Yes, you read that right! I am organizing a group-writing project at The Giving Hands in January 2008 and the theme is Save the Ocean.
Why should I participate?
Have you always been awed by the beauty of our oceans? Have you always loved the ocean when you were small? Do you have a lot of fond memories of the ocean while growing up? Are you always upset whenever you see people polluting our beautiful oceans? Have you always wanted to write about the environment but found it irrelevant to the niche of your blog?
The opportunity has just came a-knockin’ :D
How do I participate?
If you are interested, please pick one of the tips listed below (yes, you may pick more than one tip) and let me know in the comments, so that other people are aware which tips are still available and which ones have been grabbed. I will update the list from time to time to reflect the tips that have been taken up :D
You may write from your own points-of-view, or from your own experience, or from stories you have heard or read. You may also write a factual article (please remember to include the sources of reference) or a photo-article (only images).
Once you have written your article, I will need you to send me the script (before Dec 31st) to be published at The Giving Hands. You are also encouraged to provide a short biography at the end of your article to introduce yourself (and yes, you may include links to your own blog in your biography).
Wait, I have other questions!
- May I post the same article on my blog?
Yes, you may. This is a group-writing project and is aimed at creating and raising awareness on how we can all do our part to save our oceans. I am not a fan of duplicate contents but some things are worth repeating.
- Will there be a winner? What are the prizes?
By taking up this group-writing project, you are already a winner in my eyes and the eyes of your blog readers. And by participating in the project, you are also showing other bloggers that you are capable of doing something very meaningful :D
Now, here’s the list of 31 tips:
(tip #1 will be published on Jan 1st, 2008, and so on)
- Go to the beach — littlebro
- Dive responsibly — Jakartass
- Keep your home aquarium ocean-friendly
- Talk about the ocean in your place of worship
- Get married on a wild beach — nimrodjo
- Go on a whale-watching trip — Rinnah
- Take the kids surfing, or have them take you
- Walk on whatever beach you want — little polaris
- Eat organic and vegetarian food — Will
- Grow a natural yard or garden — julie
- Conserve energy to help the seas — tears in heaven
- Save the sea turtles
- Opt out of the throw-away culture — Kristarella
- Raise funds for an ocean-related organization — Vladimir
- Use less plastic — David
- Be a marine sanctuary volunteer
- Conserve water — betmo
- Eat seafood that’s healthy and sustainable — Steve
- Drive a fuel-efficient car, car pool or use public transport — Guilherme
- Sail on an ocean-friendly cruise ship
- Join a coastal cleanup
- Keep your household refuse non-toxic
- Support your local wetlands — Pearl
- Live a reasonable distance from the beach
- Join/Volunteer at a Marine Mammal Rescue Centre
- Don’t feed the sharks — Steve
- Keep oil off our shore — PK Tan
- Don’t exploit sea creatures for vanity’s sake — Yvy
- Visit an Aquarium — Pelfy
- Learn your local maritime history
- Vote for those who protect the coasts — Vladimir
Let me know if you need some suggestions or ideas to write your article, and I am glad to discuss/work with you :D
What better ways to begin the new year than blogging to raise awareness on saving our oceans? Hurry up, pick your tips before they are all snatched!
A HUGE thank you goes to the following bloggers who have helped promote this group-writing project:
- Pelf is a word… by Jakartass
- beach by littlebro
- To pick up the challenge or not? by tears in heaven
- Get a life! by soufulow
P/S: This group-writing project is inspired by David Helvarg’s 50 ways to save the ocean.
Of the 31 points so far, many I find either irrelevant or not even helping to save the ocean.
I’m not going to debate against the myriad of points given at the moment HOWEVER I would like to introduce all readers here to Reef Check http://www.reefcheck.org/
:)
goldfries’s latest blog post: Albatron 8600GT-256 (v2) Graphic Card Review
Hi Goldfries. Your link indicates you have knowledge and passion on this topic. It’s a great site. Did you put it together?
But… don’t prejudge the posts that might come out of these topics. eg. I took #9 which on the surface might appear to some to be unrelated to the oceans. But it is a huge factor in their health as might be seen if my article is written well enough.
-Will
Will’s latest blog post: Will Earth Survive? One Humble Opinion
Will is right – no prejudging, please.
If all is interconnected and there is truth in Gaia then all of our writings will be of some relevance to somebody. Have faith, Goldfries, and check out some of the links I’ll be including in my contribution..
:D ReefCheck is not my site. It’s a site introduced to me by my scuba diver friends.
Well, I wouldn’t call it pre-judging. I’m just saying MANY of the point I find irrelevant. like for example #1 and #3. :) Of course, I still can proven wrong, no problemo taking corrections. :D
Nevertheless guys, being a blog I’m just expressing my thoughts. In the end this article is for a good cause and I support it.
btw can there be a point #32?
goldfries’s latest blog post: Albatron 8600GT-256 (v2) Graphic Card Review
The group-writing project is more of an awareness-spreading activity rather than a mindset-changing one. We cannot expect everybody to believe that our daily actions can save our oceans, but it is the message that each individual blogger brings out that matters.
For example, the ReefCheck site that you recommended. However nicely done the site is, it will only appeal to a certain fraction of people, i.e. the divers. A non-diver will not be as interested in the site compared to a diver.
Similarly, it is hoped that the 31 points listed above may reach a wider target audience, rather than a group of scientists :D
By the way, what’s on your mind for #32? I initially planned to publish one post everyday on January 2008, but if you have an appropriate point, I could switch it with one that hasn’t been taken up yet. What say you? :)
Awareness, I see. :) Which is why I always introduce ReefCheck, simply because it’s not just for divers. It’s for everyone.
I intro ReefCheck to non-divers actually, simply because divers are people who are already aware of the beauty of the ocean and preservation.
Anyway I’ll be joining PADI’s Open Water course soon. :D If all goes well, I could be getting an under-water capable camera to snap the beauty of the ocean.
As to the topic? I think it’ll be great if you don’t limit it to 31. Additional points would be actually show that the campaign is HOT.
I’ll get back to you on what I feel like writing on. *…….*thinks……..*
goldfries’s latest blog post: Albatron 8600GT-256 (v2) Graphic Card Review
Merry Christmas to u & ur family Pelf!
28 pls!! you’ve got me stuck on writing stuff like this. thank you :D
Yvy’s latest blog post: Christmas 2007
I seem to have come a little late to the ballpark. I’m in the middle of an environmental post on my own blog, though; I’ve been supplying the photos to illustrate why conservation of wild lands – and waters – is important. It’s ironic, that my latest trip and blog post were about a remote beach on the North Pacific; I didn’t even realize when I set out.
I doubt I’ll be able to make the 12/31 deadline, but it does my heart good to see people spreading awareness of one of the most important causes there is.
Forrest’s latest blog post: US 101: The Olympic Peninsula
As we have discuss in our email, I’ll take no. 5 and I hope I don’t forget to submit to you the entry becoz tomorrow got staff meeting.. :sad: …remind me if I forget… :biggrin:
nimrodjo’s latest blog post: Year End Link Exchange