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A sunken, abandoned boat off Charleston’sCity Marina. An example of neglect leading toenvironmental damage in our sport.Recycling Beverage ContainersMaybe there’s a reason for the lack of emphasis on sailing asan environmentally friendly pastime. Maybe our sport isn’tas green as we like to think. I race pretty actively in my ownhome waters, and I can’t think of a regatta in the past fiveyears where the organizers have even bothered to facilitatethe recycling of beverage containers. Nearly every majorsailing event in Charleston Harbor has some kind of beveragesponsor, but I’ve yet to attend a regatta with a sensibleplan for dealing with the hundreds if not thousands of containersused to serve those beverages.The lack of interest in recycling among event organizersin the sport may seem tangential, but it’s really symptomatic.Consider this: It was seven years ago that theEnvironmental Protection Agency helped establish theGreen Marina initiative, a chance for marina owners to distinguishtheir businesses by “going beyond environmentalcompliance to protect and preserve local waterways.” Ofthe six active marinas that exist in our harbor, not one ofthem bothers to advertise that distinction, if indeed it hasbeen earned. I suspect this situation isn’t much differentacross the Southeast and the country.Few would deny that our enjoyment of sailing is inextricablylinked to the quality of our environment. Where I sailmost often, in the South Carolina Low Country, mankind’smachinations—like commercial traffic and residential development—arebeginning to threaten the sensitive network ofcreeks and rivers that beget our harbors. So, why the disconnect?Why don’t sailors—or at least the organizations thatgroup them and represent them—take environmental stewardshipmore seriously? I don’t have the answer. I’m justpicking the low-hanging fruit by pointing out that many of usconsider ourselves to be green simply because we sail.Unfortunately, that’s not enough. Sailors—individuals really—aregoing to have to reach higher to put an emphasis onthis subject. If you want the event you’re attending to recyclebeverage containers, volunteer to make that happen. If yourmarina hasn’t qualified for clean status under the EPA’s program,ask the management why not. Clearly, if individualsdon’t make these things happen, we’ll be stuck with the statusquo because our organizational representatives haven’teven begun to give lip service to the topic.News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS April 2008 49