Once upon a time, in a land faraway, there was a society in which people understood and were excited about science, especially ocean science. I first dreamed of this place a few years ago as I sat behind a wall of one-way glass watching as group after group of coastal residents participating in a marketing research activity revealed their ignorance, and even worse, indifference, about the environment and, specifically, the ocean. They were a diverse group of individuals in terms of ethnicity, affluence, and education; they were brought together by an ocean-related industry to assess their responses to and understanding of certain environmental and ocean issues. My horror reached a peak when all but a few, including the educator in the bunch, explained or agreed that global warming is due to sun shining through the ozone hole. "Nooooooo!"
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