While mostly this newsletter is all about spreading solutions and being positive and constructive about what we actually can do about the climate crisis, occasionally, we do also find it difficult to keep our heads above water. 40 degree heatwaves all over Europe, wild fires that threaten friends’ homes and businesses, water shortages and very little action from governments despite all of it. And this is just what is happening close to home, where it now feels like climate change is knocking on our doors asking us to finally look it in the eye. We know. It’s devastating, sad and angering but we must keep going. This quote by Mary Heglar has been giving us hope and inspiration for action:
If you’re worried that it’s too late to do anything about climate change and we should all just give up, I have great news for you: that day is not coming in your lifetime. As long as you have breath in your body, you will have work to do.
Seamlessly moving on from last month’s topic of nature conservation we are diving into (excuse the pun) ocean conservation. During the book club discussion as well as when talking to friends and family about this topic it was interesting to hear how different relationships and engagement to and with the ocean and marine life are if you have or haven’t grown up close to it. As someone who has lived close to rivers, lakes and the mountains, visiting the sea only once a year with family when we would do our yearly camping trip down to Italy, my connection to the ocean was barely there. This changed however when I lived in Portugal for six months and tried to learn how to surf. I went swimming in the ocean every morning and it was incredible how much it improved my mood and helped me through a tough time. Engaging with what we want to protect is key to protecting it.
To put yourself out, to make the effort, to invest time and money to protect something from harm, you must value and love it. Probably the biggest problem of all is simply that we don’t care enough. Recognising this is essential to winning the battle for the oceans. – p. 22, Future Sea, Deborah Rowen Wright
Check out this month’s community Notion document and add any interesting articles, podcasts, organisations that tackle ocean conservation – it takes all of us to make a difference.
Check out this month’s book club take aways: Future Sea by Deborah Rowan Wright
Did you know that, practically, the entire marine world is protected by international law? It is called the Law of the Sea. "However, the biggest weakness in the Law of the Sea is just that – weakness. Although it includes specific requirements for states to enforce laws and regulations laid out in the treaty, the condition of the sea and diminishing populations of wild species show that this is not happening, Without a cohesive system of governance and compliance to make sure it is universally enforced, the law is ineffective. It is a guard dog with no teeth."
The cleaner our homes, clothes and bodies the sicker the seas. “Certain substances in everyday household [and cosmetic] products are are constantly washed down drains, into rivers, and eventually into the sea, harming or killing marine life.” Watch out for products that contain harmful chemicals, micro plastics or carry a label that says ‘harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects’ (how crazy to even produce such products).
A single drop of sunscreen can contaminate six and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. Especially sunscreens that contain ‘the dreadful duo’ oxybenzone and octinoxate. Look out for reef friendly sunscreen instead – it’s not only better for the ocean bit also for your body. A lot of the chemicals that are in chemical sunscreen have been proven to be carcinogenic amongst other harmful things.
The high seas are unowned territory – this is both a blessing and a curse. The high seas are great stretches of open ocean, deep sea, and seabed lying beyond the exclusive economic zones of coastal states. They make up almost two thirds of the world’s oceans and cover nearly half of Earth’s total surface area (about 45 percent). […] The high seas and their bounty are a commons resource: the “common heritage of humankind.” They belong to no one, yet in a sense they belong to everyone. This is the paradox that has led to the environmental crisis facing the wilderness of plenty.
The most pressing risk to the sea is political and institutional inertia. People all over the world, however, use something called the public trust doctrine, which is embedded in the constitutions of several countries including Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and many others, to take legal action against their governments. The doctrine entrusts governments with managing natural resources and the commons in the best interests of their citizens: the ones alive today and those who will live in the future.
There are core four international crimes under the Rome Statute. These include crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression, war crimes, and genocide. A growing number of people want to add ecocide to the list. Ecocide is the serious loss, damage or destruction of ecosystems. Read more about it here.
Farmed salmon has been described as the most toxic food in the world. And it is also one of the most damaging foods in production. Did you know that the salmon farmer can select the shade of orange/pink that the salmon steaks should have? Because of the way these animals are being treated their flesh would otherwise be grey.
Consuming warm water shrimp means clearing lands of mangrove forests. Mangrove forests are massively overlooked habitats that are amongst the Earth’s most productive and complex ecosystems. Initiatives such as the Mangrove Action Project and the Global Mangrove Alliance (a partner of the WWF) and others are working to reverse the loss of mangroves.
When waters are left unfished and undisturbed, sea life can mature, breed, and become plentiful again, and the recovery of habitats and depleted populations of wildlife can be remarkable.
Models for self managed responsible fishing do exist (it originated in Fiji in the 1990s). In the UK this has been proven by the fishing community in Lyme Bay where fishers collaborated with ocean conservation group BLUE to tackle overfishing by creating rules that would safeguard the fishery longterm.
This book was full of facts, actions, links and incredible information. We highly recommend reading it, even if you have missed the book club!
Our next book club is a special one: Play by Dr. Stuart Brown + a workshop with Lucy Hawthorne
About the book:
Beyond play’s role in our personal fulfillment, its benefits have profound implications for child development and the way we parent, education and social policy, business innovation, productivity, and even the future of our society. From new research suggesting the direct role of three-dimensional-object play in shaping our brains to animal studies showing the startling effects of the lack of play, Brown provides a sweeping look at the latest breakthroughs in our understanding of the importance of this behavior. A fascinating blend of cutting-edge neuroscience, biology, psychology, social science, and inspiring human stories of the transformative power of play, this book proves why play just might be the most important work we can ever do.
About the workshop with Lucy Hawthorne:
Lucy is a campaigner at heart, using facilitation to help organisations committed to social justice and sustainability to boost their impact.
Before shifting to full-time facilitation, she worked for well over a decade in the UK NGO, charity and community sectors, specialising in campaigning and influencing. She worked right across the board, with organisations of all sizes and with all kinds of social and environmental focuses. In 2020 her work was nominated for Voluntary Sector Campaign of the Year for leading a sector-wide collaboration to successfully ban fracking (PRCA Awards).
Over the years she realised she was way more intrigued by the psychology of change, and what motivated and moved people, than the actual work of doing to persuading and influencing. She made the shift to facilitation with a focus on working with organisations where her campaigning mentality adds a level of depth and impact to strategy work.
In this workshop Lucy will help uncover our different play personalities and how we can apply those to our individual and collective climate action. Trust us, it'll be fun!
Join us for the discussion and workshop on the 26 of September at 7PM (BST) – all tickets are donation based.
Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter. If you want to join us for one of our upcoming events, make sure you follow us on Eventbrite or Meet Up. If you have any questions please add a comment to this post, DM or send us an email to hello@andthefuture.com
Lisa & Tash ✨