- The Ripple
- Posts
- The Ripple - July 2023
Happy #PlasticFreeJuly from The Ripple, a monthly newsletter by FutureSwell, designed and updated specifically for ocean people. Every month we consolidate the latest blue news, exclusive internal announcements, and share job and internship opportunities for you to take action. We're stoked to announce new partnerships, plans, and resources for YOU this month.
But first, we joined threads, like the rest of the world.
Plastic Free July!
We are raising awareness for #PlasticFreeJuly, a global movement aimed at eliminating and reducing single use plastics from entering our world’s diverse environments - and what upstream solutions really mean.
We have a few resources for you to learn more be part of solutions:
Ebook for A Beginner’s Guide To a Low Waste Home - Get started on plastic free living on this room by room guide
Un:touched, our short film on how plastic pollution has reached the worldʻs most remote island chain
Break Free from Plastic, a global organization with actions you can take today
Lessons from Plastic Free July
Under the Hood: What's New?
Why we need more ocean podcasts
In this new episode of the Sustainability and The Sea podcast we sit down with Andrew Lewin, the host of @howtoprotecttheocean podcast. His channel is one of the first conservation media outlets using podcasts to discuss important scientific communication, policy, and ocean conservation for the last decade.
Blue News
Deep Sea Exploration & Ocean Gate
As many of you know this past month was marked by the disappearance of the OceanGate commercial submarine exploring the Titanic. This submarine unfortunately ran into severe complications resulting in casualties for all of its passengers. Most small submarines are used by marine biologists to explore remote regions on our planet at the bottom of the ocean, often discovering new species every time they submerge. We need safe, sound deep sea exploration to better understand the deep sea and protect it.
Man and Dog Rescued After 3 Months at Sea
Australian man Timothy Shaddock and his dog Bella were rescued July 18th after spending 3 months adrift in the Pacific ocean! They were spotted by Mexican tuna fishers 1,200 miles from land and quickly recovered and taken to a hospital. They both survived eating raw fish and drinking rain water after a large storm damaged his catamaran weeks into his voyage from La Paz, Mexico to French Polynesia. Doctors said both he and his dog had stable vitals, attributing their survival to his fishing skills and experience on the water. Read more.
UN Fights Plastic Pollution & Human Rights
The UN has begun a movement to end plastic pollution while simultaneously protecting the human rights of those in Asia and Pacific regions experiencing greater exposure. Only 9% of plastic produced in the region is recycled leaving the rest to pollute landfills, water resources, and natural landscapes. This notoriously impoverished region is also responsible for almost half of the world’s total plastic productions which explains why this issue is so important to the UN’s new goals. Read more.
Not to mention epidemiologist Shanna Shawn has recently published troubling correlations between plastic consumption and reduced fertility in mammals, echoing the phrase promoted by the American Plastics Council as, “plastic is the 6th basic food group”.
Fights Continue AGAINST Deep Sea Mining
International delegates have been in Jamaica discussing the fate of deep seabed mining as the International Seabed Authority. They are determining if DSM will continue with or without regulations. During the two weeks of negotiations, multiple countries and industries have join the fight AGAINST DSM, either in support of a 10 year moratorium or advocating to not pursue mining without more information. Big stakeholders, including Final, Portugal, Ireland, and the Pacific tuna industry have all joined, as a result of meetings there, on the ground action coordinated by conservation groups, and emerging research from this summer from Dr. Diva Amon.
Itʻs important to remember that The Metals Co is pushing for deep sea mining as a necessary evil for electric batteries, yet batteries can be made today without any precious metals. Letʻs not let corporations justify continued exploitation in pursuit of profit. Weʻve succeeded for now. The fight continues, stay engaged on ways to get involved with our friends at Look Down Action and the Oxygen Project.
Ocean Careers
Blue Advice, featuring curated advice, strategies, and resources specifically designed for those of you interested in building a career for our ocean. Here are some places to start, and keep asking your questions on our other platforms so we can give you all the answers you need.
Join Alex at a Climate Conservation Conference!
Attending conferences is one of the BEST ways for early career focused conservationists to establish a network of like minded connections leading to future career opportunities. We have all attended many conferences in our careers where you will not only meet leading professionals in your field, but also learn considerable information on current projects.
@futureswell Regardless if you are early career or already established, conservation conferences are always a joy to attend and teach you so much. Last... See more
Blue Opportunities!
Our goal is to get as many people as possible involved in marine conservation.
JOBS - LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
Hawaiʻi Nei
Beyond Hawaiʻi
INTERNSHIPS
Community Action Alert:
Hawaiʻi Reef Fish Management
The Division of Aquatic Resources for the State of Hawaiʻi is accepting public comment on new regulations for Hawaiʻi reef fish, like parrotfish (uhu), and Kona Crab. Now is the time to speak up and provide input on the rules BEFORE they are official. We need more involvement in this process to protect our ocean - please share your support for these amendments before itʻs too late!
