Politics-Minded Marine Group Targets ‘Ocean Enemy #1’
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
September 1, 2014 11:56 am
Randy Olson, who shifted long ago from an academic career in marine biology to a focus on filmmaking, science communication and effective storytelling, offered this “Your Dot” contribution on Ocean Champions. This group has the simple – if daunting — goal of electing or re-electing lawmakers who fight for the oceans. Congressional politics is a rough-and-tumble arena and the group, as Olson describes in the context of a Florida race, is not afraid to play hard. Here’s his piece:
Ocean Champions: Leading the Attack on Congressman Steve Southerland, “Ocean Enemy #1”
Long before Bill Maher introduced his “Flip a District” concept on his HBO show, the folks at Ocean Champions perfected the idea. Supporters of the group choose an “Ocean Enemy #1” — the member of Congress who does the most to harm the oceans — then the organization goes after the politician who receives the dubious title.
The organization, led by the marine biologist David Wilmot, is different than many other conservation groups in that it is a 501(c)(4) organization with a connected political action committee called Ocean Champions PAC. It does three main things — get good people elected, help develop sound ocean policy, and, what I think is the most fun (but that’s just me), they go after “Ocean Enemies.”
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Now Ocean Champions has identified Representative Steve Southerland of Florida as its current “Ocean Enemy #1.” The latest poll commissioned by Ocean Champions shows the challenger, Gwen Graham, has taken a slight lead. Ocean Champions made a nice TV commercial featuring a local fisherman speaking out against Southerland:
More at http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/politics-minded-marine-group-targets-ocean-enemy-1/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
