Robbie O'Donnell, surfer and EPA scientist

Robbie O'Donnell (@odonnelloutside) is a coastal #scientist, outdoor photographer and keen #surfer.

He took the unusual step of speaking out against "the current administration's environmental negligence", after #Trump issued a gag order on #EPA #USDA #NationalParkService and had all #climatechange references deleted from federal websites. Why did Robbie stop "staying out of political issues" and is now planning to #MarchforScience on #EarthDay?
As part of the #Superfund program, Robbie worked on fact sheets and reports to ensure communities stay informed about the local toxic sites near them that require long-term decontamination. He also studies the effect of sea level rise on coastal communities. These agencies "provide the public with readily accessible information in regards to their safety and the condition of the #environment around them" he says. "Now all this communication has been forced to stop".

To keep his cool, Robbie regularly paddles out at #wrightsvillebeach and takes pictures of the coast and #ocean he loves. "I think people will only fight to protect those things that they truly love or inherently identify with. If I can find a way for people to learn about and share the same love of the ocean that I have, then hopefully it will effect some sort of positive change". Sharing the stoke as a force for good? Now we ❤ that idea! 📷: @odonnelloutside #freesurfspirit

Robbie loves shooting the coast