Sure, surfers and groups such as the Surfrider Foundation fight ocean pollution, and companies like Patagonia have long been leaders in sustainability.

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The developers of the Carlsbad Desalination Project, meanwhile, also just won a critical court case filed by an environmental organization, called Surfrider Foundation.

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Mr. JOE GEEVER (Spokesman, Surfrider Foundation): We're concerned about, you know, one that the desal may extend the life of these once-through cooling systems or, in the short term, exacerbate how much marine life mortality is going on right now.

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"A study was released about three years ago that showed swimmers are 50 percent more likely to become ill if they swim within 50 yards of storm drain outfalls or river mouths -- and that's where the surf is best, " says Michelle Kremer, interim executive director of Surfrider Foundation.

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