybody,that we can improve the natural conditions,

it's important to share knowledge about our planet,

in tv programs,how some tv channels has,

and i think that the childrens are one hope.

Answer 16

Here in Clearwater Florida we have the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  

http://www.cmaquarium.org

Come see our young famous dolphin.. She is on the news everyday helping to spread the word about the needs here in Florida..

http://www.seewinter.com

Answer 17

Do a fund raiser, start a website, tell people to find another way to get rid of trash than to throw it in oceans, and especially another way to get rid of oil!

Answer 18

If I may be negative first, most people do not care about anything but themselves.  And, they do a very poor job about that.  For example, littering is an issue here.  Fast food restaurants and convenient stores have trash cans for trash.  What happens?  There people throwing their trash onto the parking lot.  People pour the remains from the drinks onto the parking lot.  These places have to spend man hours picking up trash and washing down (wasting water) the lot.

I drive a van.  My solution is a bucket between the seats to catch my trash.  My used gum goes into a cup I keep in the cup holder.  

If we can't keep people from littering, we are going to have a difficult time dealing with other problems.  Since I don't live near a ocean or sea, it is not cost effective for me to drive to a water front and do clean-up.

The solutions I offer are.

1.  Collect money and post the results for everyone to see.  There are so many scams, people fear donating because of what little money actually goes to the project.

2.  Education.  This is a must for any goal.

3.  Government laws and assistance would be nice.

4.  Rewards for people offering information on people breaking the laws.

Answer 19

We need to make it a moral matter, because it is. When people think of conservation, they think, "Science. Has nothing to do with work, my daily commute, etc. so it has nothing to do with me." Also, working it into child curriculums would be fine, and government initiatives and laws would help. It really takes mass collaboration, with artists, speakers, heck, people! Just keep bugging (maybe not the right word) people until they do something!

Answer 20

you are the best like your father

thank you for all

Answer 21

offer incentives

Answer 22

Well: it's very important that we'd must " Protect those

North American Polar Bear's Natrural Habbitat by  Saving

the Artic Ocean Ice Caps an new Conservation Project  "

Answer 23

1.  Make an agreement with anyone who produces nature/science based television shows and films about oceanic life to make a rather large reference to conservation and restoration.  

2.  Children are our future, especially in conservation and restoration efforts!  A program for oceanic conservation needs to be done specifically targeting children.  Perhaps a weekly show built around the conservation idea.

3.  Get a good PR company involved.  They know how to get the word out and how to raise awareness in good causes.

4.  Entertaining commercials do much to raise awareness.

Answer 24

unfortunately, in the u.s. you must pay them

Answer 25

clean and earn voluntary credits and a free hotdog with drinks

Answer 26

show them how bad the ocean is right now, which will want them to get involved

Answer 27

I think we should offer excursions and incentives that are reasonable in cost and the locations are easy to get to.  Before people are motivated, they need to know what they need to be motivated for.  Alot of people have never seen the ocean or even know how to swim.  How can they appreciate the ocean and all its loveliness.  We also need to educate people about what exactly oceanic conservation and restoration is. We also need to teach more people to swim.  I think alot of people do not know how to swim to appreciate the water.....lakes, ocean, rivers, etc.   I don't really know what it is. I think I do.  But I may be wrong.  What do we need to do to conserve the ocean and restore it or keep it pristine?

Answer 28

Imagine each person has a button on their forehead, which says "What's In It For Me?"  If you can press that button, you will get a better response.  Remember that people do things for only two reasons -Motivation and incentive.  You are doing this because you have some internal motivation.  Most people go to work, for example because of incentive -they are paid.  Find an incentive for people to support oceanic conservation and they will.   An immediate severe rise in the cost of fish, for example.

Answer 29

First off, Jean-Micheal, I am a big fan of your father's, and you. I really appreciate what you have done to open people eyes towards our oceans. Now, first, countries like China must be forced from dumping millions of gallons of waste daily in to the waters. From what I have seen, the doldhins and other sea life are getting very sick.

Maube the best approach is just good old fashion FEAR.

People must be made aware that if our oceans die, then all life on this planet will perish. There is no other alternantive to this.

I live in Florida in USA, and see what the pollution is doing on a daily basis. We have dolphins in the Lagoon here with Herpes, if you can believe that. It is disturbing.

I fear that one day, it will be too late for us to fix what we have done. Agriculture run off must be stopped, cruise ships must be forced to dump their waste at ports, not in the ocean!!!

Here in Brevard County, Fl, we have a booming day cruise industry, and our legislators can't come up with laws to force these people to not dump in the waters. I would like to see a world-wide law that outlaws all waste dumping by ships.

Unfortunitely, human's are a greedy animal, and I fear there is nothing that can be done to get them involved with oceanic conservation and restoration projects. I am glad to see that they are finally trying to clean up all of the old tires that were placed in the oceans to make new reefs. These tires have done nothing but pollute are oceans!!!

You could do a comprehinsive study of the reefs around the Florida Keys, and show people how they are dying, and being destroyed. Perhaps that will help.

The main thing is, the world's leaders must get involved, and that is a chore on to it self!!! Thank you for this opportunity!!

Answer 30

tell them that everyones future depends on taking care aout our oceans, and our world all together. Becasue if we dont take care of our oceans, we won't have water for thirst, and to grow food, oh and for the poor

Answer 31

You can't if many of the people never have been to the ocean.  These causes are useless if the American people don't feel like they are affected.  Education would help but citizens are dealing with local issues daily that are more important to them.

So, the answer is you need get some rich people together like yourself and make opportunities available for people to learn more about the ocean.  Then, they will be able to sign on to your cause.