From: alexhays	Date: January 29th, 2007 01:13 am (UTC)		(Link)

badass read... whats the rest of it about? enjoyed readying that !!

	From: bradleygriffith	Date: January 29th, 2007 03:30 pm (UTC)		(Link)

We have entered New Zealand waters! As such, all scanning of the ocean
floor has stopped and crew and scientist are preparing to leave the
ship
tomorrow.
As my last journal entry I wanted to pause and reflect on this
adventure.
Someone, somewhere, said something like "and the young men go down to
sea".
I'm not sure of the author but I found it somewhat connected to me and
this
adventure.
As a young man in the 60's I was constantly exposed to the sea
adventures of
the ship Calypso and the Cousteau family. John Denver even wrote a
song
about the ship and its adventures. I found myself very early in life
saying
to myself; "that is what I want to do someday". Well my dreams came
true in
the fall of 2005 when I found out that I would be going on the RV Roger
Revelle. It has truly been a fantastic journey.
What did I learn? What did I do?
My journal entries probably do not do justice to the impact this
journey has
had. Yes, I learned how a ship operates at sea. Yes, I learned that
even
veteran seamen get sea sick. Yes, I saw science being used to explore
the
world. It was more then that.
What I really learned, or I guess I had to be reminded, is that we are
not
alone. Mankind, myself included, become too concerned in our own daily
lives to really understand that we are part of a fantastic, finely
tuned
relationship. Everything (man, the large and small animals of the
earth,
the atmosphere in which we live, and the waters covering over 85% of
the
Earth) are connected. If you change or damage one, you also will be
changed
or damaged.
Within the chemistry laboratory on board the Roger Revelle we tested
for
oxygen, chlorine, nitrates and other chemicals within the sediment.
Why?
We have found that over the years mankind has been slowly changing his
world. Yes, you can point to many things good that we have done ( life
span
lengthen, better health, easier living, etc.) but we have also been
creating
changes in the Earth we may not be able to change back. Our ocean and
its
partner the atmosphere have been changed by mankind. Higher levels of
carbon dioxide and other hydrocarbons are found. Heavy metals and
other
pollutants are increasing. Average temperatures are changing throughout
the
world.
The RV Roger Revelle and ships like her are all concerned with first
measuring the changes we are doing to the Earth. What effect it will
ultimately have on mankinds survival on this Earth will depend on how
we
interpret these findings and act.
So, what will I do now. I will first print a photo of the Roger
Revelle and
post it at my home and my school. I will use this to perhaps
constantly
remind me of my connections in the event I begin to forget again. What
will
I do then? I will talk! If people listen, I will talk about my
adventure
and the oceans about us. I will talk about our findings. I will talk
about
our connections. I will talk about our need to act now.
Maybe, some will listen.

:Full Letter: