newsletter of sas • summer/autumn 2011 8 5 pipeline_85.indd 1 21/7/11 17:17:15 pipeline_85.indd 2 21/7/11 17:17:20 THE CRISIS IS NOW! Surfers Against Sewage Unit 2, Wheal Kittty Workshops, St Agnes, Cornwall. TR5 0RD It’s strange how environmental problems become the accepted ‘norm’. Is the ‘norm’ T 01872 553 001 www.sas.org.uk really the point at which many people capitulate to the issue, surrender to the Executive Director problem and begin to turn a blind eye? Is the ‘norm’ where many polluters hope Hugo Tagholm [email protected] the problem they create will end up? An accepted part of our environment and Campaign Director something we can’t and shouldn’t try to resolve? Andy Cummins [email protected] Picture the scene; a village green or suburban street littered twice a day, covered POW Campaign Officer in a fresh layer of manmade detritus; cans, plastic bottles, sewage-related items, Dom Ferris [email protected] plastic bags, fishing line, broken glass, crates and other litter. Imagine this was Beach Clean Campaign Officer then added to with direct and sporadic discharges of sewage-filled effluent and Adam Beare [email protected] backed up with balls of oil that stick to anything that is unlucky enough to come Office, Membership & into contact with them. Well, if this were to happen regularly on your street or Merchandise Manager Wendy Nicolson village green, you’d put pen to paper or fingers to keys straight away, demanding an [email protected] immediate answer or action from your local council. Fundraiser Peter Lewis So it’s alarming how close to the ‘norm’ these things have become on our beaches. [email protected] To the point at which many visitors seem almost blind to the issue. Tidelines strewn Finance Officer Jo Burn with trash, rivers bringing sewage content with them at the slightest hint of rain, spring [email protected] tides depositing an array of lifeless, oiled birds as they ebb away. Finance Assistant Claire Longman The International Programme on the State of the Ocean (www.stateoftheocean. [email protected] or) is currently compiling the Global State of the Ocean Report due to be published in Admin Assistant Heidi Peasley 2012 but state that “….we already know that the Ocean’s health is in a critical state”. [email protected] They highlight that ‘Damage to the Ocean is not as immediately apparent as terrestrial Board of Directors Dr Tony Butt destruction, but it is just as serious. All of the stressors we have put on the Ocean — Steve Challinor Alex Dick-Read from over-fishing to pollution — have contributed to its ill-health. The situation is now Jim Gorrod so severe that we are altering the chemistry of the Ocean, with significant impacts on Richard Gregory Chris Hides marine life and the functioning of marine ecosystems.” Ben Hewitt Martin Hunt Thankfully, as an SAS member you are already with us at the frontline to take Lesley Kazan Pinfield action. You are already helping fund campaigns that track and tackle these issues Nathan Mansbridge Alex Wade head on; the Sewage Alert Service, national beach clean programmes, the Return Adviser to Offender campaign, marine environment sessions in schools and a network of Peter Crane passionate, skilled SAS Regional Reps tackling the polluters at grassroots level. Pipeline Thank you for your on-going support and involvement. Design A-Side Studio www.a-sidestudio.co.uk Photographers Andy Cummins, Steve Trewhella, Tim Nunn, Sean De Sporengo, Charlie Chambers Wendy Nicolson, Dom Ferris, Kirstin Prisk, Mark Denton & others. Printing Hugo Tagholm Martin Luck Design & Print 01326 558 000 Director 03 pipeline_85.indd 3 21/7/11 17:17:23 A CAse in Point - A FAMILY DAY OUT AT the BEAch It’s rare that my days off coincide with fun clean waves and even rarer when the sun threatens to make an appearance too. But everything had fallen into place and my family were off to Porthtowan for the day. The car was packed with surfboards, windbreaks, footballs, buckets, spades and sun cream. As the girls (12 & 3) were squeezing in the back between boards and buckets, my phone buzzed. A Sewage Alert Service message to warn us sewage was discharging at Porthtowan. The latest customary summer downpour had overloaded Porthtowan’s sewerage system resulting in raw sewage and storm water being discharged directly into the sea. I understand all too well the health risks associated with surfing in sewage polluted waters and there’s no way, no matter how good the surf was, I was letting my girls surf at Porthtowan during a raw sewage discharge. But instead of instigating World War 3 by unloading the car, we simply headed off to Godrevy. The storm system was so localised that Godrevy escaped the downpour. The day was filled with sandcastles, rock pool adventures and fun surf for all the family. And the absence of the Sewage Alert Service text gave me a comforting reassurance. The beach isn’t a sterile environment and there are many other potential sources of pollution at any beach. But it’s reassuring to know you can give your loved ones the best chance of enjoying a sewage free sea at one of the beaches included in our Sewage Alert Service. Whether you are a keen kayaker, surfer STOP THIS MESS AT SAS.ORG.UK or parents of the next surfing world champion, make sure you’ve signed up for the real time sewage text alerts and be reassured, as no news is good news. pipeline | www.sas.org.uk pipeline_85.indd 4 21/7/11 17:17:25 BECOME AN SAS ACTIVIST AT EUROPE’S BIGGEST SURFING & MUSIC FESTIVAL! We are pleased to be building our campaign presence at Europe’s biggest surf and music festival this summer. The Relentless Boardmasters takes place from 10th – 14th August at Fistral Beach, Newquay and always draws huge crowds who come to see some of the best surfers in the world battle it out at Cornwall’s premier surf spot. This provides the SAS campaigns team with the opportunity to influence tens of thousands of individuals with our developing projects protecting “ waves, oceans and beaches right across the UK. EXCLUSIVE SAS SAS campaigners will be on site for the duration ACTIVIST T-SHIRTS FOR of the contest running Marine Litter Education Days THE FIRSt 20 bEACH to engage the public with current anti marine litter campaigns & environmental initiatives protecting surf CLEAN VOLUNTEERS spots, coastlines and wildlife around the UK. Activities EACH DAY!” will include a daily Activist Beach Clean and SAS’s new giant, interactive MARINEOPOLY board game, which will help bring the campaigns to life for anyone playing. The team will also be distributing campaign information, mini campaign action stickers and Butt SAS would like to thank the Big Lottery - Awards Bins to help combat litter on site and in the wider For All programme for their support on this project marine environment. This is the chance for the whole and Sportsvision for there steadfast support. For more community to get directly involved with SAS’s current information on this and other SAS activities please campaigns and learn more about protecting beaches visit www.sas.org.uk or do come to see the SAS team nationwide. We hope to attract over 250 community during the Relentless Boardmasters festival. volunteers during the festival, and inspire many SAS reserve the right to change the programme thousands of individuals to take even more care of of activities. our precious coastal environment. Please check website for any changes to SAS activities. 5 pipeline_85.indd 5 21/7/11 17:17:33 FAntAstic reAction to SAS’S new MArine conserVAtion EDUCAtion ProGRAMME! Surfers Against Sewage, the Quiksilver Foundation protection campaigns. Students also got the chance and Quiksilver athletes got together to highlight SAS’s to play SAS’s new interactive marine conservation ongoing environmental campaigns through our brand board game, MARINEOPOLY, which was a huge hit on new education programme on World Ocean Day. the day! This colourful 3m x 3m board game helped The launch of the SAS’s new education programme bring SAS’s environmental issues to life in an exciting promoting marine conservation and activism took and engaging way for all those attending and will be place on Wednesday 8th June at the National available to schools booking SAS educational talks in Maritime Museum, Falmouth. the future. Quiksilver athletes including professional Roxy SAS and the Quiksilver Foundation hope the event sailor Sam Davies (4th place, 2009 Vendee Globe race, helped inspire these up and coming eco-ambassadors. 1st Woman to finish, 1st British finish) and top UK Over the next 2 years, SAS will work closely with the professional surfer Toby Donachie joined SAS to talk Quiksilver Foundation to reach out to an even greater about their inspirational oceanic stories, passion and number of young people with environmental, health motivation for protecting the marine environment. & wave protection resources. 250 local primary & secondary school students SAS worked closely with Sci-Art Solutions joined the SAS campaigns team to learn more developing its new educational programme including about SAS’s ongoing environmental, health & wave the MARINEOPOLY board game. pipeline | www.sas.org.uk pipeline_85.indd 6 21/7/11 17:17:36 “OVEr 250 sCHOOL CHILDREN CELEBRATE “SAS’s MARINEOPOLY IS WORLD OCeaN DaY A HUGE HIT!’” WITH SURFERS AGAINST SewaGE” Surfers Against Sewage would like to thank Sam Davies, Toby Donachie, the Quiksilver Foundation, Symphony Environmental and Sci-Art Solutions for their support on the day.