Surfrider News and Events: December ‘09

By: John Hearin

Article Category: Surf Rider Foundation Leave a Comment

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation conducted a beach cleanup at Minutemen Causeway in conjunction with the Slater Brothers’ Surf Contest on November 7. Surfrider members and other volunteers collected numerous bags of trash, with a particular focus on removing cigarette butts. Our younger volunteers collected 13 water bottles full of butts from the area immediately in front of Coconuts. For their efforts, each volunteer was given one free raffle ticket that gave them a chance to win a one-of-a-kind Jeff Haney designed longboard. The longboard won first prize in the shape-off held at last year’s Surf Expo and was generously donated to the Surfrider Foundation to help us raise money.

Impressive as our collection of butts may seem, it barely scratches the surface of the cigarette butt problem on Cocoa Beach. Unfortunately, our beach is treated as a giant ashtray by far too many smokers. One of our goals is to educate people about the long-term effects of throwing their butts on our beach. Cigarette butts take as much as 15 years to degrade on the beach. That means that each one you throw in the sand will still be there next time you go to the beach or when someone’s child decides to build a sand castle. Would you let your kids play in your ashtrays at home? If you smoke on our beach, please dispose of your butts properly.

In other news, The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has joined a statewide coalition of political, business, and environmental organizations to oppose oil drilling off the Florida Coast. We feel that the risk to our beaches and waters does not justify the benefits claimed by the oil lobby and that the money and effort would be better spent developing clean, sustainable energy sources for our State.

We will be hosting a public workshop on how to help oppose oil drilling off of Florida’s Coast on December 15, at the Cocoa Beach Library, from 6 to 8 p.m. The workshop is open to the public and all interested residents are encouraged to attend.

We will also participate in the statewide “Hands Across the Sand” program on February 13, 2010. We encourage anyone who opposes oil drilling off of our coast to come out to the beach to help us demonstrate our opposition to the media and politicians.

Upcoming Surfrider events:

December 2: Christmas Party at Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, 6:30 p.m.; Pot Luck, BYOB.

December 12: Cocoa Beach Christmas Parade

December 15: Oil Drilling Campaign Session; Cocoa Beach Public Library Community Room; 6 to 8 p.m. This meeting is open to the public.

January 19: Monthly meeting, 6 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum

February 13: “Hands Across the Sand” to oppose oil drilling

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com