“We only care about what we know. We only safeguard what we fear can be lost. As a writer trying to write something useful about the environment, I’ve concluded that enthusiasm and commitment begin from learning just how marvelous this place is: Passion has to precede purpose.”
William Dietrich

I don’t really have much to add to that. The idea of raising awareness about plastic in the environment and other specific threats to the ocean has been central to the Ikkatsu Project from the start. And I think that it’s been a positive experience; I think that people’s understanding of the issues have improved because of the work that has been done so far.

But understanding is not passion, and it will take passion to make any significant changes. While awareness is critical, if that knowledge doesn’t lead to an internal imperative, it will not really matter in the big picture.

Thinking about all this against the backdrop of the oil hearing in downtown Tacoma tomorrow, where the guv’mint is going to tell you how they are planning to put drilling rigs wherever possible along the entire US coastline (except Florida), including the roadless Olympic coast and off the sands of Long Beach. The traveling roadshow is not particularly interested in what you have to say, so to object-out-loud to this misguided plan, to rise up tall and strong enough to stop it, will take a lot of passion.