BOOK REVIEWS
Although summer is over, here are a couple books to add to your reading list:
Sea Change
By James Powlik, Ph.D.
(Delacorte Press/ Random House $24.95)
"With breakneck pacing and frighteningly authentic detail, SEA CHANGE, a bio-technothriller by real-life oceanographer and skilled storyteller James Powlik, explodes onto the commercial fiction scene. Weaving together true and engrossing science with the compelling narrative strain of a top thriller a la Michael Crichton and Robin Cook, SEA CHANGE is a horrifyingly powerful work of fiction. It dares to explore what could happen when science compels nature to work against itself - and humanity."
The plot revolves around the threat of a seriously toxic algae bloom much like the Pfiesteria bacteria but far deadlier that is threatening the Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound in Washington. The story is gripping and timely with recent toxic outbreaks in the mid-Atlantic the past few years, and also with Huntington Beach's latest beach water quality woes - the world of ocean pollution has new terror within and SEA CHANGE lets it loose with a fast paced story that has one hell of a climatic ending. For more information check out the website at http://www.raggedtooth.com.
Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time
By Paul Loeb
(St Martin's Press, $15.95)
How can we make our voices heard and actions count in a time when we're told neither matter? Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time, a new book by Paul Loeb, tells wonderful stories and offers powerful lessons about how ordinary citizens have engaged themselves in their communities and taken responsibility for their future in a variety of different causes--including the story of Surfrider Foundation.
Based on thirty years of Loeb's work examining the psychology of involvement, Soul of a Citizen explores how we can engaged ourselves in critical public issues and what stops us from getting involved; what makes the difference between burning out in exhaustion or maintaining our commitment for the long haul; how involvement in issues like the environment can give a sense of connection and purpose rare in purely personal life. As Friends of the Earth founder Dave Brower writes, "Soul of a Citizen helps teach us what to do." Check out this great resource at your local bookstore or at www.soulofacitizen.org.
C-View
Check out what our Surfrider Chapters have been up to!
The following are the results from our second quarter (April 1 - August 1, 1999):
- Number of Chapters Polled: 27
- PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED:
BLUE WATER TASK FORCE:
# of Chapters: 12
Number of tests per quarter: 1,698
Chapters using county water testing: 13
RESPECT THE BEACH
# of Chapters:17
Number of schools presented per quarter: 79
BEACHSCAPE
# of Chapters: 6
Miles of coastline documented: 8
- Involvement with Government, State and City Agencies:
Number of Chapters who attended public meetings on a regular basis: 8
Number of Chapters who attended public meetings for a specific issue: 23
- Current Issues:
Development: 26
Water Quality: 30
Beach Access: 14
Shoreline Structures: 20
Sand or Shoreline Erosion: 18
Beach Clean Ups: 58
- Storm Drain Stenciling:
Drains Stenciled: 364
Volunteers Used: 40
- Chapters currently researching possible legal action or currently involved in legal action: 18
