Scripps Recognizes Sen. Denise Ducheny for Commitment to Environment

Ioana Patringenaru | February 4, 2008

State Sen. Denise Ducheny and Tony Haymet, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD.

A little more than a year ago, Tony Haymet, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD, and state Sen. Denise Ducheny spend a day at sea on the R/V Roger Revelle doing science experiments with students.

Thursday night, they were side-by-side again, this time at the Birch Aquarium, where Haymet recognized Ducheny for her support of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and for her efforts to preserve the Salton Sea. Haymet cited that day on the Revelle as an example of Ducheny’s commitment to science and education.

“She has been a great friend of the environment and of Scripps,” he said.

Haymet presented Ducheny with a picture of one of the Scripps ships, signed by the many scientists whose projects she has supported in the legislature. The state senator also received a book written and autographed by Nobel Prize winner and UCSD professor Mario Molina.

Ducheny thanked Haymet for the gifts. “It’s such an important institution,” she said of Scripps. She praised scientists for conducting work on issues that matter to the state. “We need to be able to protect our oceans and our beaches,” she said. “We need to know about the health of our fisheries.”

Recently, Scripps researchers uncovered information that suggests the Salton Sea portion of the San Andreas Fault system has a high probability for the 'Big One' sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, legislators are looking for ways to save the sea and need to know what are the likely seismic scenarios for earthquakes rupturing through the Salton Trough.

Advocates, including Ducheny, who represents part of San Diego and Riverside counties, as well as all of Imperial County, and state resources chief Mike Chrisman, are developing legislation that would launch a $9 billion effort to restore the Salton Sea over 75 years. The state’s non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office recently released a report that supports their efforts. Through the California Resources Agency, Ducheny and Chrisman also have been supportive of Scripps research involving a new understanding of the geological makeup of the Salton Sea.

"There are multiple reasons for saving the Salton Sea, including its value as a resource to the region as a large wetland area," Ducheny recently said in Explorations, Scripps’ e-magazine. "Over 400 species of birds make their home there. If we were to allow it to disappear, there would be consequences in terms of air quality for the people of the Coachella and Imperial valleys, not to mention the fish and bird wildlife. We have a huge opportunity to save this beautiful sea in the middle of a desert and we're working on a management plan that would do that."