Tag Archives: shark activism

Day 38 8/2/2013: Absurdly Simple Shark Activism For All Ages

by in Activism, Animal Welfare, Environment, Marine Conservation, Shark Charities, Shark Finning and tagged , , | Leave a comment

SharkSavers is a great resource.

Click here to find out what restaurants in your area are serving shark fin soup.

Click here to download & print a “FINished WITH FINS letter to send to the restaurant.

This is so cool/cute. Click yet again here to download an educational shark coloring book for your kids or for yourself if the waxy intoxication of crayons makes you nostalgic for those early years when you fell in love with utter terror and majesty of apex sea predators.

Day 32: 7/27/2013: Musings of a Shark Cult Leader

by in Activism, Education, Jaws and tagged , , , | 2 Comments

I’m truly touched by how many of my colleagues have eagerly volunteered to read sex scenes from “Jaws” in a public setting to help save sharks.

My shark-themed English class is part of a contextualized learning grant program. Today I met with my fellow teachers and we discussed our various hybrid classes. As I defined my pedagogical mission, I realized that I don’t want to simply teach a class this semester. I want to start a shark cult.  I want to engage and enrage students and make them to fall in love with what’s disappearing. Maybe love will move them if anger will not.

Even if I don’t inculcate an army of brainwashed shark worshipping eco-terrorists, perhaps they’ll awaken to the plight of elephants or the senselessness of war or overconsumption.

Is fun the most powerful call to action? Is making shark cupcakes for charity the gateway drug to environmental activism? Should I use “Sharknado” as a sassy introduction to the sobering topic of ocean acidification and climate change? A good cult leader must effortlessly engage multiple strategies.  Perhaps “Air Jaws” is a good place to start.

P.S. Monday I’ll follow up with the rescue places about the turtles.

Day 12 7/7/2013: 994 Names

by in Activism, Shark Charities and tagged , , | Leave a comment

Today my friend Jennifer and I discussed effective ways to get people to sign a petition.

We ruled out gimmicks like coconut shell or other “theme” bras, free hugs, offering liquor, money, etc.

How then to overcome the dread evoked in by a well-meaning person with a clipboard?

I know that my liberal guilt goes through the roof every time I am greeted with a question like, “Do you have time to help feral, blind children who live at the bottom of abandoned wells?”

“Not today,” I often demur, my tight-lipped resentment seasoned with a dash of remorse.

Since I only have 994 signatures left to gather on my Shark Defenders petition, Jen offered to help me. We’re going to find some cool shark t-shirts to wear and then celebrate our signature gathering with a few well-deserved cocktails. (Shark Defenders in no way endorses these methods).

If this sounds too frivolous for a day of shark action, I also put in one hour of work designing my shark book proposal.

P.S. In a complete non-sequitur, I’d like to wish Ringo Starr a happy 73rd birthday.