10 Things To Be Thankful This Thanksgiving

More than a hundred years after Hawaiian princes brought surfing to California, the sport has now been officially recognized by the Golden State.

Not that the sport needed the recognition, but it’s nice to finally have an official stamp on a sport that has largely defined California culture.

When Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, who co-authored the bill, said that surfing represents the Californian dream, he was also speaking for an entire community who have embraced the surfing lifestyle. The history of California is intertwined with surfing; this was where it all started, from the early pioneers who paddled down the coast in search of waves to the entrepreneurial beginnings of what we now call as surfing industry.

Today, as California redefines itself as an eco-friendly and sustainable city, surfing lifestyle is also evolving to match its vision. Surfing need not be a toxic sport; many are now realizing it can be as green as we want it to be.

In Western Australia, a surfing organization has teamed up with the government to promote shark mitigation measures among surfers. While the odds of being attacked by the shark are low, it’s great to see initiatives like these that promote preparedness and safety among surfers.

The goal of this initiative is to train surfers to respond to emergencies, in case of shark attacks. There are also new measures to minimize shark encounters and shark attacks. This include a scientific advisory panel on sharks, the launch of the SharkSmart app, a whale carcass management plan and a new shark activity website.

Finally, the Pacific Garbage Patch clean-up has now commenced. I’m referring to that Texas-size island of garbage floating off our coastline. Last September, a floating trash collector, designed by the Ocean Clean-Up Campaign, was launched off San Francisco on a mission to capture the plastic waste and remove it from the ocean.

It’s actually a test run. While the mission goal is still to remove the plastic, it’s also a shakedown cruise. While on route to the floating patch, the machine will undergo various tests to weed out the bugs and to ensure that it can withstand the tough marine environment.

Still, I’m grateful for this mission if only because it gives inspiration to similar audacious efforts all over the world in solving the plastic pollution. It’s a step in the right direction.

One of the most recent wildlife conservation success stories both here and across the pond, the return of the beavers are a testament to what public awareness can do to create results.

Beavers are “ecological and hydrological Swiss army knives” because their ponds and dams can filter out pollution, store water for use by farms and ranches, slow down floods, and act as firebreaks or reduce erosion.

It also keeps rivers and streams wet which makes it an efficient climate adaptation strategy especially during times of El Nio drought.

I look forward to similar stories of species renewal, particularly on those indicator species. Their success as flourishing will also mean the success of our united efforts to keep our environment healthy and in equilibrium.

We’ve long known how profoundly spiritual the experience of catching a wave is and riding it into the shore. For the non-surfer, however, it all may seem to be baloney. That’s why it’s so awesome for therapists to turn their attention towards surfing and use the experience as a healing therapy for our traumatized veterans.

I personally think that this is a way of paying forward. They’ve done so much for our country at the cost of their mental health. What better way for the surfing community to thank them than by sharing the surfing experience so that they regain their sense of wonder at the world and find their sense of wellness and equilibrium.

I know we all could use some good news from the White House so this is one news I am thankful for.

President Trump signed a bill that amends the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Act and sustaining its funding until 2022.

The Save Our Seas Act expands efforts to clean up plastic trash from the world’s oceans and encourages federal trade negotiators to prod “leaders of nations responsible for the majority of marine debris” to improve management of waste that ends up in the oceans.

After a series of environment policy missteps, signing this bill is a nice surprise from the Trump Administration. Hopefully, this will create more international cooperation to solve the problem of plastic in our oceans.

Every single day, Americans use 500 million plastic straws. In fact, a study has estimated that as many as 8.3 billion plastic straws pollute the world’s beaches. That’s an insane amount of plastic, considering that the straw is a trivial piece of plastic that one can do without.

From the standpoint of behavior modification, it should be easy enough. Eliminating the use of plastic straws would not be so drastic enough to draw uproar from the public.

Which makes this particular legislation in California long overdue. By limiting straw use in California’s restaurants, the State is finally getting on board with the program: which is to wean away people from too much dependence on plastic.

Here at Wave Tribe, we support worthy initiatives that make surfing more than just a thrill-seeking sport. Endeavors like the Misión Surf Mexico which teaches water safety, swimming and surfing to abused, abandoned and neglected Mexican children as a way to build their confidence and self-reliance.

Misión Surf Mexico was established as an extension of Misión México, our children's refuge in Tapachula, Chiapas. It was born out of Misión México's love of the ocean, but more than that, it is also a business trying to make difference.

Misión Surf Mexico works alongside the residents of the local community, providing job opportunities, free arts and education projects as well as the creation of local sporting facilities. It also operates a 6-room eco friendly hotel as a sustainability project.
 
Mision Surf is a one of a kind initiative designed not only to provide a unique surfing and tourist experience but also to create a platform with opportunities of education, employment and empowerment for the women, children and young people of Chiapas,Mexico.