CBE Waves Newsletter: Summer 2022
A “How-To” Guide for Non-Economists to establish the Blue Economy in their National Income Accounts; Research from our Alumni and Students; Victory on the Policy Front for Ocean Climate Action
12 Items
A “How-To” Guide for Non-Economists to establish the Blue Economy in their National Income Accounts; Research from our Alumni and Students; Victory on the Policy Front for Ocean Climate Action
| by Jason Scorse & David Helvarge in the Progressive
The Inflation Reduction Act might be the most comprehensive climate policy in U.S. history, but it’s still not enough. Op-Ed by Center for the Blue Economy Director Jason Scorse and Blue Frontier Executive Director David Helvarg.
On June 8th, 2022, World Ocean Day, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the creation of a whole-of-government Ocean Climate Action Plan. The Center for the Blue Economy, Blue Frontier, and our coalition of Ocean Climate Action partners celebrate this announcement! Is it coincidence that they have titled it the Ocean Climate Action Plan? We think not!
There is renewed momentum for the Senate to use the budget reconciliation process to pass climate legislation. Ocean-based climate solutions are key to solving the climate crisis, and there is no time to waste. We may not have another chance like this for many years to come!
Stories include: The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Needs Your Support; The Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics, Volume 8, Issue 2, published; The Middlebury Climate Change Semester: Inaugural Program Begins; The Ocean Needs Our Help-Now.
Stories include: New reports from the Center for the Blue Economy on the Economic Value of America’s Estuaries and Recreation on the California Coast; Contributions to the Economist Group’s World Ocean Initiative, Wilson Center’s Transatlantic Blue Economy Initiative, COP26, WWF articles, NOAA publication Visualizing the Three-Dimensional Footprint of Ocean Uses, and Virtual Reality DIVE-An Inspiring Journey through California’s Marine Protected Areas; CBE Celebrates its Ten Year Anniversary.
| by David Helvarg & Daniel Hayden in the Hill
Ten billion dollars in funding to restore beach dunes and dune grass, salt marshes and estuaries, oyster and coral reefs may seem unrelated to the rebuilding of America’s crumbling roads, bridges and sewer plants. But restoring and expanding natural coastal barriers — or living infrastructure — is actually a practical cost-effective way of reducing the growing impacts of sea-level rise, intensified storms and “sunny-day flooding” associated with the rapidly worsening climate emergency. And those impacts will be devastating to the U.S. economy if we don’t act now. While vulnerable coastal counties comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s landmass, they generate 46 percent of its GDP.
| by David Helvarg in the Progressive
Human-induced climate change has gotten so bad that our only hope isn’t to reverse it, but to simply save what we can.
| by David Helvarg in the the Hill
While not having an official ocean policy within its first 100 days, the Biden administration’s approach to managing our public seas looks destined to be of historical significance.
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in one of the largest and certainly most timely Ocean lobbies in U.S. history, over 1000 people were mobilized from more than 30 states and territories. Meetings were held with 107+ Members of the House of Representatives and their staff, and 33+ Senators and staff. Over 150 virtual meetings took place on this Ocean Climate Action Lobby Day! The coalition (many of whose members had never visited with their elected representatives before) sent a clear message to our national policymakers: you cannot solve the climate crisis without ocean health, and ocean health is key to solving the climate crisis.