Sam Farr: “I think that America believes and understands that it may be the land masses of the world that separate the peoples, but…”

“I think that America believes and understands that it may be the land masses of the world that separate the peoples, but it is the oceans that bring us together. I co-authored the reauthorization of the Sea Grant program basically because I believe it is a great program, one that enables important efforts in marine resource conservation to be properly managed. When we think about our oceans and our coasts and the Great Lakes, they are tremendous resources and of great importance not only to our economy but also to our social and to our cultural vitality. But our population, over half of which lives on 10 percent of the land defined as coastal, puts incredible pressures on these environments. We harvest the fish and other living organisms. We alter the physical environment. We fill in wetlands. We dredge our harbors. We bulkheaded our shorelines. We pollute. We introduce alien species into our ecosystems. We are adding substances to the atmosphere that increases the ultraviolet radiation and alter the globe's climate.”