Jim Moriarty.
What work do you do?
I work at an environmental, action-sports-oriented nonprofit called Surfrider Foundation.
What does your organization do?
We exist for the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves, and beaches. Two examples: we fight for clean water and beach access.
How do you get to work?
Mini Cooper S or telecommute. I'm a firm believer in the virtual organization, having lived it for the past couple decades.
What long and winding road led you to your current position?
I was a sponsored skateboarder and early-era snowboarder in my formative years. Then I was a tech entrepreneur working alongside insanely passionate and smart people who went to great lengths to change the world. The vision of this organization, the flatness of the world, and the action-sports orientation all intersect the vectors of my life.
Where were you born? Where do you live now?
Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Solana Beach, Calif.
What has been the worst moment in your professional life to date?
Understanding that even with the smartest minds and almost endless money, we were unable to craft the right business model at Pandesic. IQ and dollars aren't enough -- success comes to those who are relentlessly focused and add value or meaning daily.
What's the best?
Cold-calling Jake Winebaum when I was moving from Silicon Valley to San Diego and having it yield my first offer to become a CEO.
Who is your environmental hero?
My dad and Yvon Chouinard. Their vision goes well beyond the commonly expected.
What's your environmental vice?
My quiver of surfboards is too large -- it's around a dozen. I should be able to deal with having a few boards, but I just ... can't.
How do you spend your free time?
Family. Surf. Church. Any mix of those elements is optimal; double dipping is encouraged.
What's your favorite meal?
I'm blessed to have a wife who loves to cook, cooks extremely well, and has a preference for healthy foods.
Which stereotype about environmentalists most fits you?
I pick up trash any time I'm at a beach.
The perfect wave?
Photo: iStockphoto
What's your favorite place or ecosystem?
A six- to eight-foot-high, clean, perfect wave. Being more specific, Georges in Cardiff by the Sea on a dawn patrol, low-to-mid rising tide.
If you could institute by fiat one environmental reform, what would it be?
Oceans would be clean.
Read any good books lately?
Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis and Dora Lives by Craig Stecyk and Drew Kampion; together they frame the American reality.
Who was your favorite musical artist when you were 18?
The Clash. The only band that mattered.
How about now?
Jack White and Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose.
What's your favorite TV show?
We don't get TV; we turned it off about a decade ago. One of the best decisions of my life.
Movie?
Favorite surf film: Sprout.
Favorite non-surf film: Brazil.
Which actor would play you in the story of your life?
My son Reid.
If you could have every InterActivist reader do one thing, what would it be?
Seriously consider the waste of time that television is -- then turn it off for good.
Jim Moriarty, Surfrider Foundation.
What has been the greatest obstacle in keeping the beaches clean and accessible? -- Jerry Broadbent, Bucoda, Wash.
The greatest obstacle for clean beaches is awareness of how beaches get dirty to begin with. Smokers need to understand that their cigarette butts end up down storm drains and on beaches. Golf-course managers and farmers need to understand the impact their pesticides have on the coastal ecosystem. Much of what we do at Surfrider is raising awareness regarding this very subject. This shouldn't be abstract. We should tell our friends who smoke not to litter; we should refrain from dumping paint or oil down the drains. We should make living at the coast synonymous with protecting the coast.
Do you think people who use the outdoors to recreate (surfers, climbers, birdwatchers, hunters, hikers, etc.) are stepping up to the plate when it comes to conservation? What about the companies that are making profits by selling merchandise based on these activities? -- Megan McGinty, Marblemount, Wash.
Regarding people: mostly no. Surfrider exists to point out that we all need to step up to not only enjoy oceans, waves, and beaches, but to protect them as well. We want individuals to adopt the "zero impact" mentality that climbers have embraced. Regarding companies: overall, the answer is no. There are some standouts like Patagonia and Billabong, and more and more are looking into organic materials, but we're talking about moving entire industries, changing proven manufacturing processes, and cutting into profits. Many times, what is right isn't easy and getting there doesn't come quickly. This said, I am heartened to see some shifts in the right direction.
Surfing's a great sport, and I salute the work Surfrider's doing. That said, what about the environmental impacts of surfboard and wetsuit manufacture -- both of which are made from polluting materials and tend to be rather short-lived -- not to mention the considerable driving most surfers do to find the best waves? -- Pat Joseph, Oakland, Calif.
Excellent point and one that some water enthusiasts struggle with. Clark Foam, manufacturer of 90 percent of surfboard blanks, closed its doors last December; finally the industry is awake to higher-strength, longer-lasting boards. There is a rebirth within the industry around materials; many are looking at lower-impact processes. For me, one never "arrives" at an environmentally optimal destination ... it's an ongoing process.
Your web page on global warming is one of the best I've seen, but I didn't see anything about global warming in the long list of Surfrider campaigns. Do you think you might have a specific global-warming campaign at some point? -- George Girton, Santa Monica, Calif.
Thank you very much. Rick Wilson, one of our amazing staffers, wrote it and I agree -- it's strong. As you know, global warming is a topic that is literally as large as the planet. Rather than get caught up in much of the hand-wringing and finger-pointing, we are heads down with programs focused on the coasts (arguably where global warming will be felt the most). The scope of our programs is also scaling up; you'll see us expand our international presence (we're operating on five continents now and growing more chapters on those continents). One more distinction: we're not the "Washington, D.C./policy" kind of environmental organization. We're hands-on and local, with 64 chapters in the U.S. We're all about your local, coastal neighborhood.
How will global warming affect coastal areas? -- Name not provided
Climate change of a few degrees will wreak havoc on the coasts. Examples include massive coral reef die-off and higher-intensity storms. This is already starting to happen. A rise in sea level will have massive and unprecedented effects on the coast. "Planned retreat" -- moving homes and structures away from the ocean -- is not a popular concept today ... but it will become necessary in the future.
Let's say there is a beach somewhere in California with pristine conditions, including abundant tidepool life and a healthy population of shorebirds -- but the primary reason it is well-off ecologically is how little it is affected by humans because it is so difficult for the public to access. Would you support improved public access to that beach? -- Steve Pulliam, Santa Barbara, Calif.
We believe beach access is a right, just as freedom of speech is a right. Just as many of us don't agree with some ways freedom of speech is exercised (especially around children), all of us believe that right should exist. Your example is similar to this. There are various situations and places that would be better off without humans, but we're not going to draw that line. We believe you should be able to walk down to the ocean, wiggle your toes in the sand, and experience what a wonder the beach and oceans are.
I realize that the coast of Mississippi doesn't have any great surf breaks, but do you have any thoughts or ideas on how to go about cleaning up the coast? I know that in the big picture, the trash that is left is harming the ocean environment. -- Clark Phillips, Gulfport, Miss.
Surfrider isn't about just protecting surf breaks; in fact about half of our members don't surf. We are about the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves, and beaches. We're beach people. We're people who simply love the coasts and are acting to protect them. We're working on multiple levels to keep trash off the coast and out of the ocean, and maintain natural and healthy beach zones. For me, the large lesson of Katrina is that of nature's muscle; fishers have good reasons for not having built houses on the East Coast beaches for centuries -- hurricanes hit them pretty much every year. For some reason, we now think that open land means we should build something -- even though thousands of locals protest it. Our hubris is stunning. There is no contest: nature is stronger than humans. We need to live along coastlines with that in mind.
I see your clever ads in several magazines. Who comes up with them? -- Claudia Galea, San Pedro, Calif.
What we stand for resonates with people -- all kinds of people. We have the highest-caliber artists, musicians, lawyers, and many others who volunteer their time. Regarding advertising, we have been blessed with working with some of the most creative and amazing people on the planet -- and that's not an overstatement. Saatchi and Saatchi, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Young and Rubicam, Publicis, and 72 and Sunny are agencies that have represented Surfrider in the past 12 months.
What's the most disgusting or strangest thing you've found in the water or on the beach while surfing or cleaning up an area? -- Grist editors
About a month ago, I was surfing off the coast of El Salvador at the beginning of rainy season, and massive tree trunks were floating around in the lineup. There was also a sickening amount of trash and (human) waste runoff. I've been feeling ill since that time and had a myriad of tests but nothing named. Four out of five of us on the trip had similar, long-term sicknesses. You don't have to go elsewhere, though; people at the San Diego beach cleanups find syringes all the time.
Why isn't Surfrider of the Outer Banks having the beach cleanup in September this year? We have always looked forward to seeing the whole community pull together for the cleanup and afternoon beach barbecue. -- Noelle Everhart, Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
Thanks for the kudos on the value of beach cleanups. It's another simple yet valuable project our chapters do. I suggest contacting your local chapter.
Do you find that your work in Silicon Valley has been helpful in your role at Surfrider Foundation? What lessons have you carried with you? -- Name not provided
Absolutely. My 20 years in tech taught me that the world can be changed, and in fact, it is changed day in and day out. The founders of Google aren't that different than the founders of Surfrider Foundation; they are people who think massive, new, and unbridled thoughts. They don't listen to people who tell them something can't be done. Tech ingrained in me to step up, go big, and then execute like your life depends on it. I have no interest in working at a place where that doesn't apply.
Ask Umbra on ditching dirty things
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