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Environmental Campaign Founder - William Djubin
- Name: William Djubin
- Occupation: Founder
- Company: EarthRehab - http://www.earthrehab.com
- Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
While driving around (carpooling, right?) you might have seen EarthRehab's Green License Plate and wondered what the heck it meant. Well today we have an interview with William Djubin, founder of EarthRehab to talk about the green license plate as well as shed some light on what it's like to be the founder of a green foundation.
The symbiotic organisms hybrid and green license plate seen at rest in their natural habitat.
Brian: What is the mission of your foundation EarthRehab?
William: To raise funds and awareness for Nature Research: this entails habitat, conservation, preservation, rehabilitation, migration patterns, and global climate change. Real-time front-line science.
Brian: What was the catalyst that lead you to found EarthRehab?
William: After the devastating storms that hit Florida's east coast in 2004 (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne) we rebuilt the mainland and forgot about the on-shore reef tract. The redevelopment and storm water removal from the mainland caused extreme water quality issues for a once vibrant and healthy reef eco-system. The reefs were on a fast tract to collapse.
Brian: What is a typical day like working as the founder of EarthRehab?
William: I use a punch list method of time management. I check the EarthRehab Yahoo Small Business store for sales and activity at 8:30am. Ship Green License Plates by 10am. Check the weather, waves, water quality and overall beach health by 11am. I dedicate the remainder of the day to directors and scientists of the foundations, trying to find ways to collaborate and share their current work with others. Planning, scheduling, expoing and lecturing. We are often sidetracked by man induced habitat disruptions that must be immediately addressed to our Government officials.
Brian: What do you like most about your work?
William:
- When I see the Green License Plate on a vehicle that I have never seen before.
- Writing the proceeds checks to the Foundations.
- Respect that the Foundations have given to EarthRehab.
Brian: What do you find most challenging about your work?
William:
- The faith that many have in the non-profit sector that I support. (Environmental lobby)
- Convincing the dive industry to shift baselines to Ocean Conservation diving for the health of their industry. Greater than 80% of the Caribbean Reefs are stressed out and in poor health. The dive industry has been telling lies about Caribbean reef health for too long.
Brian: I know that you are particularly interested in protecting the reefs of Southern Florida. What are some of the major threats to reefs that people might not know about? What is being done to address these issues?
William: Beach erosion due to sea level rise, beach re-nourishment tactics, and land based nutrient enriched storm water runoff, agriculture pollution, and diminishing water quality. Our State government is planning to increase Agriculture for Energy in Florida by 400% by 2010. This is the nine-inch nail for our Reef Tract.
A few lawsuits here and there, the Clean Water Act should be live in Florida by 2010 (maybe too late), the growing environmental education movement, where people are beginning to see that they are directly affected by the health of the reefs.
Brian: What is Reef Check and how will it help protect the reefs?
William: Reef Check is a globally accepted scientific methodology to determine reef health, and it is transferable.
The Reef Check methodology can and will establish recognized Baselines for current reef health conditions. All scientists that monitor reef health should implement this system into their protocol, if for nothing else than for the funding mechanism (World Bank/ UN Coral Reef Task Force/ICRI).
When we all speak the same language we can make decisions much faster.
Reef Check utilizes recreational divers to help monitor reefs. Everyone can help, not just the scientists.
Brian: What are some of the other environmental movements that you are currently working on?
William: Clean Water Act enforcement for Florida, Endangered Species Act rights for animals, diving for conservation initiative, common bird decline, over-fishing and by-catch, deforestation, wildfires, critical habitat destruction, invasive plant and animal species, marine mammal conservation, open ocean plastics, pollution, harmful algae blooms, and the overwhelming swarms of Jellyfish in the Atlantic ocean.
Brian: Tell us a little about the green license plate and how you came up with the idea behind it.
William: My Green License Plate is a 'live-strong' version of an environmental campaign with huge visibility.
The GLP (Green License Plate) is made from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs in Garfield Minnesota.
I saw first hand what was happening to our reefs and oceans (Diving, snorkeling, and surfing) and I wanted to explain the event to my local scientists that work with water issues. Every attempt that I made to explain these issues was confronted with funding issues; every foundation was feeling the squeeze by big government cut backs (special interest funding).
I knew that if I could help to create additional funding and awareness for their missions, they would hear me out. They did. Now we collaborate on several levels of activism with real time environmental issues.
I needed a fundraiser, a loud and in your face 'live-strong' with a much larger viewing crowd. I saw plenty of cars not displaying any front license plate and it just hit me. Green License Plates for the Environment.
Brian: Which states can legally replace their front license plate with the green license plate?
William: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia
Brian: What do you recommend to people who want to display the license plate, but it illegal to cover up a plate in their region?
William: Be patient, the DMV will create a new system for vehicle registrations and tagging, one that will not require a plate at all (a cyber-tag). Until then you can display the GLP on your front or rear window with removable suction cup holders. But please visit the EarthRehab foundation portal and stay in touch with Science for your environmental news, why would you only trust mass media?
Brian: Why did you choose to promote the use of recycled plastic materials?
William: I know that if we create a market for our plastic waste we will reduce operating costs for manufacturing and thus reduce overall consumer costs while helping the environment. It's a win, win, and win for all.
Brian: Do you have any more recycled green awareness products and will they follow the same format where someone can choose a non-profit of their choice in addition to showing off their green support with the product?
William: We are testing out an EarthRehab T-shirt for awareness campaign, and will raise several Green with White stripe dive flags for Eco-conscious dive shop operators shortly.
Brian: What advice do you have for other people who would like to step up and start a foundation of their own like EarthRehab?
William: Continuously revisit your original strategy and business plan, stay the course and do not drift off tract.
Be respectful, even with your enemies, for they may become future allies.
Grow a strong network of similar minded Green Business friends and collaborate.
Get out there and stay out there, expo, lecture, listen and learn.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to share our campaign with your viewing crowd.
I really appreciate it.
Brian: Thanks William, it was great to have you share your expertise and experiences with us. Maybe some other budding, soon-to-be founder will become inspired from reading your story and finally take the leap to make it a reality. Thanks for taking the time and I wish you and EarthRehab continued success.