Archive for the 'Surfrider Foundation' Category
Don’t let the bag monster ruin your view
Published 25/10/2011 Plastic , Rise Above Plastics , Surfing , Surfrider Foundation Leave a CommentRise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads
Published 23/10/2011 Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads is a collective of ocean enthusiasts, shop owners, & local community members trying to reduce plastics in Burleigh Heads for protection and enjoyment of our oceans, waves, and beaches.
Check them out:
- http://www.facebook.com/riseaboveplasticsbh
- http://riseaboveplasticsbh.tumblr.com/
Don’t Feed The Bag Monster!
Published 21/10/2011 Plastic , Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads Making The News
Published 26/09/2011 Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Commentvia My Daily News
COVERED in hundreds of plastic bags is a man who wants Burleigh to be the first suburb on the Gold Coast to ban them.
Surfrider Foundation member and Palm Beach resident Seb Binnewies spent Saturday dressed as the Bag Monster in Burleigh Heads to raise awareness of the environmental damage and wastefulness associated with plastic bags. The keen surfer said it would not be difficult to ban plastic bags.
“In Germany they don’t give out plastic bags.
“We are trying to get this same ruling here on the Gold Coast,” Mr Binnewies said.
While Mr Binnewies didn’t need any help getting noticed but he did need help to cross roads in his vision-impairing plastic costume.
Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads volunteer Aaron Lockwood was on hand to offer support.
Carrying a sign that read “Don’t feed the bag monster”, Mr Lockwood said he was happy with the public response.
“Everyone’s been pretty positive,” he said.
“People know about it but it’s a good visual way to get their attention.”
Mr Lockwood said it was about more than only consumers changing their behaviour.
“We’ve got to get the business operators on board,” he said. “And we are also trying to get council on board.
“We are hoping to get Burleigh as the first Gold Coast suburb to go plastic-bag-free.”
The two men were also promoting a fundraising night that would feature a documentary about plastic bags and their environmental impacts.
The Surfrider Foundation film night featuring the Bag It documentary will kick off at 6pm on Tuesday, October 4, at Pointbreak Bar and Grill.
One Beach The Film
Published 21/09/2011 Barefoot Wine , Jason Baffa , Plastic , Surfrider Foundation Leave a CommentAmazing film by Jason Baffa, presented by Barefoot Wine and Surfrider Foundation.
This is why I am involved with Surfrider Foundation.
Surfrider Foundation Film Night
Published 16/09/2011 Plastic , Rise Above Plastics , Surfing , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
This going to be an amazing evening, you don’t want to miss it if you live on the Gold Coast!
My Interview with Burleigh Tourism
Published 21/08/2011 Adam Feichtmann , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Commentvia Burleigh Tourism
For Adam Feichtmann, Pastor at the Christ Church in Currumbin and keen surfer, saving our beautiful Gold Coast from plastics is a no-brainer. And Burleigh is set to be the test precinct for the Rise Above Plasticscampaign, selected for its environmentally friendly, close-knit and community-minded population.
“I was born and raised in southern California near Huntington Beach, which is known as surf city USA,” says Adam. “I grew up constantly surrounded by the surf, my dad surfed, I surfed and eventually worked as a lifeguard in Hawaii for a year. As long as I can remember I’ve been by the beach.”
Adam came to Australia with his wife in 2008 and is employed as a pastor at the Christ Church. He has been an active and enthusiastic member of the Surfrider Foundation for years.
“The Surfrider Foundation is an international organisation which exists for the protection and enjoyment of oceans, ocean ways and beaches and we do this by caring for the environment with a combination of conservation, activism, research, and education. So, in a sense, if anything fits under the umbrella of basically protecting or enjoying our ocean beaches and waves then it can fit in with Surfrider.
“We have a whole bunch of international campaigns and things that Surfrider is trying to push, such as water testing, beach protection, dune vegetation or the Rise Above Plastics campaign. All are very important to us,” adds Adam.
“I grew up hearing about the foundation. I think it started in the 80s, so it’s been around, at least in the States, for ages and has over 50,000 members. It’s all volunteers but now it’s international. I’ve been involved since 2006.”
The Rise Above Plastics campaign is a coming together of numerous environmental organizations from around the world including the Surfrider Foundation. For the Gold Coast, and Burleigh Heads in particular, the local Surfrider Foundation is taking the stand against plastics and the detrimental effect they have on our environment.
The Surfrider Foundation also organises beach cleanups and dune care, among other things, to help care for our local environment.
Reduce, reuse and recycle…
“For traditional recycling campaigns there’s always been the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ aspect but for Rise Above Plastics we decided to throw in the R word ‘refuse’,” says Adam.
“A lot of people think, I won’t use the plastic bags in the supermarket, which is great as they are probably the biggest use of plastics in our consumer society, but then the person might buy five bottles of ‘spring’ water in plastic bottles, a coffee in a cup with a plastic lid, get cutlery in a restaurant that’s plastic or go into a takeaway and get food in plastic containers.
“So in this sense we’re basically saying let’s create an ideology or philosophy that says – I want to reduce plastics universally in my life and how can I do that? Hence the ‘Refuse’.”
The Rise Above Plastics campaign aims to get the ball rolling in terms of people thinking about how they can reduce plastics in their lives. Plastics have a negative effect on the ocean by polluting beaches and damaging or killing marine life. It is this message the Surfrider Foundation wants to strongly promote, as well as the fact that plastics last for years and years.
“Flip open your spring water bottle and you’ll see a symbol which means the bottle was only designed to be used once and thrown away,” says Adam. “It’s things like this we want people to recognise, and then that plastics last pretty much forever. So, even if you say I use a plastic container, for example, again and again, you will still chuck it away eventually and then it’s going to sit around for a very long time.
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The Surfrider Foundation on the Gold Coast has definitely been busy in its campaign, and you are welcome to join in!
Early September there will be fun Monster sightings around Burleigh Heads and at the Swell Sculpture Festival plus screenings of the Life Changing documentaries.
Oct 4 – Screening of ‘Bag It: Is life Too Plastic” with surf film “Melali” at Pointbreak Bar and Grill, Burleigh Heads.
Oct 23 – Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads Rally (stayed tuned!!!)
November – Burleigh Heads official launch of Rise Above Plastics for businesses.
Join Surfrider Foundation this Saturday for some dune care. They will be in the North Kirra dunes from 9am-11am. The dunes are located directly across from Kirra Surf Shop.
More info: CLICK HERE
Making News in Burleigh Heads
Published 15/07/2011 Adam Feichtmann , Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
BURLEIGH Heads may soon be plastic-free thanks to the new campaign Rise Above Plastics.
The Gold Coast-Tweed branch of the Surfrider Foundation is planning an all-out assault on plastic in a bid to create a plastic-free zone in the James St district.
The campaign centres on refusing, reducing, reusing and recycling plastics.
Gold Coast Tweed Surfrider Foundation president Adam Feichtmann said Rise Above Plastics aims to work with individual businesses in order to help them reduce the plastic they use.
“This is an international campaign and we want Burleigh Heads to be known as a business district that reduces the amount of single-use plastic they use,” Mr Feichtmann said.
“We are applying for grants through the council to hire a consultant to work with businesses and help them figure out how to reduce plastic.
“Once the details have been organised we will have an official contract for each business to sign regarding their part in the campaign.”
Mr Feichtmann said businesses in James St have already been approached about the campaign and so far there has been a positive response.
“Businesses have been extremely receptive to the idea,” Mr Feichtmann said. “We have already approached 100 plus businesses and I would say about 80% were very interested.
“Burleigh Heads is a trial run and if it goes well the campaign will be launched in other Gold Coast areas.”
Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads is coming soon
Published 06/07/2011 Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
Watched a screening of the film ‘Bag It” last night in Byron Bay. Wow. It was a great film, yet at the same time made me feel sick. It is time to do something about our plastic problem. If you live on the Gold Coast consider getting involved in our upcoming Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads campaign. More details at Facebook.com/surfridergct
Our oceans aren’t the only ones in danger
Published 13/06/2011 Plastic , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
International Surfing Day Film and Music Night
Published 25/05/2011 Cyrus Sutton , International Surfing Day , Johnny Abegg , M. Jack Bee , Surfing , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
This is going to be a great night. All funds raised will go toward Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed’s new campaign – Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads, which is launching in July.
via Jim Moriarty
We conveniently segment the way we think about the ocean. We think of the ocean as some infinitely large area which, no matter what we do to it… no matter what we dump in it… it’ll be fine. We think it’s too large to NOT be fine.
One fact we tend not connect to any ocean-related news is that we routinely eat from this food chain. We are what we eat… which includes all the junk we throw into the ocean. A research project recently found 35% of fish had plastic in them.
If this sounds like an insurmountable problem, it isn’t. That said it is OUR problem and does require a shift in our thinking.
We need to acknowledge both the connection we have with the ocean as well as our interdependency with the ocean. We need to understand that using single-use plastic ANYthing is a bad idea. So what can we do?
Refuse first. Chances are you can do without whatever single-use plastic you’re being offered. You can bring a bag to the grocery and use a reusable bottle for water. You’re smart, figure out an alternative.
Reduce what plastic you use. If you absolutely must take a piece of single-use plastic find a way to use less of it. Get your coffee without a plastic lid unless you absolutely need it.
Reuse the plastic you have. If you’re in a place where you have no alternative to taking a single-use plastic item, reuse it. The absolute worst thing you can do is take a plastic bag, use it for 5 minutes to carry groceries and then throw it out.
If you’ve failed at all the above, recycle. Recycling isn’t something to be proud of because it means you’ve failed at the first three options. That said, it’s better than NOT recycling.
We are what we eat. Let’s not eat plastic.
Story by Henry Tuttiett and photo by Scott Fletcher
ICONIC beaches on the Gold Coast may become the nation’s newest ”surfing reserves” under a plan to be discussed today.
Classifying the beaches as surfing reserves would not lock anybody out or change the way people use them, but would instead elevate the Coast’s beaches to ”iconic” status.
Already Lennox Head, Maroubra, Margaret River, Cronulla and Manly are among 11 surf spots in Australia to have been named National Surfing Reserves.
One of the proposals to be discussed at the meeting is classifying the stretch of coastline south of Burleigh as a surfing reserve, encompassing the point breaks of Burleigh Heads, Currumbin, Kirra and Snapper Rocks.
Gold Coast Tweed Surfrider Foundation president Adam Feichtmann said his group would host the meeting after being asked by National Surfing Reserves – a voluntary group recognising iconic Australian locations.
Also in attendance will be representatives from board riding and surf lifesaving clubs, city councillors and surfing industry identities.
The public is also invited to attend.
”The idea first came about in the ’90s, so it has been talked about since then,” Mr Feichtmann said.
”There was a lot of misunderstanding about what it actually was where people thought it was a big environmental push and there would be no more surf schools or developments.
”Now though, all the big players generally understand what it is.”
“I remember Brad Farmer raising this years ago and it is a great idea. We forget how much surfing is worth to our economy apart from the activity it provides to our youth. Well done everyone involved.” David Power
Mr Feichtmann said he hoped a steering committee would be established at the meeting to guide the process.
”It is confirming that the beaches are an icon and there are world famous, quality waves here on the Gold Coast,” he said.
”It is recognition as a sacred surf spot for the local community and the rest of Australia.”
To qualify as a National Surfing Reserve, a location must have quality waves, be considered sacred by the local and national surfing community and have long-term usage of the waves by surfers.
Speaking from Sri Lanka, National Surfing Reserves chairman Brad Farmer said gazetting the Coast was an obvious next step.
”The Gold Coast is both the Hollywood and Washington of Australian surfing culture so it’s logical it is also honoured next year as the 12th NSR in Australia,” he said.
The meeting will be held tonight at Fradgley Hall on Park Avenue, Burleigh Heads, starting at 7pm.
Plastic Water Bottle Fossil
Published 02/04/2011 Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
More great work from Young and Rubicam Paris
Surfrider Foundation 5 Minutes on Single-use Plastics
Published 10/03/2011 Plastic , Surfrider Foundation Leave a CommentMore info at www.riseaboveplastics.org
Gold Coast National Surfing Reserve Informational Night
Published 03/03/2011 Surfing , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
Dear Fellow Gold Coast Surfing and Beach Stakeholders,
On Tuesday evening, 5th of April, Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed in relationship with National Surfing Reserves is calling and hosting a meeting for all local Gold Coast surfing and beach stakeholders to discuss the possibility of creating a Gold Coast National Surfing Reserve. You are invited and encouraged to attend this important meeting.
The Gold Coast is one of Australia’s and the world’s most famous regions for surfing. It only makes sense to dedicate some of our renown surf breaks as a National Surfing Reserve. A “National Surfing Reserve” is an iconic place of intrinsic environmental, heritage, sporting and cultural value to a nation. The essential criteria for a National Surfing Reserve are: 1. Quality of waves 2. A place considered sacred by the local and national surfing community 3. Long term usage of the beach and wave environment by local and national surfing community. More details about National Surfing Reserves can be found at www.surfingreserves.org.
The meeting on the 5th of April will be an informational evening on what a National Surfing Reserve would look like on the Gold Coast. There will be specific clarity on what a National Surfing Reserve is and is not. We will also discuss the immense benefits that a National Surfing Reserve will have for the Gold Coast. Another hope would be that as a result of this gathering, a local community-based steering committee will be formed to set this dream forward into a reality. A National Surfing Reserve on the Gold Coast will not be under the umbrella of Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed. We are just one passionate voice willing to get the conversation started, and need an array of different Gold Coast stakeholders to take hold of this vision and run with it.
Date: Tuesday 5th April 2011
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Location: Fradgley Hall
Park Avenue, Burleigh Heads
If you are planning to attend the meeting, please RSVP to adam@surfridergct.org or 0430 7100 41.
Sincerely,
Adam Feichtmann
President, Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed
REFUSE all single-use plastic
Published 01/03/2011 Jim Moriarty , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
via Jim Moriarty
Many of us have weaned ourselves off our habit of accepting single-use plastic bags at stores. We’ve also made personal pledges to not accept single-use water bottles. But those two items are just the tip of the iceberg. The real, hard truth is that single-use plastic elements (forks, take-out containers, etc.) are everywhere.
Why should we accept a plastic fork any easier than we take a plastic bag?
I’m not sure how or why we are so adamant about eliminating one form of single-use plastics but not another, but I’m guessing the word “disposable” is at least part of the equation.
This is what happens. We order a coffee in a paper cup and a plastic lid is slapped on. We order food to go, tell them “no bag please” and are then surprised to find ourselves walking away with a foam container in our hands. We ask for hot sauce and we’re given too many servings and all in single-use plastic packaging. We, our culture, treat them as disposable. Somehow that is supposed to be OK.
If we use anything that’s disposable we’ve failed.
Disposable goods are anything but disposable.
If we’re given a fork and told “it’s ok, it’s compostable”, let’s take it home and throw it in the compost bin and see how long it takes. How many years will it take for that fork to break down in our backyard? That plastic salsa package may leave your hand in five minutes but chances are it’s still going to exist… in a landfill or our oceans… for a very long time, perhaps forever.
Here’s the action. Refuse anything and everything that is disposable. Yes, that isn’t anything close to easy and no it doesn’t stop with plastics. All of us should make the connection that using disposable anything is failing.
I’ve been told more than a few times that “reduce, reuse, recycle” is in order of priority. If we find ourselves recycling it’s only because we’ve failed at reducing what we’re using and then failed again at reusing that item. To recycle is to fail at the first two… it’s not bad but it’s certainly not something to boast about.
I’m suggesting that we push “refuse” into that mix.
There are a myriad of optionsfor us to make this work: reusable utensils and food containers, eating out less and bringing food from home, getting that next Starbucks in a ceramic mug rather than a paper cup, and the list goes on. We’re inventive and resourceful people, let’s figure it out.
Let’s not settle for buying into a disposable lifestyle.
Join Surfrider Foundation at the Quiklsilver Pro in Rainbow Bay as we care for our local dune systems. More info here.
More on converting friends to advocates at Oceansbeachesandwaves
180 South Premiere in Burleigh Heads
Published 21/01/2011 Patagonia , Surfing , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
You don’t want to miss one of the best films of the year playing in Burleigh Heads. Plus, all proceeds to benefit Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed. YEW!
Watch the trailer:
New Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed T-Shirt
Published 12/01/2011 Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
100% Organic
100% Australian made
100% Surfrider self screen printed
If you are interested in supporting Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed these t-shirts are going for $20 each. 5 are done right now with more to be worked on next week.
Contact me at adam@surfridergct.org for orders.
