DEMA and the Paris Climate Accord: Support at Last

DEMA has long been silent on many political issues affecting our reefs and oceans, but in June they took a big step to offer at least tacit support to keeping the US in the accord, against the wishes of the current administration. In an email to all members of the Dive Equipment and Marketing Association, they wrote,

"Recreational diving businesses and countries that thrive on recreational diving are increasingly adopting policies and practices aimed at preserving, protecting and enhancing the environment. In every corner of the world, having a clean and healthy diving environment is critical to the success of the recreational diving industry . . ."

"DEMA has long supported an approach to government regulation that balances the health of the aquatic environment with maintaining access to dive sites and minimizing unnecessary regulatory burdens on business. It should be clear to all that the recreational diving industry MUST have a healthy diving environment, or there is no diving business."

"DEMA strongly urges all members of the diving industry to read the Paris Climate Accord as presented by the UN Convention, and to contact your elected representatives in Congress to share how the recent change in US policy could affect your company's and the industry's bottom line . . .We encourage you to add details about the work of your organization and how this change would impact your company and the citizens you serve. Your voice is important so that the diving industry can maintain unfettered access to dive sites and keep regulatory burdens to a minimum while sustaining a clean and healthy diving environment."

While this isn't a straight out endorsement of the pact, it doesn't take much to recognize that DEMA knows that human-induced climate change is a worldwide threat to our oceans, one that in the long run can all but end interest in scuba diving. We trust every dive business and operator understands that as well and speaks up.