Hi everyone, I still have hope for the world, for humans surviving a whole lot longer, I’m not so sure. When I was in my senior year at Ocean City High School I wrote of an end of the world scenario that would take place in my lifetime due to an environmental meltdown. I did not know much about climate crisis or global warming. I did see marshes being filled for all kinds of development, and this really hit home with me, literally. My father was one of those developers, and to put it mildly, we did not see eye to eye on this issue. I was always in awe of the complexity and also the utter simplicity of nature. Of how everything, including us, are so completely connected.

I grew up on a barrier island. Man’s time on these spits of sand is limited. We try to control nature, to hold back the oceans, or to confer rights on animals. The world is melting away burying the land we call home. Sea level will rise no matter what we do to slow our effect on global warming. As a geologist, the idea of our time on earth is put in perspective. In less than a blink of an eye, we will not inhabit barrier islands, blink again and now one will remember we ever did.

What does this have to do with Surfrider? Everything. My belief is people that care make a huge difference. Is the ultimate strategy for survival to retreat from the coast? Will man evolve, and adapt to a flooded planet. Sandy taught us how vulnerable we are in Ocean City, I lost my home with only a 4 foot above normal high tide surge. So we build houses higher, spend gazillions to pump out streets, constantly pump sand on our beaches to watch it wash away during the next mild storm event. What are the responsible things to do? If I had the answers, I would be chairperson, not vice-chair. We have campaigns that help make our world a little better. I guess even without surfboards being ridden by humans there will still be waves. And this is good. Happy New Year!