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Dive In To Earth Day 2000!

From: Anita Daley, The Coral Reef Alliance, CA
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 21:21:24
Remote Name: 63.72.68.66

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anita Daley, January 26, 2000 Dive In To Earth Day Coordinator * * * PHOTOS AVAILABLE * * * (510) 848-0110

INTRODUCING THE LARGEST DIVE EVENT IN HISTORY: DIVE IN TO EARTH DAY!

(Berkeley, CA) Thousands of divers all over the world will be teaming up to celebrate Earth Day 2000 by taking a dive. Dive In To Earth Day is an international Earth Day (April 22) celebration offering many diving activities at dive sites throughout the world during the week of April 16-22, 2000. The Dive In To Earth Day events will give participants an opportunity to have fun while raising awareness and taking action to protect our oceans, lakes, rivers, beaches and coral reefs.

Divers and snorkelers can sign up for activities in their area or organize their own Earth Day event. Some activities include underwater and beach clean-ups, fish and reef surveys, seminars and contests, visiting and supporting local marine parks, building artificial reefs and installing buoy systems. Hundreds of dive industry representatives from dive equipment manufacturers, retailers, travel companies, nonprofit groups and dive shops will be participating by sponsoring activities or donating a percentage of the day’s revenues to local marine conservation groups.

Dive In To Earth Day is co-sponsored by the Center for Marine Conservation, Dive Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA), Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), the Hammerheads, Earth Day Network 2000, Environmental Defense, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Oceanwatch, PADI’s Project A.W.A.R.E. Foundation, Reef Ball Foundation, Reef Ball Coalition, Reef Check and the Reef World Foundation. The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is coordinating Dive In and further information can be found on the CORAL web site at www.coral.org. (over)

Earth Day was launched on April 22, 1970 to raise awareness about the environment and successfully engaged 20 million Americans. Since then, April 22 has been dedicated to Earth Day and continues to grow. In 1990, 200 million people in 141 nations celebrated the first international Earth Day. Now in year 2000, Earth Day organizers are estimating over half a billion people will participate from all over the world. Most Earth Day events will take place on land, which is why Dive In To Earth Day is so important: to help focus Earth Day celebrations on vital water issues. Dive In To Earth Day will demonstrate that divers and the dive industry are an important part of the solution to marine protection, not part of the problem. Dive In To Earth Day information on activities can be found on the web at www.coral.org/divein.html for anyone who is interested in joining a Dive In event or for anyone interested in posting an activity of their own.

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