Grounds for Optimism in Conserving our Planet

Ever looked into the eye of a humpback whale? Many of our members did on Tuesday night at our virtual reality lounge! This set the stage for an evening of discussion and inspiration around our planet’s most important ecosystems: oceans and tropical forests. Nishan Degnarain and Meg Caldwell shared a conversation about oceans and Enrique Ortiz discussed tropical forests with Rhett Butler. If you missed it, you can still catch it on video at our Facebook page here.  For a recap of what we learned, read on.

      Photo Credit: Tom Tomkinson         

Pressures on the Ocean

Our experts aligned on the biggest pressures to ocean health today: climate change, overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction. These pressures mean a warming and more acidic ocean increasingly filled with debris and chemicals that are threatening coastal and underwater life, like coral reefs and mangroves. But not only that, they are threatening the food security and livelihoods of billions of people who depend on the ocean for food and jobs.

Compounding these ongoing issues is the backsliding of protection in the U.S. Describing it as “a direct siege on our coasts,” Meg noted the current federal Administration’s plans to open federal waters to offshore drilling and threats to the policy that helped many U.S. fisheries recover (the Magnuson-Stevens Act). The time to act on this is now.  Fortunately, both Nishan and Meg had ideas for how to reverse these negative trends and restore ocean health.

Photo Credit: Tom Tomkinson                           

A Sustainable Ocean Economy

Hailing from Mauritius, Nishan shared that while the landmass of the island is small, their ocean resources are immense, 4x the size of France! He worked within government to create the first Ministry of Oceans to explore how they could use their underwater resources in a sustainable way. Expanding that beyond Mauritius, Nishan and Meg explored the feasibility of a sustainable “blue economy.”

In some cases, we already know how to achieve a blue economy. Meg shared that the world knows the solutions for sustainable fisheries, but needs the political will to implement them. The Monterey Bay is a bright example of how an ecosystem and fishery can be brought back from the brink to become a thriving source of biodiversity and economic income. Local advocacy at all levels, from the city to the federal, is needed to prevent backsliding in the U.S. and ensure more “hope spots” like the Monterey Bay.

But what about new business models that value our oceans? Nishan suggested a Central Bank of Biodiversity that can ensure the economic benefits derived from discoveries related to, for example, the biodiversity off the coast of Mauritius, confer back to those nations or communities who are preserving biodiversity. As Meg said “we can use our ocean resources, but we can’t use them up.”

A Deeply Rooted Challenge

Tropical forests are immense carbon sinks, second only to the ocean. But the loss of tropical forests has become so extensive that more carbon is being released by tropical deforestation than all the world’s cars and trucks combined. Rhett and Enrique pointed out cattle ranching, palm oil, soy, paper and wood products as well as illegal gold mining as key causes of deforestation. But underlying the products being produced on cleared land, issues of weak governance, corruption, and increasing consumption, particularly for growing urban markets, are the root causes of deforestation.  

The looming trade war between the U.S. and China could have a very serious impact on deforestation, Enrique shared. China is the #1 importer of soy and the U.S. is their second largest supplier.  As tariffs on soybeans rise, China will likely seek cheaper alternatives from Latin America, where soybean cultivation is a key driver of deforestation.

Photo Credit: Tom Tomkinson     

Towering Opportunities

But lest you sink into despair, the evening’s resounding message was that of hope and opportunity. Enrique reminded us that 80% of the Amazon rainforest remains intact. Brazil has demonstrated remarkable results: deforestation has been reduced by 70% in the Brazilian Amazon since 2005 while agricultural productivity has increased. How did they do this? Pressure on soy and beef industries, in particular, led to greater market responsibility. The government also dramatically increased protected lands, particularly those managed by indigenous communities.  And “radical transparency”, as Rhett termed it, allowed the government and communities to monitor the forest and track illegal activities. This provides valuable lessons and models for areas like Indonesia and Malaysia where deforestation rates remain on the rise.

Both our ocean experts and forest experts emphasized the transformational role that technology is playing, from satellite imaging to audio sensors. We can now track and monitor ocean and forest health and activity like never before. The power of the private sector to drive change was also discussed. Once businesses realize their very success depends on sustainability of how they use resources, change can ensue. These companies are susceptible to public pressure, which stands out as an opportunity for consumer education and action.

A Personal Challenge!

The Battery made an exciting statement of its commitment to change during the evening: all plastic straws will be eliminated from the property in favor of paper straws available upon request. With straws as one of the top 10 items found during beach cleanups worldwide, this is a simple step our community can take to make a difference. Additionally, paper will be switched to post-consumer recycled and/or Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper going forward. Colleen Gregerson, Executive Director of Battery Powered, put out a challenge to all the members to commit to one change in their lives and to come back ready to share that during Organization Night on May 23rd (RSVP here!).  So what did our experts recommend?

• Be informed! In addition to the Battery Powered issue brief, follow Mongabay news coverage on environmental issues.
• Do you eat a lot of beef? Cut back on beef consumption, one of the leading causes of tropical deforestation.
• Commit to sustainable seafood only. You can look for Green or Yellow flagged fish per Seafood Watch.
• Change all your paper products to post-consumer recycled paper and FSC certified products.
• Eliminate straws, plastic bags, and other single-use plastic items from your routine.

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