In the remote Indonesian islands of Gili and in the national marine park in northern Bali, man's encroachment on our marine environment is ever so evident. The beautifully clear tropical waters are polluted with the remnants of modern society. Open Water Source is working with
Project Kaisei to help rally the open water swimming community to do what we can to make a difference.
Open Water Source understands
Project Kaisei's founder Doug Woodring when we hit plastic trash in the ocean.
"I was swimming between two islands in Lombok (Gili Trawangan) on a New Year's Day swim in some good chop and currents. Far away from mass civilization, this should have been a beautiful swim, but halfway in the channel, I hit an aquatic dose of our continued consumerism and lack of thought after we have enjoyed our moments of disposable conveniences. In the middle of the Lombok Strait between the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea, I swam into pieces of plastic with my head and face, against my arms, scratching at my legs and caught between my fingers.
What we are doing to our world? This garbage does not go away. When it hits the ocean, only 30% of it floats. The other 70% goes to the bottom where we have no daily reminder of its build-up. In every case, our plastic wrappers, bottles and trash interact negatively with marine life, but they have no voice in the matter, nor any body count to tally when they succumb to it in the open seas. As open water swimmers, we can play a huge role as ambassadors to helping make reductions in our plastic footprint."
Doug's leadership role in this environmental push was initiated during one of his dives in Palau in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Below the surface of the deep blue ocean, he started picking plastic out of its suspended state. All at different depths, he filled his pockets (see videos below).
At the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative,
Project Kaisei introduced the
Plastic Disclosure Project. Similar to annual carbon reporting, it is meant for companies and organizations to conduct yearly audits of their plastic use. Once there is a baseline of knowledge about how much is used, then groups know where money savings, reductions, better designs, better recycling or new materials can be positively deployed. This will benefit the company’s operations, its brand loyalty, and its engagement with the community. For more information, visit the
Plastic Disclosure Project.
As open water swimmers, we can make a huge difference and become leaders in our community. Event organizers can reduce or eliminate plastic bottles at our events. What else can we do for our communities?