RE: [Paddlewise] Chief Seattle's words

From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 19:55:39 +1100
Steve wrote:
>If any of you people out there in email
>land are suffocating on your own waste or
>lacking basic living resources I would like
>to hear from you

G'Day Steve and Paddlewise,

One of the reasons I prefer sea kayaking to river kayaking is that rivers
here are just too degraded. In Australia as in much of the rest of the world
our ground water is becoming brackish and many of our rivers are
contaminated. For example, not that its that important, but the Hawkebury
Classic 114km kayak race was nearly cancelled this year because of blue
green algae blooms. Interesting to note you can use brackish water and blue
green algae to make biodiesel very effectively. Wouldn't want to practice
rolling in or drinking from a stream containing such algae though,
apparently it can be quite toxic.

Smarter use of water in: agriculture, environmental control and cities, is a
topic of intense debate in Oz right now. I've got enormous faith in our
ability to overcome obstacles especially when we collaborate. But what are
the implications for paddling anywhere in 50 years time. It could be a very
different experience to the one we value today, not worse just different.
For example consider the likely role of marine biomass in food and fuel
production. And the possible role of kayaks as energy efficient vehicles in
such an enterprise:~)

Isn't it imperative then that those of us who have access to hidden places,
record for others what we see without revealing the location to the greedy
or inept. The world might then understand the value of these places now and
in the future can at least relish the memory of wnat once was. I would
willingly buy such a book written by the Rev Bob Carter or John Winters or
Dr. Peregrine Inverbon, Melissa Reese, Doug Lloyd, Dave Kruger, Natalie
Wiest and all you other great contributors from Paddlewise.

Of course this isn't an underhand attempt to receive lots of great trip
reports because I'm temporarily incapacitated in the south:~)

All the best, PeterO
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Received on Wed Dec 08 2004 - 17:53:56 PST

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