10. Help conserve Hawaii’s coral reefs. When purchasing your next container of sunscreen reach for an oxybenzone-free formula and purchase a Reef Safe brand containing zinc or titanium dioxide. Chemical sunscreens have been proven to harm our reefs, and will be banned throughout Hawaii starting in 2021.
9. Visiting Maui? You can Volunteer on Vacation through Pacific Whale Foundation. Help clean up beach debris, remove invasive weeds, or work on other environmental projects on the island to “give back” while also learning about Hawaiian culture and creating meaningful and lasting memories of your time on Maui.8. Go paperless when possible. Sign up for online or mobile banking. Read the newspaper online. Use note-taking apps on your phone. Think twice about printing that email at work.
7. Get the most out of your binge-watching with our environmental documentary top picks:- “Our Planet” is a new Netflix original nature docu-series narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
- “The 11th Hour” is Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2007 film featuring interviews with various politicians and scientists, including Mikhail Gorbachev and Stephen Hawking. It presents an interesting thesis: that human society possesses the technology to reduce our environmental impact by more than 90%.
- “The Cove” won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2010 as well as the Audience Award at Sundance. Not many films have caused as much public outcry as this expose on the fate of 23,000 of dolphins every year in Japan.
- “An Inconvenient Truth” lit the fire of climate change awareness around the world. Originating from Al Gore’s speaking campaign after his unsuccessful 2000 presidential bid, the film won two Academy Awards in 2006.
6. Do a bit of research and buy only from companies with sustainable practices. Pacific Whale Foundation prides itself on being eco-friendly and offers numerous “green features” as detailed on our website.
5. Eat only sustainable seafood, both at home and while dining out. Pacific Whale Foundation supports the recommendations of the Marine Stewardship Council, so look for the blue MSC logo when purchasing seafood to know that it is coming from a sustainable fishery.
4. Reduce your carbon footprint by carpooling. Many employers, such as Pacific Whale Foundation, offer incentives for employees who ride the bus to work or who purchase high-efficiency vehicles. Contact your employer about your options.
3. Participate in a citizen science project to help marine life. Our Coastal Marine Debris Monitoring Program allows you to help build our marine debris database by cleaning up your favorite beach here on Maui or abroad. This data is collected and quantified in a systematic way, allowing us to prioritize high value targets and evaluate current mitigation measures in order to reduce coastal debris at the source.
2. Symbolically adopt a Whale, Dolphin or False Killer Whale to help Pacific Whale Foundation conduct crucial research on our endangered species here in Maui Nui.
1. Cut down on plastic waste. Our marine debris surveys find that plastic is the most common source of garbage in Hawaii’s oceans. Plastics are also commonly found in the stomachs of whales, dolphins and turtles. Choose reusable food and beverage containers, purchase items with less packing, say no to plastic straws, and bring your own shopping bags. You can learn more ways to help protect our environment by visiting our conservation webpage at www.pacificwhale.org/conservation
