5 Ways to Value a Beach

In his 1951 book, The Motorcycle Diaries, Ernesto "Che" Guevara wrote lyrically of his time at the beach:

"For me, the sea has always been a confidant, a friend which absorbs all you tell it without betraying your secrets, and always gives the best advice—a sound you can interpret as you wish ... The fresh breeze fills the senses with the power of the sea, it transforms all it touches."

The sights, the smells, the sounds—spending time at the beach remains a universally sensual experience. That makes it all the more urgent for us to each do our part as caretakers of our coastlines.

WATCH VIDEO: Start a Sea Change and take time to volunteer with cleaning up our beaches

The Beach Can Inspire Us Musically

Or, as The Who sings: "A beach is a place where a man can feel he's the only soul in the world that's real."

5 Ways to Value a Beach

1. Eroded

While beaches may be formed in part by erosion, human influence is weighing heavily on our coastlines today—for example, barrier islands. According to HowStuffWorks.com, "Because barrier islands are popular vacation spots, many are being developed. Resort communities are being built on them including high-rise hotels, condominiums and golf courses. To accommodate these structures, sand dunes are destroyed and salt marshes and barrier flats are filled in."

2. Refrigerated

Everyone knows it's hot in Dubai, averaging 104F and often hitting 122F in summer. What do we humans supposed to do? Answer: Refrigerate the beaches.

3. Clean

We humans love the beach but that doesn't mean we're always kind to the beach. Our indifference can result in beach erosion and widespread pollution. Don't litter, don't leave trash at the beach, don't use the beach as a toilet, and get involved in beach clean-up.

4. Green

There are many simple steps we can all take when visiting the beach. For example: What you put on your skin, clothing and hair before you get in the water, ends up in the water—some ingredients in sunscreens and hair and skin products are known to harm corals, which are vital to world-wide ocean health. There are great nontoxic and biodegradable options out there that are very effective and safer for the environment.

5. As a metaphor

I'm sure the Romans—not to mention the Aztecs, Incas, and Mongols—were pretty pleased with themselves and figured what they were doing could never end. Yet, like Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias," they are ancient history. (Shelley and his brand of poetry, alas, are also prehistoric.) The Ottoman Empire ran longer than Cats, and all they left is a place to put your feet after a long day of trading pork bellies. America the Beautiful. The Declaration of Independence. The Statue of Liberty. Baseball, apple pie, and internal combustion engines built by Chevrolet. All of these are nothing more than the castles made of sand Jimi Hendrix sang about. (Hendrix, for that matter, is yet another sandcastle).

Question: Are we doomed by fate or will/can we step up and create major change?

Links to Value
5 Ways to Value Your Body
5 Ways to Value a Book