Please excuse this Englishman for interfering in American and Californian affairs but as the Chairman of Friends of the Earth Marine Reserves Network (Marinet) I would like to comment on the destruction of trees in Shell Beach that provided roosting sites for cormorants.
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Decisions can be given with little thought to their historic importance and role that they play within the ecosystem of a marine preserve. Such appears to be the destruction of these trees and it is a pity this reflects the lack of understanding in some people toward the unique, rich, and diverse marine habitat around Shell Beach.
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I spent the best holiday of my life watching sea life in your extended community and let me tell you it is precious and must be protected from such cavalier decisions in the future. Everything in life is interdependent and some are unique, such as the kelp beds off Shell Beach. The sea otters live in this environment eating the sea urchins that feed on the kelp. Each needs each other.
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Man has a custodial role to play and those days of raping our environment should be consigned to the dustbin of history. We need to use waste to generate energy via anaerobic digestion and feed our soils with the compost that is a byproduct. Wave, tidal, and solar power are free to us all, leave no wastes, and do not destroy our climate via carbon dioxide production. It is time to wake up and be less of a drain on the environment and be better stewards of our planet.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2009.