It struck me that my Pacific row is the perfect metaphor for how we as individuals are empowered to have a positive effect on the environment. We are so bombarded with bad news that it is easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless, that there is nothing we can do that will be more than a drop in the ocean, so to speak.
My journey from San Francisco to Hawaii took me approximately a million oarstrokes. I could have stood under the Golden Gate Bridge and told myself that one oarstroke would make no difference. But you put enough small actions together, and they add up to something truly significant. So by taking one stroke at a time, I have slowly but surely made my way across 2,600 miles of ocean to Hawaii.
Likewise, right now we are killing the earth by a thousand million cuts. We can turn this situation around, but people need to believe that their every single action counts. Every time they refuse a plastic bag and use a re-usable one instead, every time they buy organic, every time they walk instead of using the car, they are making a positive decision that will help save the earth.
And similarly, if you have a dream, if you want to change your life but can't see how to get from where you are to where you want to be, just take the first tiny little action that will put you on that path. Pick up the phone and make that call, go online and look for that new job, decide that today you will limit yourself to just the one cookie. You will rarely achieve a goal in a single quantum leap. More likely you will need to make many, many incremental steps towards your goal. Always keep your goal in mind, but don't focus on it. Focus instead on the present moment, and make sure that your moments are taking you in the right direction, and little by little you will get there.
One stroke at a time.
[photo by Phil Uhl]
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Picking up trash off a beach may not be top of most people's lists of a fun way to spend a sunny afternoon, but I found it curiously addictive, and eminently satisfying.
Last Thursday, after the press conference at the Waikiki Aquarium (where my boat is on show until next Wednesday if you happen to find yourself in Hawaii), we jumped into a minibus and headed up to Oahu's North Shore.
The Kahuku Beach Cleanup was organized by Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai'i (B.E.A.C.H), whom I had first met when I was here last November. Suzanne and Dean are passionate activists, and spend their every waking moment educating, organizing and executing beach cleanups. They are ardent crusaders for the environment, and although it seems that sometimes they feel it is a lonely struggle, they are undoubtedly making a difference in a very real way.
A group of about 25 volunteers from several environmental organizations gathered on a secluded beach in Kahuku, accessible only through a locked gate on the Campbell Estate, or via a long walk along the beach.
Tons of junk, especially plastic, is attracted to this beach because of its location on Oahu. The currents bring the junk from Japan, Alaska, California and even from Honolulu, as it swirls along water streams in the ocean, around and around the Pacific.
I had, of course, seen the photographs of marine junk, but it was quite another thing to see it in reality. I was appalled to see the extensive drifts of plastic, and it was all I could do to restrain myself while Suzanne issued us with our instructions - my fingers were itching to start picking it all up. I wanted to scour the beach clean of trash. I was overwhelmed with the feeling that this was just Not Right.
But we weren't allowed to just pick up plastic indiscriminately. Each type of trash had to be collected individually so it could be counted and analysed, in an effort to understand the root causes of the pollution problem and address them at source. We were each given a pair of gardening gloves and a bucket marked with a label corresponding to each of the most common types of trash - Eel Cones, Oyster Spacers, Buoys, Bleach Bottles, Rope, Caps and so on. Then we were let loose on the trash.
I was collecting Oyster Spacers (long, thin tubes of plastic, used by Asian fishermen) and soon became obsessed by my foraging, rummaging through piles of debris. After just an hour I had filled my large bucket, and the other volunteers were doing likewise. After a couple of hours we were told to stop so the pickings could be sorted and logged. We had filled around 20 large black bags with plastic debris.
It was frustrating not to be able to leave behind an immaculate beach, but we had taken a major step in the right direction, and no doubt Suzanne and Dean will be back - for the sad truth is that there is plenty more trash where that came from.
There are clean-up campaigns all over the US and all over the world. If you want to organize your own effort, Suzanne and Dean are experts and would be happy to offer advice. Or to be put in touch with local organizations who perform cleanups, contact David Helvarg at the Blue Frontier Campaign, and he will be delighted to put you in touch with the right people.
If we pull together, we can make a world of difference!
[photo: David Helvarg of Blue Frontier Campaign and I at Kahuku Beach, photo courtesy of B.E.A.C.H.]
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06 Sep 2008, Waikiki, Hawaii
Wow, what a week. After 99 days of solitude, it's been intense - but all good.
I've missed my blogging - and missed my commentators and readers even more - but in my defence I've had barely a moment to myself. It was Thursday before I was able to shoehorn a scant 40 minutes into my schedule to sneak off for a journal-and-latte session, which was much needed by then. To go from having an oceans-worth of personal space to having every moment occupied in the presence of other people has been very exciting but also quite strange, and some precious me-time was becoming a pressing need. I returned from my treasured journal ritual feeling like a new woman, re-energized for whatever would happen next.
Here's a quick summary of what I've been up to since setting foot on dry land on Monday:
Monday night: dinner with five Brocadians (my title sponsors) plus spouses, flown to Hawaii in recognition for their contribution to the company
Tuesday: record a final podcast with Leo Laporte. Medical tests at the Queens Hospital in Honolulu. Reassuring to find that I am still alive (with only saltwater rash, fungal fingernails and finger joint problems as after-effects of the row) and exciting to find that I am down to 11% bodyfat - the extremely athletic end of healthy female bodyfat percentages. 25 pounds of blubber lost en route across the Pacific. Woohoo! Then drinks and dinner with local green activists.
Wednesday: spa day at Heaven on Earth, as generously sponsored by a supporter. A deep body scrub got the salt out of my pores, a massage soothed my weary shoulders, beauty therapist had a nervous breakdown at the sight of my calloused hands and fungal feet. Inevitably I end up talking about the row - if only to explain away the state of my hands, feet, and backside. An evening presentation at the Hawaii Yacht Club sharing a double bill with the JUNK guys.
Thursday: press conference at the Waikiki Aquarium, followed by a beach cleanup on the North Shore, organized by BEACH (Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii). Appalled at the piles of plastic trash on the beach, but great to have the opportunity to make a difference. Become quite obsessive in my cleaning efforts. Get some great footage for the documentary. Followed by quiet dinner with my mother - our first chance to have a proper private chat since my arrival. A great evening.
Friday: meeting with my weatherguy, Rick Shema of weatherguy.com, to debrief on Stage 1 and plan for Stage 2. VERY informative and useful. Then some FUN!!! - a dinner party with friends in Kailua, organized by my great mate Mariya who I first met when we were climbing in Peru in 2003.
And apart from that it's been pretty quiet...! I'm proud to say I've been back in the gym every morning since Tuesday. Even when it's just a token effort, I was determined to get back into healthy habits as soon as I returned to dry land. It has helped that my body seems quite adamant that it wants to remain on a rowing schedule, so like it or not I wake up at 4.30 or 5am every day, regardless of what time I got to bed - so this has allowed enough time for a workout before the hectic day begins. It's a good feeling, to get a head start on the day, but I will need to get some sleep at some point - just not yet.
And finally.... thank you SO much for all the wonderful messages of congratulations that have been pouring in from all over the world. It makes me feel very special and very grateful - especially when I get messages from people who tell me they have switched to greener habits since starting to follow my adventures.
I apologize if I have not been able to acknowledge your messages individually. My mother has been doing a fantastic job of writing as many replies as she can. I have barely had time to get online this week, and my laptop has been groaning under the onslaught of about 4,000 emails. I've had to declare an "Email Amnesty" - if it arrived between May 24 and August 31, then sorry, but it's been deleted. Please be understanding and forgiving, and if it was important, email me again.
Okayyyy, it's now nearly 6am, and time to head for the gym. Here's wishing you health and happiness, and thanks again for all the heartwarming messages (and donations!!).
[photo: Wednesday evening presentation at the Hawaii Yacht Club - with Marcus Eriksen from the JUNK]
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This seems an opportune moment to acknowledge the people who have helped me to accomplish this voyage of 2600 miles from San Francisco to Waikiki. Without their support, encouragement, input and energy this could not have happened. I don't want this to get like an Oscars acceptance speech, thanking everybody from my first teacher onwards, but I do want to mention a few names.
Mike Klayko (CEO) and Brocade, title sponsors, who have supported me wholeheartedly ever since Mike first set eyes on my boat at the Tech Museum in San Jose in 2007
David White and WebOptimiser, key sponsors, energetic and proactive supporters and web optimisation gurus
Ian Yellin, Analisa Schelle and Maayan Katz of Ogilvy PR, Brocade's PR people, who got the word out to the media and helped spread the environmental message
Nicole Bilodeau, much-missed force behind last year's PR blitz, and sole companion on that long drive to the 2007 launch in Crescent City
David Helvarg and the Blue Frontier Campaign, my environmental mentors and oceanic inspiration
Conrad Humphreys and the BLUE Project, making it cool to be blue
Rick Shema, the weatherguy.com, who sent me good weather when possible, and warned me of bad weather when not possible
Daisy, personal assistant, cheery and indefatigable organizer of Hawaii logistics, despite pregnancy and a daunting time difference from the UK
Bill Chayes, documentary producer, sounding board, sympathizer and all-round good guy
Leo Laporte, podcaster, talented interviewer, donor of audiobooks, seeker of sponsorships, and irrepressible cheerleader
Tim Harincar of Sailblogs, long-suffering website designer and tech support, always swift to respond to a crisis
Dr Aenor Sawyer, team medic and Pee Police, diligent in her care of the world's worst patient
Melinda Griffith, staunch supporter and Pacific paddler
Rich Crow, helicopter engineer, who deigned to exercise his awesome talents on something floating instead of something flying - and sacrificed half his Memorial Day Weekend to allow this row to happen
Bobbie Jennings and the Waikiki Yacht Club, who hosted a magnificent reception party and extended their warmest of welcomes for the duration of my stay
John Kay, ardent supporter, who dealt with the logistics of vehicles and trailers
And of course my mother, Rita Savage. Words are not adequate to describe her contribution. Without her I would not be in Hawaii - or, indeed, anywhere. She is absolutely the best mother a girl could wish for.
Also the untold numbers of friends, supporters, wellwishers, donors, sponsors, commenters, Facebook friends, Tweeters, and podcast listeners who have given freely of their emotional energies and good vibes to help speed me on my way across the ocean.
And last but not least, I feel the need to thank the ocean itself, the great Pacific, for allowing me a safe passage across her waters from California to Hawaii. She has been a tough taskmaster, but one worthy of respect. I have done my bit to try and preserve her riches for future generations, and I would like to think that the success of my journey was her way of acknowledging my good intentions.
Thank you.
[photo: Diamond Head, Waikiki. Courtesy of Phil Uhl]
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