HONOLULU, Oahu (Jan. 17, 2012)

Sustainable UH is hosting the event in conjunction with the KYA Sustainability Studio, the Surfrider Foundation, the UHM Sustainability Corps, the Kokua Hawaii Foundation and the Ecology Club. These and other organizations are coordinating to develop partnerships, recruit members, and share upcoming activities, projects and campaigns.  Students and members of the community will learn about new sustainability initiatives launched by UHM students, faculty, and administration.

Building on Capt. Moore’s talk about the environmental and human health hazards of marine plastic pollution, the coalition will announce a new initiative to join the Rise Above Plastics (RAP) Campaign and make UHM a plastic bag-free campus.  The RAP Coalition is working to pass a statewide bill to reduce single-use plastic and paper bags and encourage the use of reusable bags, bottles and containers.

Along with the Semester of Sustainability Kick-Off on Tue., Jan. 17, at the UHM’s Campus Center Ballroom, Capt. Charlie Moore and co-author Cassandra Phillips will also be signing books and giving free public talks at:

• Bookends Book Store in Kailua on Mon., 1/16, 6:00 pm;
• Kahuku High School on Tue., 1/17, 8:15am;
• Indigo Restaurant on Tue., 1/17, 6:00pm.This book signing party is co-sponsored bythe Kokua Hawaii Foundation & Surfrider Foundation.

Sustainable UH is a campus organization made up of students and staff who are striving to establish the University of Hawaii System as a world leader in sustainable education, research and practices.

The KYA Sustainability Studio is a locally owned and grown practice, located in Waikiki, that offers a broad range of custom-tailored, professional sustainability services. In honor of its roots at UH, the Studio stepped forward to sponsor the Semester of Sustainability Kick-Off and ensure that the legacy of Sustainable UH (and Sustainable Saunders) continues.

The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai’i.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful, activist network.

UHM Semester of Sustainability Kick-Off

Date: Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Time: 11:30 - 2:00pm

Location: Manoa Campus Center Ballroom

CONTACT:

Nicole Ferguson, Sustainable UH, (808) 388-3809, sustainability@thekyastudio.com;

Stuart Coleman, Surfrider Foundation, (808) 381-6220, scoleman34@gmail.com

Surfrider’s Hawaii Chapters and Green Magazine Hawaii have partnered to create a series of print ads in support of the Rise Above Plastics campaign.  The creative ads are running in Green Magazine with the goal of raising awareness about the destructive impacts of single use plastics on our oceans and coastal environment.

As part of its Rise Above Plastics (RAP) campaign, Surfrider’s Hawaii Chapters have been working for the last three years to pass a statewide bag bill that would reduce plastic pollution in the Islands. Working with key partners like the Sierra Club, Surfrider’s Oahu Chapter helped set up a RAP Coalition to support bills that would either ban plastic bags or place a fee on all single-use plastic and paper bags. After the first two years of lobbying, it became clear that neither the State nor the City & County of Honolulu (where most of Hawaii’s population lives) would support a ban like the ones recently passed on Maui and Kauai. So the RAP Coalition focused on a fee bill similar to the successful one that the DC Chapter passed. Members helped to write and build momentum for the Bag Bill (SB1363), which would place a small fee on all single-use plastic & paper grocery bags. In the 2011 legislative session, the Bag Bill moved all the way through both the Senate and the House but got stuck in the final Conference Committee. The good news is that the Bag Bill is still alive, and the RAP Coalition is working to put pressure on legislators to pass it in 2012. This would make Hawaii the first state in the country to have a statewide policy to reduce plastic & paper bag pollution.

Visit the campaign website.

Read more about the status of the Bag Bill in Hawaii  here.

Honolulu, Oahu (Dec. 5, 2011)

As part of its Rise Above Plastics (RAP) campaign, Surfrider is working to reduce the proliferation of single-use plastic bags and water bottles, as well as the number one littered item worldwide-cigarette butts.  The RAP campaign seeks to educate people about the prevalence of plastic marine debris on our beaches and oceans (www.riseaboveplastics.org). Surfrider hosts monthly cleanups with sponsors like Airwalk & San Lorenzo to keep our beaches clean and educate the public about ocean-related issues.

San Lorenzo Bikinis combines South American flare and the perfect mix of Hawaii’s Aloha Spirit: Bikinis, Clothing & Accessories. With hundreds of high-end bikinis made in Brazil and Peru, customers have the option to mix and match, and purchase separates from over 20 different styles. With nine store locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands, San Lorenzo offers a wide variety of swimwear to meet any girl’s needs. For more info, go to: www.sanlorenzobikinis.com.

Celebrating its 25^th anniversary, Airwalk has broken new ground within youth board sports culture and youth lifestyle.  Originating in Southern California in 1986, Airwalk began as a brand by skaters and for skaters. Since then, Airwalk has branched out into multiple board sports disciplines and also into lifestyle apparel and footwear. Airwalk team athlete Anastasia Ashley grew up in Hawaii, is a professional surfer and successful model.  By the age of 18 she was named the Association of Surfing Professionals Hawaiian Triple Crown Rookie of the Year and was a finalist at the 2009 Women’s Pipeline Pro.

Founded in 1984, the Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and preservation of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.  Surfrider has over 81 chapters and 250,000 supporters, activists and members across the United States. The Oahu Chapter is in its 15th year of activism and has been working on issues of beach access, water quality, coastal preservation and plastic marine debris.  For more information, go to www.surfrider.org/oahu.

Honolulu, Oahu (Nov. 1, 2011)

As part of its Rise Above Plastics (RAP) campaign, Surfrider is working to reduce the proliferation of single-use plastics, especially bags and water bottles.  The RAP campaign seeks to educate people about the prevalence of plastic marine debris on our beaches and oceans (www.surfrider.org/rap). Surfrider hosts monthly cleanups with sponsors like SPY Optic and Everpaddle to keep our beaches clean and educate the public about ocean-related issues.

This year SPY^® has teamed-up with the Surfrider Foundation and designed a new product that gives back to the Islands. A percentage of sales of the new SPY^® + Hawaii Dirk^™ sunglasses will be donated to Surfrider’s Hawaii Chapters.  “I’m psyched on the charity effort behind the frames,” says Torrey Meister, Big Island professional surfer and SPY^® team rider. “There’s nothing that bums me out more than seeing trash and pollution piling up on our beaches.  SPY^® is helping the Surfrider Foundation make an impact on preserving our coastlines.”

Anyone who joins Surfrider or renews their membership at the cleanup will be eligible to win a pair of SPY’s new sunglasses. “The SPY^® + Hawaii Dirk™ looks insane,” Torrey says. “The Hawaiian flag printing on the arms looks so rad. I have so much love for my hometown and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. Now I can show some Aloha on my face.”

SPY Optic designs, develops and sells premium eyewear products for the youth lifestyle market within action sports, including surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, motorsports, wakeboarding and skiing.  Everpaddle makes performance Stand-up paddle boards, paddles and accessories.  They strongly value eco-friendliness, health, community and fun.

Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers, the Surfrider Foundation now has more than 80 chapters and 250,000 supporters, activists and members across the United States. The Oahu Chapter is in its 16th year of activism and has been working on issues of beach access, water quality, coastal preservation and plastic marine debris.  For more information, go to www.surfrider.org/oahu.

Tickets are available at the door at Waimea Valley for $75. Online tickets sales are now closed.

Honolulu, O’ahu (October 26, 2011) On Saturday, December 3rd, the Surfrider Foundation’s O’ahu Chapter will present the 9^th Annual John Kelly Environmental Achievement Awards. The awards are for those who have contributed towards protecting and enhancing our ocean, beaches and coastal environment. The celebration will be held at Waimea Valley Pavilion and will feature live music from the Intire Project and a few surprise guests. Tickets are $60 for general admission, $75 at the door and sponsor tables begin at $750. All proceeds will benefit Surfrider’s O’ahu Chapter and their efforts to preserve our coasts.

The award ceremony will feature spirits from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly and a variety of local beer courtesy of Kona Brewing Company. These two companies will be sponsoring this  event, along with RevoluSun, Brett & Dee Thomas at Surf 4 Hugs, Green Magazine and Nella Media Group. Former award winner Mark Cunningham will serve as the evening’s emcee. This year’s awardees are  inspiration to their community and an example of how individuals can work collaboratively to positively effect change while protecting our environment.

Cora Sanchez will be given the Lifetime Achievement Award for her efforts in helping to create the Pūpūkea-Waimea Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).  Cora was also a co-founder of Surfrider’s Oahu Chapter with Peter Cole and the Friends of Shark’s Cove, and she has worked tirelessly to help protect the North Shore’s coastlines and “Keep the Country Country!”

The Kona Brewing Company will receive the Environmentally Friendly Hawaii-Based Company Award for their role in promoting sustainable practices at all their facilities and supporting coastal preservation around the state.  The company helps organize the Kona Brewers Festival, which raises money for educational, environmental and cultural organizations.  Along with recycling, installing solar and reducing their carbon footprint wherever possible, Kona Brew Co. has also successfully used recycled building materials at their facilities.  Rebecca Villegas and the crew of KBC have supported local efforts to protect beaches and coastlines across Hawaii.

Kyle Thiermann will be given the Professional Surfer Award for creating a five-part video series, Surfing for Change, to encourage individuals to change their life habits to help save the environment. Kyle’s video “Where Is Away? Solving Plastic Pollution in 4 Minutes” educates people about how wasteful and destructive single-use plastics are to the marine environment and encourages people to bring their own reusable bags and bottles.

Held each year in honor of John Kelly, the Awards Ceremony honors those individuals and organizations that have followed in his footsteps and continued his legacy of environmental leadership. Below is a list of previous winners, all of whom are invited to attend the event:

Previous Winners

Lifetime Achievement       Hawaii-Based Company                Professional Surfer

2010    Mark Cunningham                  Honolulu Weekly                                Duane DeSoto

2009    Yvon Chouinard                     Bill Braden                                          The Malloy Brothers

2008    Shaun Tomson                        Styrophobia                                         Dave Rastovich

2007    Randy Rarick                          Pacific Biodiesel                                 James Pribram

2006    Peter Cole                               Schnitzer Steel Hawai‘i                      Pancho Sullivan

2005    Larry McElheny                      Jack Johnson/Brushfire Records         Rochelle Ballard

2004    George Downing                    Oceanit                                                Kelly Slater

2003     John Kelly                                 Patagonia - Haleiwa                    Rob Machado

Tickets can be purchased online at the O’ahu Chapter’s website: www.Surfrider.org/oahu. Sponsor tables can be reserved online as well. For more information on the event and on sponsoring a table please contact Amanda Corby at amanda@undermyumbrella.com.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through Conservation, Activism, Research and Education (CARE). Originally founded in 1984 by a group of visionary surfers, the Surfrider Foundation is now in its 27^th year and has grown to more than 80 chapters and 250,000 supporters, activists and members. The O’ahu Chapter has been busy working on issues of beach access, water quality, coastal preservation and plastic marine debris. For more information about Surfrider and the John Kelly Awards, please visit www.surfrider.org/oahu.

Special Thanks to our sponsors:

Brett & Dee Thomas

Surf For Hugs
First Wind

Media Partners:
Green Magazine
Nella Media Group & Flux Magazine

As part of its Rise Above Plastics (RAP) campaign, Surfrider’s Hawaii Chapters have been working for the last three years to pass a statewide bag bill that would reduce plastic pollution in the Islands. Working with key partners like the Sierra Club, Surfrider’s Oahu Chapter helped set up a RAP Coalition to support bills that would either ban plastic bags or place a fee on all single-use plastic and paper bags. After the first two years of lobbying, it became clear that neither the State nor the City & County of Honolulu (where most of Hawaii’s population lives) would support a ban like the ones recently passed on Maui and Kauai. So the RAP Coalition focused on a fee bill similar to the successful one that the DC Chapter passed. Members helped to write and build momentum for the Bag Bill (SB1363), which would place a small fee on all single-use plastic & paper grocery bags. In the 2011 legislative session, the Bag Bill moved all the way through both the Senate and the House but got stuck in the final Conference Committee. The good news is that the Bag Bill is still alive, and the RAP Coalition is working to put pressure on legislators to pass it in 2012. This would make Hawaii the first state in the country to have a statewide policy to reduce plastic & paper bag pollution.

Visit the campaign website.

Read more about the status of the Bag Bill in Hawaii  here.

The International Coastal Cleanup Day has become the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean health. Nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year.  Every item collected during the event at Sand Island Beach Park will be recorded to determine how manufactured items impact the health of our ocean and beach environment, its wildlife, and our linked economies.

“Sand Island has a beautiful, but vulnerable coastline,” said Scott Paul, CEO of Hoku Corporation.  “And, on this International Coastal Cleanup Day, Hoku is proud to partner with University of Hawaii’s Graduate Business Student Association, Beta Alpha Psi organization and Net Impact, as well as the Surfrider Foundation to help clean and protect these public areas.”

In addition to team members from Hoku’s Honolulu-based offices that will participate in the beach cleanup, the event is open to the public and other volunteers. Pilates Advantage will lead a round of fun and therapeutic pre-cleanup stretching, followed by healthy snacks to energize the cleanup teams. Hoku will provide lunch for all participants.

About Hoku Corporation

Hoku Corporation (NASDAQ: HOKU) is a solar energy product and services company with two business units: Hoku Materials and Hoku Solar. Hoku Materials manufactures, markets and sells polysilicon for the PV market from its plant currently under construction in Pocatello, Idaho. Hoku Solar markets and installs turnkey photovoltaic systems and provides related services. More information can be accessed at www.hokucorp.com.

About Surfrider Foundation

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide. An overview of all of the Oahu Chapter’s current programs and events can be found on the website, ww2.surfrider.org/oahu.

About Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Conservancy is the world’s foremost advocate for the oceans. Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, we inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act for the oceans. Ocean Conservancy is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific, with support from more than half a million members and volunteers. To learn more about Ocean Conservancy visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

Learn how you can help with our single-use plastic bag campaign, upcoming beach cleanups, and protecting Waikiki and Haleiwa from harmful development! We are also in the planning stages for the 2011 John Kelly Environmental Awards night and need lots of volunteers to help put on the event!

All are welcome! The meetings are  potluck style so please bring a little something to share if you like. Also, please carpool as parking is limited.

The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and preservation of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 63 chapters across the country and around the world. The Oahu Chapter has been working on issues of beach access, water quality, coastal preservation and plastic marine debris.  For more information, go towww.surfrider.org/oahu.

“Surfing is a metaphor for life: Waves come and go ~ We learn to respond with courage, balance, and joy.”

Surfrider Spirit Sessions Ohana is growing! We are looking for Surf Mentors of all abilities for our fall session! If you are interested in becoming a mentor, or know someone, please contact Sam or Scott:

sam@surferspirit.org, 721-5662
scott@surferspirit.org, 721-5966

We are currently seeking 15 male and 15 female volunteer Surf Mentors for each session. If you are thinking of mentoring, or for more info, contact: admin@surferspirit.org or visit:http://surferspirit.org/index.php/volunteer/

Fall Session: Sept 10 - November 5

Minimum Requirements:

-At least 23 years old -Pass criminal background check

-Can surf comfortably -Available 8 Saturdays in a row

We are also looking for “floating” mentors who cannot commit to the 8 Saturdays

Sessions are held at Kuhio Beach, Waikiki, just Ewa of the Duke Statue.

Girls Session: 7:30am-11:30am

Boys Session: 12:30pm-4:30pm

Boards, rashguards, and lunch provided.

Surfrider Spirit Sessions is an IRS 501(c)(3) Hawai’i non-profit organization that aims to create and deliver holistic, ocean-based experiential education, mentoring programs and activities that connect, enhance, and fill in the gaps within existing nonprofit programs serving adjudicated, at-risk, or vulnerable youth, and to teach ocean awareness and environmental sensitivity to the general community.

“The best thing about the program is the people. They’re so supportive and encouraging. They care. They make you feel like family.” ~Crystal

“I am happy because I met a lot of people who are really caring, loving, and helpful. The best thing about this program is the people because they are what makes it fun!” ~Sarah

“The mentors are awesome! I didn’t think we’d get along at first, but they taught me some cool things and it was fun hanging out with them, even when they gave me a hard time. They pushed me to do things I didn’t think I could do.” ~Kainoalani ]]> http://surfrider.org/oahu/?feed=rss2&p=1178