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deadline: 1-1-2009
goal: 17,000
 

Protect Ocean Life During International Year of the Reef

Sponsored by: International Year of the Reef

Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet - home and nursery for almost a million fish and other species. Unfortunately, about 70 percent of the world's coral reefs are threatened or destroyed, and 20 percent of those are damaged beyond repair. The resources coral reefs provide are worth about $375 billion each year - and they cover only one percent of the earth's surface. 2008 has been designated as the International Year of the Reef to raise awareness about the increasing threats to coral reefs. Whether you live near the ocean or thousands of miles away, you can help restore this amazing habitat.
  
Pledge to:

- Use ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to coral bleaching and ocean acidification, and threaten coral reef survival. Long lasting light bulbs are a bright idea. If every household replaced a burned out bulb with and energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulb, it would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that produced by about 800,000 cars.

- Use naturally-derived and biodegradable detergents and cleaning products. The chemicals we use end up in our waterways and are carried to the oceans. Just one pound of phosphorus in water produces about 500 pounds of algae, blocking sunlight and starving coral reefs. Outside the house, minimize the impacts of fertilizer by using zero-phosphorus products or no more than one pound per 1,000 square feet of turf area for nitrogen.

- Not give coral as presents. Corals are popular as souvenirs, for home decor and in costume jewelry, but corals are living animals that grow and reproduce. It takes corals decades or longer to create reef structures, so leave corals and other marine life on the reef.

- If I use the ocean for recreational purposes, I will use reef-mooring buoys for my boat whenever possible, or anchor in sandy areas away from coral and sea grasses so the anchor doesn't drag on corals or tear up sea grass beds. When diving and snorkeling, I will maintain proper buoyancy control, never touch the reefs and spread the word about coral reef stewardship.

Already signed this pledge? Now sign the International Declaration of Reef Rights: http://www.reefcheck.org/petition/petition.php  

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We signed the “Protect Ocean Life During International Year of the Reef” Pledge!
# 100:
8:51 pm PST, Jan 7, Name not displayed, Florida
Just because they are not visible as land animals does not mean we treat them any less ... please help to protect the beauty of ocean life !
# 99:
8:44 pm PST, Jan 7, Vyjayanti G, India
# 98:
8:42 pm PST, Jan 7, Irina Ann Stolyar, California
# 97:
8:40 pm PST, Jan 7, Sandra Allen, Canada
# 96:
8:37 pm PST, Jan 7, Holly L Carver, Arkansas
# 95:
8:32 pm PST, Jan 7, Eddie Stickel, Pennsylvania
# 94:
8:28 pm PST, Jan 7, Bess Katerinsky, New York
# 93:
8:22 pm PST, Jan 7, Nicole Sirois, New York
Please respect the earth. It is all we have and who we are.
# 92:
8:06 pm PST, Jan 7, Name not displayed, Indonesia
# 91:
8:01 pm PST, Jan 7, Eva Eberhardt-Cohen, California
# 90:
7:57 pm PST, Jan 7, Dawee Van, Michigan
# 89:
7:57 pm PST, Jan 7, Christopher Moore, Canada
# 88:
7:48 pm PST, Jan 7, Adelita Durán, Costa Rica
# 87:
7:40 pm PST, Jan 7, Cecil Woolley, Colorado
# 86:
7:29 pm PST, Jan 7, Simone Stemper, Massachusetts
# 85:
7:21 pm PST, Jan 7, Pam Prince, Florida
# 84:
7:13 pm PST, Jan 7, Lynn Barnes, Michigan
# 83:
7:08 pm PST, Jan 7, Richard T., Wisconsin
I wouldn't buy coral anymore than I would buy stuffed bats on e-bay.
# 82:
7:07 pm PST, Jan 7, Ashley Beitel, Maryland
# 81:
7:01 pm PST, Jan 7, David Reymond, Texas
# 80:
7:01 pm PST, Jan 7, Sandy Sanderson, California
# 79:
7:00 pm PST, Jan 7, Cassandra Dickmann, Ohio
# 78:
7:00 pm PST, Jan 7, Brent Bartholomew, California
# 77:
6:54 pm PST, Jan 7, Karen Baez, Virginia
# 76:
6:51 pm PST, Jan 7, Lea Vaz, Massachusetts
# 75:
6:37 pm PST, Jan 7, Mildred Garrett, Florida
Please note that we are fouling our own nest when we don't protect the reefs.
# 74:
6:33 pm PST, Jan 7, Delores Carr, California
# 73:
6:31 pm PST, Jan 7, Sandra Stubbs, Delaware
# 72:
6:27 pm PST, Jan 7, Kristi Knotts, California
# 71:
6:25 pm PST, Jan 7, Karen Sheaffer, Pennsylvania
# 70:
6:21 pm PST, Jan 7, Jenna Templeton, California
# 69:
6:12 pm PST, Jan 7, Charles Stewart mclachlan, United Kingdom
# 68:
6:11 pm PST, Jan 7, Marlene Krugel, South Africa
# 67:
6:09 pm PST, Jan 7, Steve Howard, Ohio
There is a balance in things. Nature (which is not just a pretty picture of a park or sunset, it is the air we breath and everything) has a balance and we are tipping it past the point of no return. Look at honey bees, they polinate the majority of our food, but they are dying off because of pesticides. No bees=no food or much more expensive food. Coral reefs are the same thing, they keep a balance and provide us with food. We need to wake up to the fact that what we do affects everything else and it can cause serious problems.
# 66:
6:03 pm PST, Jan 7, Jim Kielma, Arkansas
# 65:
5:54 pm PST, Jan 7, Ana M., Portugal
# 64:
5:46 pm PST, Jan 7, Christa Washington, Washington
# 63:
5:34 pm PST, Jan 7, KENNETH GAKELER, Kansas
# 62:
5:34 pm PST, Jan 7, Megan Newberg, Florida
# 61:
5:32 pm PST, Jan 7, Dr. Neilson PHD, Florida
The Ocean are Our Life. Thankyou for considering this petition.
# 60:
5:23 pm PST, Jan 7, Alicia Cathey, Florida
# 59:
5:19 pm PST, Jan 7, Stephanie Moran, California
# 58:
5:11 pm PST, Jan 7, Emilie Potvin, Canada
# 57:
5:10 pm PST, Jan 7, Svilen Stanchev, Bulgaria
# 56:
4:44 pm PST, Jan 7, Raquel Perdigao, Canada
# 55:
4:39 pm PST, Jan 7, Karen Gray, Indiana
# 54:
4:35 pm PST, Jan 7, Murray Creighton, Canada
an ecosystem in any medium is life giving to all life.
# 53:
4:30 pm PST, Jan 7, Cecy V. Aguirre López, Mexico
I just have to say that Reef are life, Oceans are life, let's get conscious and respect all living creature
# 52:
4:25 pm PST, Jan 7, Lisa Lourinho, Portugal
# 51:
4:22 pm PST, Jan 7, Constance Evans, California
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