Robert Wilder - Environmental Protection Activities

Environmental Protection Activities

Wilder serves as the head or on the boards of numerous conservation organizations. Wilder served on the marine section of the Board of Governors of the Society for Conservation Biology, as the conservation director of the Pacific Whale Foundation in Honolulu and also runs the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Institute, a nonprofit that provides education and information about clean energy. Wilder is also part of a group of fishermen, native Hawaiians and environmentalists who formed the Coalition Against CO₂ Dumping to protest the biggest ocean test planned off Hawaii's Kona coast. One of the group's complaints is that the test will not monitor the effect on sea life.

Wilder has been outspoken in criticizing policymakers for focusing conservation efforts to only species-level protection, instead of protecting at all three levels needed for biodiversity: diversity at the genetic, species and habitat levels. Wilder also levels that policymakers are only concerned with protecting the "large, awe-inspiring" animals such as whales, jaguars, or eagles, and ignoring other less-glamorous but still threatened species.

As a constant critic of overfishing, Wilder has drawn the ire of fishermen throughout his career. Wilder believes in greater restrictions to prevent overfishing, saying that overfishing has kept fish stocks from naturally replenishing themselves and has decreased the quantity and quality of stocks. Wilder claims that as of 1998, overfishing in United States water has cost an estimated $8 billion loss in annual revenues and lost 300,000 American jobs.

In order set an example for others and show that living environmentally friendly can be economically viable, Wilder has installed solar panels on the roof of his Encinitas, California home and publishes his energy consumption on his website for the world to monitor. Wilder claims the panels generate enough energy to keep his energy bill from the state power grid under $30. Wilder also drives an Australian Moke which he had a local engineering student convert to a hybrid, and an electric powered Tesla sports car.