Category Archives: National Ocean Policy

Subsidiarity: A whale of a pattern of thought and an organizing principle for community-based environmental management

Off the coast of Maine, an explosive exhalation of air swept my attention over the sailboat’s starboard rail.  A broad stretch of hide rose like a pebbled sand bar the length of the twenty-seven-foot boat.  The right whale wheeled forward, sliding into opaque water while I stammered and pointed. I was alone at the helm…

Continue reading

Melting Greenland Ice Sheet, Sea Ice Formation, and the Flow of the Gulf Stream

Pummeled by rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and increasing ocean acidity, headlines tell of climate change giving the ocean another punch. “A crucial system of ocean currents is faltering.” “A critical ocean system may be heading for collapse due to climate change.” “Climate crisis: Scientists spot warning signs of Gulf Stream collapse.” Yet, as…

Continue reading