Sixth Annual John Kelly Environmental Awards

Last Friday, the Oahu Chapter of Surfrider, an international not-for-profit dedicated to protecting our oceans and beaches, held its 6^th annual John Kelly Environmental Achievement Awards.

The winners were as follows:

Lifetime Achievement Award—Shaun Tomson

Environmentally Friendly Local Company—Styrophobia

Pro-Surfer Award—Dave Rastovich

After a short video on the tragedy of marine debris, President of Styrophobia Krista Ruchaber urged members of the audience to do simple things every day to reduce waste--carry a water bottle and bring a reusable mug for coffee in the morning. Styrophobia is a Honolulu-based company that creates compostable disposables made from renewable organic material such as sugarcane, corn & potato.

Australia surfer Dave Rastovich told of his activism in helping to save dolphins from netting in Japan. Inspired by his deep respect for dolphins as fellow surfers, he and a friend engaged in a non-violent protest by paddling out to where Japanese whalers were netting dolphins. Their purpose, he said, was to form a circle in the ocean and pay their respects, as they would to any fallen surfer. The symbolic act gained media attention, and according to Rastovich, the whale meat which included dolphin meat and was being served in school cafeterias in Japan, was pulled as a result of the public outcry.  He emphasized his belief that every person can make a difference. (He failed to mention the importance of free time, disposable income, and having a household name.)

Due to extenuating circumstances, Tomson an environmental activist in South California who has spoken at length about ocean conservation there, could not make the event.

In addition to beach clean-ups, the Oahu Chapter of Surfrider now in its 12^th year also conducts water quality tests and works to address beach access issues on the island. 

Since the John Kelly Awards are given out by the Oahu Chapter of Surfrider, it would've been nice if the award recipients were local surfers or at least individuals working on issues pertaining to the islands, but what do you do?