h e c i i l y s B e ov L ol K Photo: Joan Vienot
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For more information on how you can participate wherever you may be on the Planet visit www.supradioshow.com/wpftp Stay tuned for my weekly podcast of The Paddler’s Planet with my guest host Christian Wagley on supradioshow.com
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or nearly five years as the host of The Stand Up Paddle Radio Show, I have been talking with paddlers from around the world in all aspects of the sport. I now can say I have found a trend. Stand Up Paddlers are becoming more involved in touring, exploring, adventure and conservation. The question I have is this: has paddling made paddlers more eco-aware or do ecoaware people get drawn to the sport of paddling? For me personally, paddling awakened the true conservationist in me. I’ve always been drawn to the outdoors, camping, mountain biking, river rafting, feeling the exhilaration of clean air, and the immediate release of stress with the first step away from asphalt and concrete. But now I feel a calling.
Stand Up Paddling introduced me to the water in a way I never knew was possible. This is where my love affair for the planet began. I believe it’s the ‘slow ride’ of paddling that puts us in the middle of Mother Nature’s most plentiful and most valuable gift, water. It is this slow ride that allows us to connect and understand what really is at stake. It’s the consistent gifts of beautiful sunrises, glassy water, perfect waves and almost indescribable reflections of sky and earth on the water as the sun goes down, that keep us filled with hope and passion to protect and preserve.
We know that the ocean covers 71 percent of the earth’s surface, and contains 97 percent of the planet’s water. It also produces over half of all the oxygen produced on the earth, and our oceans absorb almost 50 percent of all the C02 produced! Our oceans support the life of nearly 50% of all species on earth! Two hundred million people are reliant upon the fishing industry for income, and revenues from coastal tourism are estimated at $161 billion or greater. Looking at these numbers we can see the global impact the oceans have on our economies. This very small sampling of statistics makes me feel more passionate to protect our planet. It just makes sense.
Writing this column, ThePaddler’s Planet, will help advance our eco-awareness. I’d like to think I’m preaching to the choir. I may very well be, however you may be in the choir, but not really singing. Let’s feel the music, and bring our voices together loud and strong! Our passion for life must carry through to our relationship with the planet. It is time to give a gift back, the gift of being good stewards, doing and being the change we want to see if you are going to be in the choir, really be in the choir! It’s more than just wearing the robes!
I have the honor of hosting an important event this October in Panama City Beach, Florida, with the goal of bringing paddlers in any kind of paddlecraft together to send a wave of change to the planet. Leading by example, we will work together to spread the word that we can make a difference. Join us for World Paddle For The Planet.