Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/67357
spirit of generosity Conservation International staffers, key players in the fight to save the world's oceans a rising tide COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE WORLD'S OCEANS—AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PRESERVE THEM. by jon bowermaster IN DECEMBER A GROUP OF PHILANTHROPISTS AND SCIENTISTS LED BY BEAU WRIGLEY GATHERED IN ASPEN TO PLOT THE UNVEILING OF THE OCEAN HEALTH INDEX. IT MAY PROVE TO BE THE MOST W hether you live in the Rocky Mountains or at sea level, it should come as no surprise that during the past hundred years, man has put major stress on the Earth's ocean. Ocean, you say? Pick up an atlas and you'll find five: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern. But pick up a globe and spin it, you'll see that they are all con- nected—one big, interrelated mass of saltwater covering more than 70 percent of the planet. Mankind has carelessly overfished it, polluted it, poured carbon diox- ide into it, and heated it. We have treated that ocean like a giant dumping ground, assuming it had an infinite ability to absorb toxic runoff, billions of pieces of plastic, and 24 million tons of carbon dioxide a day, then somehow miraculously heal itself, all the while providing us with valuable resources ranging from food to medicines. Given these threats, the timing was perfect for a group of the smartest 66 aspenpeak-magazine.com minds in the science, conservation, and business worlds to combine forces and try to fix it. Assembled by cofounder and CEO of Conservation International Peter Seligman, this team has come up with a first-of-its-kind ranking of the world's oceanfront, nation by nation, in the hopes of prodding governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and investors to coordinate repair efforts. The result of four years of meticulous research, this unique mechanism is called the Ocean Health Index (OHI). Part of its strategizing was done at a private summit at the St. Regis Aspen this past December. And while it might seems strange to some for a town 900 miles from the nearest shore- line and more than a mile and a half above sea level to have a hand in crafting policy about the world's oceans, Aspen has a well-deserved repu- tation for fostering ideas, solutions, and philanthropists through such organizations as the Aspen Institute. photography by keith ellenbogen