— from Rick Manugian —
Sen. Kevin Ranker at the White House with members of the National Oceanic Council’s Governance Coordinating Committee.
State Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, has been reappointed as an advisor to President Barack Obama’s National Ocean Council and, in a meeting last week at the White House, was elected co-chair of the Advisory Committee consisting of 18 senior state, tribal and local government leaders from across the country.
The National Ocean Council, whom they advise, is made up of White House cabinet Members and others whose national responsibilities affect the oceans, such as the U.S. secretaries of Defense, Interior and Commerce and the administrators of the EPA, NASA and NOAA.
“I am honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to help lead this important effort to advance the stewardship of our Nation’s oceans,” Ranker said. “Our oceans are incredible resources that present incredible opportunities. The stewardship of our oceans is critical for not only the future of our ocean, but the health and wealth of our great nation. We must protect our oceans and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that depend upon them.”
Ranker will share chair duties with Leo Asuncion of Hawaii. He has served as a member of the President’s Advisory Committee known as the Governance Coordinating Committee since first being appointed in 2011. Created by Presidential executive order in 2010, the National Ocean Council and committee are charged with implementation of President Obama’s National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes.
“This role gives me the opportunity to weigh in nationally on our region’s behalf while also making sure we have a voice in whatever national policy plays out,” Ranker said upon returning from the nation’s Capitol. “It’s a vital two-way street that allows us to tap our local knowledge and experiences to inform the White House while also making sure our needs are met.”
Congratulations, Kevin!
THIS IS TERRIFIC NEWS! ‘WAY TO GO, KEVIN! Hugs, Frank and Jan
And please remember Senator Ranker, LIFE, not money, needs to come first. If the oceans die it will not matter how many jobs were created fishing them. If the oceans die, we all die, and they Are dying off right now. Make it about more than Money, please! Stand up for Life On Earth!
This is good Kevin! I sure hope that Fukushima will be a part of the discussion as it is leaking radiation into the Pacific everyday! I understand that all radiation monitors across the Nation have been shut down because of the high levels.
I also hope that the the transportation of coal through Washington and other States as well as the great danger to the San Juans from shipping the coal will be discussed realistically.
Thank you Kevin for all that you do! You are appreciated!
Blessings and Peace, Spirit Eagle
I think something further needs to be said:
We are at the indisputable crossroads between worldwide ecological collapse, or a brighter future for humanity and the Earth. The 6th mass extinction is already underway, it is happening before our eyes.
Turn off you TV’s! The real story is that almost half of all life in the sea has died over the last 50 years.
https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/half-of-all-sea-life-wiped-out-in-last-50-years-1-3887470#axzz3pvLOT6Tk
We have to radically change our behavior if we are going to continue to live on this incredible Planet. That means helping the oceans regenerate, not fishing out what else we can, and continuing to dump our toxic refuse into them. We have to ALL Speak Up!!
I must say, I like Ranker, and I think he has integrity.
But politicians need to hear from YOU! The PEOPLE change things, not our politicians. The people have to DEMAND change, or things will continue down this path to destruction. It will be our children and grandchildren who suffer most in a world wrecked by our indifference, ignorance, and greed.
Will we all march sleepily to our deaths, to the deaths of our descendants? Our World?
Do you think I allow my fear of what people think of me to stop me from writing this??
We need to have some courage to make a change!
Land of the Free, Home of the Brave … Remember?
Be what you are supposed to be!
Change the future. You are needed Now, more than ever before.
-Domenic
Peace!!
And Orcas Issues: This IS Freedom of the Press. Please, don’t delete this!!!
This is great news for Coast Policy Group.
Wonderful news, Kevin Ranker. Your continuing care and leadership is much appreciated.
Congratulations to Senator Rankin – I hope that you can and will speak for all of us who live life near the ocean and know that all life depends on it and the care of our waters – including rivers and wetlands, since all rivers flow eventually to the sea. We need to think of this earth is one living entity – all is connected.
Crude sands oil and petcoke export off the west coast and through the Salish Sea and Arctic seas needs to be shelved forever – along with ocean drilling, along with coal and fracked gas export. And as has been said – Fukushima and the poisoning of our oceans from that. NO MORE should we allow nuclear reactors to be built or run on our shorelines! If we care about protecting the oceans, we must address these things. The worst climate problem we have is acidification of the oceans and the methane bubbles, ever increasing in size, rapidly heating up the globe. What about the garbage gyres in the oceans? There are so many issues – please represent our beloved macrocosm and all of the oceans, worldwide.
Thank you, Sadie.