If we want a healthy economy, we need a healthy ecosystem.
That’s probably the most important takeaway of a new report from the Center for American Progress and Oxfam America that analyzed the benefits of conserving, repairing and restoring our coastal ecosystems.
As Think Progress reports, the authors of the report studied three separate coastal restoration projects that were funded by stimulus grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2009. They found that for every dollar invested, there was more than $15 in net economic benefits.
MORE: A Landmark Project Brings Water Back to the Colorado River
How so? Coastal restoration gave way to more money for local economies, from boosts in tourism and commerce to protection against natural disasters such as storm surges. It also improved fish stocks and benefited oyster reefs, which play a big part in keeping waters clean.
Significantly, these coastal restoration projects also created a lot of jobs. According to the report, every $1 million investment in coastal restoration created 17 jobs on average. In comparison, that same investment in offshore oil and gas development only brings 8.9 jobs.
The argument for coastal restoration comes down to simple math, really. “We learned in a nutshell that there’s a win-win, if not a win-win-win, opportunity that presents itself when you invest in conservation,” said Mark Schaefer, the assistant secretary of commerce for conservation and management at NOAA. “We gain big when we conserve and restore coastal habitats — this is a no-brainer.”
Looks like the business of saving the environment is good business for us all.
ALSO: What Can We Learn From the Horrific Harlem Blast?
Tag: Coastlines
Watch What Happens When a Famous Musician Joins Forces With an Eco-Friendly Yarn Maker
Singer, songwriter, and music producer Pharrell Williams has been in the public eye a lot lately, from dancing alongside scantily-clad women in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” video to lighting up social media with chatter about the unusual hats he wore to the Grammys and the Academy Awards. But now, he’s making fashion news for a completely different reason: Williams is collaborating with clothing maker G-Star RAW and Bionic Yarn, (a company that makes yarn from recycled plastic), to make jeans from ocean debris.
In an interview with Brian Clark Howard of National Geographic, Williams said of his environmental collaboration, “I am not a fanatic or a hard-core activist. I’m not the guy with the picket sign or the guy who lays down on tracks, but I commend them for their conviction. I have a lot to be thankful for, all of the cool things that have happened in my life. We have to give back in some shape and form and that’s giving back to the Earth. I’ve been lucky enough to be given this collaboration and my message to people is you don’t have to do anything. But if you don’t want to let it go, then what Bionic is doing with the oceans is right for you.”
Bionic Yarn works with marine debris organizations to acquire plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (or PET) collected from coastlines. If the plastic has broken down after bobbing in the ocean for a long time, they blend it with land-based recycled bottles to ensure the material for their fabric is consistent.
The collection will be available at G-Star Raw stores and online starting August 15. By then, there will probably be a new Pharrell Williams hit saturating the airwaves, reminding everyone to check out these ocean-cleaning threads.
MORE: This Ambitious Project Could Change What We Know About Oceans
Happy Oceans! Happy Life! G-Star Raw and Bionic Yarn partner up with Parley for the Oceans. from parleyfortheoceans on Vimeo.