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What a disturbing headline:  "In turbulent economy, boat owners abandoning thousands of crafts."  The shrinking economy cannot be an excuse for poor decision-making.  COME ON!  At the very least donate the good boats to conservation non-profits who can sell them in the future.

Anyway, here is what the AP has to say about a very disturbing trend.

Vessels long a barometer of consumer calm

By Malia Wollan, Associated Press  |  November 23, 2008

One very simple way to practice sustainable living habits is saying, "no thank you" to plastic shopping bags. This may seem a challenge given the holiday shopping season but you know those lovely canvas totes? The ones almost every sailor in the world owns? They can stand up to the weather and the insane shopping crowd!

BYOB Bring Your Own Bag is the way to shop, protect marine life and decrease your "plastic footprint"; one habit closer to being a sustainable sailor!

To help make a habit out of it, find keeping a stash of canvas totes in the car or next to things I always take out the door with me (i.e. wallet, keys. etc.) ensuring I don't leave the house without. However, admit to being the crazy lady who will not, at any cost take the plastic bag and have subjected myself to a few embarrassing moments as fruits or other loose times have gotten away from me...

Virgin Money recently used sailing as their platform for raising awareness about their new financial tools.  While their efforts to set a new transatlantic record, The Challenge , failed you can be sure this isn't the last time you'll see them sailing for a cause. 

And now check this out!  They are using their position to do something great for the environment! 

Along with a growing list of other pressing concerns, President-elect Obama faces oceans in crisis from overfishing, climate change, mercury contamination, and more.

As an Illinois Senator, he was the sponsor of a bill that would have required chlorine factories to switch to mercury-free technology, which was designed to reduce harmful mercury contamination of our waterways and seafood. Join us in asking him to continue his commitment to conservation as he enters office.

Tell Obama to Remember the Oceans

When I travel, one of the things I've grown to admire when visiting friends in the UK and Europe is their secondary nature in composting. They just do it and think nothing of it, meanwhile my mom, who lives in Vermont and has raised us to be super eco-conscious is having a bit of an issue with it these days.

During my last visit it was causing me a bit of pain to put certain things in the trash that I KNEW could easily be composted and added to her lovely gardens. However, since her move she's been nervous about attracting unwanted critters. There is a little more background here but non-related!

Walking along the beaches, fascinated how people stop to take pictures of their footprints in the sand. Enjoy even more the "idea" of footprints and what they represent: presence

The term "footprint" is being used by sustainability specialist to help people understand an individual environmental impact. For those science types who enjoy digging deeper, believe you'll enjoy these two sites:

It's easy to remember and make a conscious effort in one's personal day to be water conscious (i.e. take shorter showers, don't let the water run while brushing your teeth,etc.) However, ever give thought to how much water was used to produce your morning cup of coffee?

Juliet Eilperin , one of my favorite environmental writers, wrote in today's Washington Post about the USDA's most recent rulemaking in the organic world.  Sidebar - if you haven't read Pollan's "In Defense Of Food " I highly recommend it.

The Orlando Sentinel - which has a dedicated "Florida Sailing" page is reporting that Right Whales are migrating along the coast of Florida and Georgia.  Having just sailed this section I am sorry I didn't see any.

But here is what they are reporting:

Georgia State officials are warning boaters to steer clear of right whales as their calving season begins off the Georgia coast.  The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says calving season for the massive, endangered species begins in mid-November and runs through mid-April.

Marina space is a neccesary evil for boaters.  In recent years, due to state and federal regulatory changes, marinas have gotten better at being "green" - but there is still a long way to go.  

Unfortunately the age old battle between developers and conservationists is playing out in Georgia - and whales, coastal wetlands and the good will that should exist between boaters and conservationists are at risk

By RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press Writer

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The Georgia Supreme Court ruled Monday that a state law protecting coastal marshes doesn’t extend to residential developments on dry land, handing a setback to environmentalists hoping for tougher construction standards along the state’s 100-mile coast.

I just returned from a trip from Beaufort, North Carolina to Fort Lauderdale, Florida aboard a 40-foot sailboat.  It was an exciting trip with big waves and big seas - albeit nothing like the conditions the Volvo Ocean Race and Vendee Globe sailors are sailing in.

It was a great, mind-clearing trip.  Standing watch alone with a huge full moon, Gulf Stream waves, and flying fish to keep me company allowed me lots of time to think about the importance of connecting my sailing with conservation.

I am happy to report that I saw no trash in the water the whole trip (and contributed none either). I didn't see much in the way of sea life either - a single porpoise near the start and the ubiquitous flying fish.  I hope the dearth of sea life is a product of timing and not indicative of something more terrible.