Shifting Baselines- Southern California
Across the world industrialization both socially and geographically are shaping a new planet but for better or worse? Will we every forget how good it really was?
My dad always plays the ole "Things where so good back then" and for the most part he is right. As time goes on life becomes more and more complicated. More laws and businesses come in and soon the generation that lived with out that are soon forgotten and their ways diminish and the past is forgotten. Many people today think the way it is now is THE only way and there is no different.
Until watching the shifting baselines video made by the surfrider foundation I didn't even know of Killer Dana. I've heard of the break but never knew where it was. Past generations remember surfing this right point break and it's barrels. But in 1966 the break was halted when the harbor was put in. Today's generation is robbed this wave and the surf culture around it because remember not only does the land physically change but socially as well. Today's generating doesn't have to except what we now know as "normal" for ocean health standards and except it because we now have faded film videos and pictures to remember this "killer" break. Since now is there only reference point they would only know how to protect it to the standards they know and these standards may not be what the area of water calls for. Many people in the surfing world today are supporting bringing back the old simple ways of surfing. This is the concept behind the retro surf movement.
There is still a surf break along the harbor but it is no where near as good and frankly the scene has been changed drastically since '66. Not do we see social negativity, moral wrong doing but environmentally. The harbor holds around 75 boats, a launching ramp, and a fueling station that could all pose as a runoff problem. The last known major spill was in 1997 where 860 gallons of gasoline was spilt in the harbor. In fact if you go to the beach next to the harbor you will see how dirty the water is and be terrified.
This brings us to the other side. This harbor has created jobs and brought more industry to the community of Dana Point. It is a figure head of orange county for the most part is very environmentally conscious with a education center and a community that wants to have a clean Dana Point.
The original conflict is who did have the right to destroy this break and privatize this break (now Harbor)? No one does. This may be a good thing for Dana Point in some cases but the people that called Killer Dana their local break and was a mecca for the surfing industry with Hobie Surfboards, Surfing Magazine and, Surfer Magazine . After private funding and government work came in and built the jetty and harbor the surf culture and people began to move away thus killing a generation to come. The problem of water wars and shifting baselines is that one group dies to build another group and in the process the environment is destroyed.
My dad always plays the ole "Things where so good back then" and for the most part he is right. As time goes on life becomes more and more complicated. More laws and businesses come in and soon the generation that lived with out that are soon forgotten and their ways diminish and the past is forgotten. Many people today think the way it is now is THE only way and there is no different.
Until watching the shifting baselines video made by the surfrider foundation I didn't even know of Killer Dana. I've heard of the break but never knew where it was. Past generations remember surfing this right point break and it's barrels. But in 1966 the break was halted when the harbor was put in. Today's generation is robbed this wave and the surf culture around it because remember not only does the land physically change but socially as well. Today's generating doesn't have to except what we now know as "normal" for ocean health standards and except it because we now have faded film videos and pictures to remember this "killer" break. Since now is there only reference point they would only know how to protect it to the standards they know and these standards may not be what the area of water calls for. Many people in the surfing world today are supporting bringing back the old simple ways of surfing. This is the concept behind the retro surf movement.
There is still a surf break along the harbor but it is no where near as good and frankly the scene has been changed drastically since '66. Not do we see social negativity, moral wrong doing but environmentally. The harbor holds around 75 boats, a launching ramp, and a fueling station that could all pose as a runoff problem. The last known major spill was in 1997 where 860 gallons of gasoline was spilt in the harbor. In fact if you go to the beach next to the harbor you will see how dirty the water is and be terrified.
This brings us to the other side. This harbor has created jobs and brought more industry to the community of Dana Point. It is a figure head of orange county for the most part is very environmentally conscious with a education center and a community that wants to have a clean Dana Point.
The original conflict is who did have the right to destroy this break and privatize this break (now Harbor)? No one does. This may be a good thing for Dana Point in some cases but the people that called Killer Dana their local break and was a mecca for the surfing industry with Hobie Surfboards, Surfing Magazine and, Surfer Magazine . After private funding and government work came in and built the jetty and harbor the surf culture and people began to move away thus killing a generation to come. The problem of water wars and shifting baselines is that one group dies to build another group and in the process the environment is destroyed.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_Dana#Dana_Point_Harborhttp://www.nrdc.org/water/
http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/
http://articles.latimes.com/1997/sep/06/local/me-29410
http://www.surfline.com/surfing-a-to-z/killer-dana-history_844/
http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/
http://articles.latimes.com/1997/sep/06/local/me-29410
http://www.surfline.com/surfing-a-to-z/killer-dana-history_844/