LSD Scuba: GUWAA Press Release!

MEDIA RELEASE 12Sep2012 – APPROVED

1st GUWAA World Under Water Protection and Clean Up Day 16^th September 2012

Global Under Water Awareness Association (GUWAA) was founded by the inspirational Croatian Kristijan Curavic. The former champion free diver, commercial diver and scuba instructor Kristijan Curavic is launching the 1st GUWAA World Under Water Protection and Clean Up Day on 16^th September 2012 with the support of their partners, Prince Albert Of Monaco Foundation and Bernie Ecclestone. Prominent international human rights and climate change advocate Bianca Jagger, Founder and Chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, is the newly appointed Patron.

This project is designed to raise awareness of the need for water protection, preservation and clean-up of seas, lakes and rivers. GUWAA is the first organization to bring countries on all continents together to achieve this goal. Sunday the 16^th of September, will be the first global clean-up of our most precious resource - water. The day is organized around the systematic cleaning of seas, lakes and rivers throughout the world. A coordinated global clean-up has never before been attempted.

Countries participating this Sunday are: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Italy, France, England, Monaco, Germany, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Israel, Croatia, Serbia, Monte Negro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Brazil, South Africa, China, Japan, Canada, Russia, Mexico and Korea. In the USA - Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Hawaii, Alaska and South Carolina.

In 2013, GUWAA will expand the clean-up.10 cities from each country will participate, making it the largest ever clean-up of seas, lakes and rivers on record.

It has been more than 20 years since the Calypso project began exploring our seas - now GUWAA is launching a new expedition led by Kristijan Curavic, SPEED UNIT. SPEED UNIT, a team of divers, will travel around the world to organize big ecological projects and clean ups, to save our seas, lakes and rivers.

A new era of ecology is coming.

THE LONDON EVENT – Clean up will be 10am to (earliest) 2pm Potomac Lake in Gunnersbury Park, Pope's Lane, London W3 8LQ

London School of Diving (LSD) is proud to be spearheading GUWAA in the UK. We feel it is a great project to be involved with, not just on the 16th September, but on an ongoing basis. There is nothing more important than protecting the environment for future generations.

With this in mind, Nick Mobley, Managing Director LSD and President GUWAA UK is also involving other organisations in the project. Data from the clean up will be registered with Project Aware to support the Divers against Debris programme and representatives from Mike's Divestore, Diver Magazine and other charitable organisations will be coming together to support GUWAA.

The site selected for the first GUWAA project is Potomac Lake in Gunnersbury Park. London Borough of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing Council have a long term regeneration/heritage project for the Gunnersbury Park, recognised as one of the most important parks in the England which was purchased for the nation from the Rothschild family in the 1920’s.

As far as we are aware, this lake has never been dived (or for at least 20+ years). Safety in diving is paramount, so with this in mind, LSD sent a team of experienced divers to 'recce' the lake to ensure risks to participants in the clean up are minimized.

Joanna Jones UK representative for GUWAA added ‘This is a fantastic global initiative to protect and clean the most precious resource we have – water. Everyone can be responsible’