Saving Our Planet
words EMMA BACKLUND
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that
someone else will save it.” Robert Swan
Throughout history, small groups of people
have stood up, formed organisations and acted
to protect the environment and wild spaces.,
Accompanying several environmental groups
throughout history there has also been companies
such as Patagonia who remain, ‘in business to
save our home planet’. Here’s a rundown of the
environmental trailblazers and how recent global
actions are changing the face of environmentalism.
Get involved before it’s too late; small acts by
millions of people can make a diff erence.
Surfers Against Sewage
Shining a light on local issues since 1990, UK-based
Surfers Against Sewage was established by people
who were sick of there being sewage in the sea and
on beaches. Shouting about the problems of polluted
waters and pointing towards new environmental
legislation, the group quickly became high profi le eco-
activists – clad in wetsuits and gas masks, carrying
surfboards into boardrooms and political meetings.
The statements were impactful and, after much
campaigning, eventually led to the UK investing in the
sewerage infrastructure and ensuring much higher
bathing water standards.
Water quality issues still run strongly in the
organisational DNA. SAS has grown to take on
emerging issues such as marine plastic pollution. With
more plastic having been produced between 2002 and
2012 than in the whole of human history before that,
and this trend only growing, we now have a plastic
pollution crisis in our oceans. This April, SAS hosted
its biggest beach clean week ever, with over 45,000
volunteers taking part. Actions like this are putting
the issue on a world stage and setting examples for
campaigning toward bans on single-use plastics.
sas.org.uk
Surfrider Foundation
Surfrider Foundation was founded by Glenn Hening,
Lance Carson, and Tom Pratte, they were a group of
surfers who were concerned about the environmental
threats posed by escalating coastal development at
their favorite surf break, Surfrider Beach in Malibu. Little
by little, the group evolved tackling run-off water quality,
a proposed break-wall and marina projects, maintained
public access to several beaches, and uphold the Clean
Water Act to heighten water quality fi ling lawsuits across
the country. In 1990 - 93 Surfrider expanded worldwide
with affi liates in Europe, Australia, Japan, and Brazil.
Today there are 82 local chapters in operation making
for the largest non-profi t grassroots organization with
a volunteer-activist network. The 1 million members
continue to chalk up successes and fi ght battles to
protect our beautiful coastlines.
surfrider.orgPatagonia
Since 1973 Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard,
ensured Patagonia devotes time and donates 1% of
sales to help grassroots environmental groups. In 1988
the company initiated its fi rst national environmental
campaign to de-urbanise the Yosemite Valley. Since
then the company has rallied for dam removal,
supported wildlands projects that seek to preserve
ecosystems and create corridors for wildlife to roam,
and sent messages on the importance of voting for
the environment. All this amongst countless material
and design innovation that has been shared with
the industry in the hope of leading change. In recent
years the activist company fi led to sue the Trump
administration in a bid to protect national monument
areas from drilling and mining. Furthermore, in spite
of a USA corporate tax cut, Patagonia committed the
$10 million it saved to non-profi t groups who work on
conservation and climate issues.
eu.patagonia.comFight For the Bight
In recent months we have seen a movement sweep
through Australian surf communities, joining forces
with Surfrider Foundation’s local chapters to rally the
surf community in the Fight for the Bight. There have
been over 25,000 surfers (and counting) paddle out at
beaches across Australia, to oppose the risky deep-
sea oil drilling project that places the entire southern
coastline of the country in threat of a spill. Across
the globe the trend of protecting our climate and
environment is growing quickly throughout every surfi ng
community, with more paddle outs and hands across
the sand events attracting huge numbers, as beach-
goers and ocean-lovers continue to gather, empower
and rise at the forefront of combating climate change.
fi ghtforthebight.wilderness.org.au or
patagonia.com.au/pages/bigoildontsurf