The Youth Poster Contest, with the theme of “Wind Ship – The Future” will launch it’s public voting campaign on World Ocean Day. We will have a virtual launch event with a presentation about the exciting wind propulsion developments in shipping by the Secretary General of the International Windship Association, interviews with a number of select jury members about sustainable shipping and the contribution that can make to help regenerate our marine environment. We feel that this poster contest is an inspiring way to get young people engaged in the decarbonisation work underway in commercial shipping but also in the wider oceans and climate agenda through the very visual lens of wind propulsion.
Winners of the contest will be announced just ahead of the critical International Maritime Organisation (IMO) final negotiations for the decarbonisation targets and strategy for the shipping industry in early July.
The Life and Times of Jenah is a 2D illustrated animation video aimed at placing the viewer in the shoes, or rather the fins, of a fish that uses all three tropical marine ecosystems within its life cycle. Growing up, she encounters new ecosystems, meets new friends and faces human-induced threats.
This video was funded by the North American Environmental Education 30 under 30 Changemakers Grant and the Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) AdvocaSEA grant while the launch was funded by the The Oxford & Cambridge Society of Malaysia.
Please email reefstakes@gmail.com if you wish to attend.
Our organization, Eyesea, seeks to emphasize the scale and nature of marine pollution and to create a unified strategy on how to solve it by mapping and analyzing marine pollution through crowdsourced geotagged images through the use of our app, Eyesea.
We’re on the early stages of the development of the app and we seek your cooperation in mapping marine pollution (especially if you are living, frequently visiting, conducting research, or conducting initiatives near coastal areas; for seafarers, if you are at sea). The information you will be providing will be available for everyone to see anywhere around the world (including government bodies, authorities, researchers, environmentalists, students, leaders, etc.). If you wish to report plastic pollution in your cities, communities, or anywhere, you can use the app as well.
It’s as simple as SNAP and MAP! Let’s help save the planet together!
Moreover, in preparation for your activities leading to the World Ocean Day on June 8, we invite organizations to indulge their volunteers and members in utilizing the app to level up cleanup actions from a band-aid solution into a pollution trend analysis by mapping the litters and saving them to the app as historical data.
If you have any questions, drop as an email at info@eyesea.org or at karljapethgrosal@gmail.com
#Protect30x30ByMappingPollution
Invite children (aged 8-14) to participate in the League for Green Leaders, an engaging online climate-action competition where they play to learn, play together, and play for our future. With learning-by-doing, children grow the agency of climate action and become leaders for our future.
Teachers and parents can use the League program as an engaging introduction to climate education. This League competition consists of fun-packed daily activities that align with standards and curricula used in primary schools. Children will be interacting with the award-winning iBiome learning games, building 10 virtual aquatic ecosystems, earning badges and gaining points by finishing their daily activities (both online and offline), and collaborating with teammates to compete for the top positions in the leaderboards for best projects and smallest carbon footprint. They track their daily eco-friendly choices and as their lifestyles become more sustainable, they will gain CO2e savings, and observe the collective impact they can make with other young green leaders.
Join teachers, parents and children all around the world to take action this World Ocean Day for “One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together”!
The Fourth Session Ocean Protection Action – Go! Coral Guardian
Time span: From World Earth Day 4.22 to World Ocean Day 6.8
Key participants: World Ocean Day, ISPO, Adex diving expo, China water sports administration, and China association for Scientific Expedition
Key organizer: iLab, SSI, eXtremeSPACE, and 1%OCEAN
Key initiatives:
1. Environmental Protection Education on World Earth Day
2. Ocean Protection Advocation by Global Environmentalists
3. Coral Loving Oath by Friends of World Ocean Day
4. Coral Guardians Summoning @eXtremeSPACE
5. Coral Planting on World Ocean Day
Join us for the official disclosure and handover of the “It’s Bluedy Time Europe” consultation results to the European Parliament President Ms Metsola (to be confirmed) with the presence of key Ocean Members of the European Parliament, representatives from political parties, representatives from the EurOcean’s Youth network, NGO members from the Blue Up 2024! coalition as well as citizens. On this occasion, we will hand over our top 10 demands and close to 400 contributions we received in the first phases of the campaign. Check www.oceanvoice.eu for more information.
The Blue Up 2024! campaign is a European campaign which aims at putting Ocean protection on the agenda of candidates running for the 2024 EU elections and of European decision-makers during the next EU mandate. #BlueUp24.
What is this campaign about?
This campaign is all about strengthening and consolidating European policies for the protection of the Ocean. It aims at offering EU citizens and civil society organisations who care and act for the Ocean the possibility to express their views on Ocean protection before we will reach out to political parties and candidates running for the 2024 EU elections. We want to put ocean protection at the centre of the European agenda ahead of the next elections and during the next EU mandate.
Context
This campaign is taking place one year ahead of the next EU elections. They are the largest transnational elections in the world. At these elections, we will elect the new Members of the European Parliament.
The European Parliament is the only directly elected EU institution and every 5 years we have the chance to select the 750 MEPs who will represent us and help decide what kind of Europe we have. They adopt measures and amend policies that affect EU’s seas and coastlines.
Key campaign messages
Whether the EU keeps pushing for strong environmental issues or not, greatly depends on how the Parliament is set up and who is at the top of the European Commission. Therefore, only if we have institutions that consider the seas and the ocean as a priority, will we see changes on their protection and restoration.
The coming years will determine the future of our planet. The EU will make important decisions on Ocean issues, and we don’t want to leave these matters in the wrong hands.
- Our Ocean makes our Life on our Blue planet possible
- And yet, our Ocean is in peril: plastics and chemical pollution, loss of species, sea and coastal damage, etc.
- A protected Ocean is the solution to the problems we face.
- Helping the Ocean is helping our future and people.
Read the Blue Manifesto, our 2030 vision for healthy seas to know more.
Exciting news from the Blue Standard by Oceanic Global.
A first of its kind cross-industry standard by Oceanic Global, the Blue Standard (Blue) empowers industries and businesses of all sizes to achieve measurable impact that protects our blue planet and establishes universal accountability for sustainable business leadership.
Learn more about the Blue Standard and their other exciting announcements here
The Blue Directory is a free and global database of restaurants, hotels, events, festivals, businesses, products and more who have been awarded Blue Verification by Oceanic Globals’s sustainability standard.
Explore the Blue Directory here
If you care about environmental issues and want to make a difference in your community, Bow Seat invites you to participate in the Fellowship Grant Program! The Fellowship is an initiative created and led by the Future Blue Youth Council (FBYC), a diverse group of Bow Seat alumni working together to empower their peers to advocate for a healthy, sustainable, and equitable future.
The Fellowship Grant Program provides mentorship and funding of up to $2,500 USD to youth leaders who are developing projects that address environmental challenges in their local communities
Benefits:
- Grant Money: selected fellows will receive a grant of up to $2500 USD to fund their environmental projects
- Networking: access to a community of other grantees
- Mentorship: fellows will be mentored and supported by the Future Blue Youth Council
Application process:
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and interested applicants are requested to fill out the online application form
The selection committee will review your application, conduct interviews (if necessary), and make final decisions within approximately one month of receiving your application.
Applications will be evaluated based on how well the project:
- Aligns with the Fellowship Grant Program’s goals;
- Demonstrates issue knowledge;
- Is thoughtful in its approach;
- Is realistic in its goals (which includes the demonstration of an appropriate budget and timeline); and
- Is likely to result in measurable impacts.
You can find the necessary resources to apply for the program on our Resource studio
Eligibility:
- This program is open to young people worldwide ages 13-22; however, applications must be in English.
- Proof of age, identity, or eligibility may be required.
- Applications may be submitted by an individual or by a group of unlimited size. Groups must select one group leader to serve as the primary contact.
- Only one application per student is permitted. However, students may submit to other Bow Seat programs such as the Ocean Awareness Contest.
- New or emerging projects or organizations less than two years old that address environmental issues
Contact
For more information or queries please contact the Bow Seat team at futureblue@bowseat.org or contact over social media handles @fromthebowseat
We have published several educational materials about our activity The sense of water: a journey from prehistory, which we carried out in September 2022, about a research and scientific dissemination work on the identification of aquatic species in the rock art of Iberoamerica, many of them in danger of extinction.
The Materials derived from the project are posters with species identification, a virtual visit to the exhibition “The sense of water”; and a book for the general public about the project.
We also have posters and activities for children.
Greenpeace USA calls for Biden Administration Leadership as the Final Round of Global Ocean Treaty negotiations stall
Hundreds march for the oceans in New York; photos and videos will be available here.
NEW YORK, NY (August 18, 2022) – Today, Greenpeace USA sent a letter to the Biden Administration asking them to send high-level representation, such as Special Envoy John Kerry or a Cabinet Member, to the stalled negotiations for a Global Ocean Treaty happening at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Hundreds marched in the streets of New York with Greenpeace USA to demand that world leaders protect the oceans we all depend on.
Shaama Sandooyea, an activist from Mauritius who spoke at the rally, said: “In Mauritius, we’re already feeling the impacts of the ocean crisis. We need action now, but negotiations are moving at a glacial pace. Delegates just aren’t recognizing the urgency of the situation. Instead of trying to find common ground on the more difficult issues, they are wasting valuable hours debating minor points that were put to bed decades ago. They’re failing me and my community.”
The letter from Greenpeace USA states: “There is a desperate need for senior political figures to weigh in and accelerate this process, lifting proceedings out of purely technical, circular conversations and bringing matters to a close.”
Civil society and several member states, including France, have voiced concern that instead of treating the negotiations with the urgency required to adopt a strong Global Ocean Treaty this August, delegates have instead reopened old debates on long-settled issues such as the conservation purpose of marine protected areas (MPAs). Delay has also occurred as some countries of the global North, including the United States, have refused to make concessions to meet the needs of the Global South on key issues relating to equity.
Arlo Hemphill, the Senior Oceans Campaigner with Greenpeace USA who is attending the meeting, said: “If we don’t get a Treaty in 2022, it will be practically impossible to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. Scientists say this is the absolute minimum needed to protect the oceans. But instead of acting with the necessary urgency, delegates are behaving like we have another decade for them to keep talking about this. We don’t. Time is running out for our oceans. We need a strong Treaty to be finalized at these negotiations. Governments should heighten their ambition to conclude this negotiation by sending minister-level officials to the second week of talks to get us over the finish line to secure a strong Treaty.”
For these negotiations to be considered a success, the Treaty must set as a primary objective the establishment of a global network of ocean sanctuaries (or MPAs). Supporters of the treaty hope that it will provide a first-ever legal framework for the protection of biodiversity in international waters, including the creation of ocean sanctuaries, environmental rules, and the application of Environmental Impact Assessments preceding any human activities on the waters that make up nearly half of the planet.
Similar letters have been sent by other Greenpeace offices to their respective governments, urging them to send high-ranking ministers to the second week of talks.
At the march on Thursday, Shaama Saandooyea and other representatives from Nigeria, Mexico, Mauritius, and Thailand gave powerful speeches to the marchers, sharing their perspectives on the ocean crisis, which is already harming their communities, and calling for more urgency to ensure a strong Treaty is finalized in 2022. The lack of high-level ministerial engagement in negotiations has slowed down progress in the talks, with only one minister attending talks so far, from France.
A lack of political prioritization remains the key sticking point responsible for the delay, and delegates are not acting as though they have a mandate to conclude proceedings in the next two weeks.
Anta Diouf, a fish processor from Senegal, said: “I am sad that I cannot participate in the Global Ocean Treaty negotiations because my visa was not processed quickly enough. I would have liked to participate in this meeting to tell governments of the need to protect the jobs of the women fish processors and ask for better protection of the oceans, and to share our desire to support the project of protecting 30% of the oceans of the world.”
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Contact: Tanya Brooks, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 703-342-9226, E: tbrooks@greenpeace.org
James Hanson, Global Media Lead, P: / +44 7801 212 994, james.hanson@greenpeace.org
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
NEW YORK, NY (August 15, 2022) – Today, delegates from around the world will begin the fifth and final round of negotiations for a Global Ocean Treaty at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. After decades of human activity pushed the ocean to the brink of collapse, the outcome of this meeting represents the international community’s last chance to achieve a meaningful global commitment to save them.
If a strong Global Ocean Treaty is not finalized in New York, it will be essentially impossible to deliver 30×30 – at least 30% of the oceans protected by 2030. Scientists say this is the absolute minimum required to give the oceans space to recover. 49 countries have committed to delivering an ambitious Treaty in 2022.
Arlo Hemphill, Greenpeace USA Sanctuaries Project Lead, said from New York: “As these delegates meet, the oceans continue to decline. Overfishing, destructive fishing practices, plastic pollution, and climate change are weakening the systems we depend upon. We can no longer afford the delay and inaction that have plagued these talks for over a decade. Now is the moment to set aside the politics, special interests, and inertia and approve a truly transformative Treaty that provides the strongest possible protection for the ocean. I urge these delegates to get this done – for every life on Earth.”
On the eve of the final round of negotiations for the Treaty, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York was lit up overnight with massive projections showing the beauty and fragility of the oceans. The visual spectacle created by Greenpeace USA featured marine life calling on humans to share the oceans with them responsibly and sustainably by finalizing a strong Treaty.
Aakash Naik, Greenpeace International Head of Communications and Engagement for the Protect the Oceans campaign, said: “The oceans support all life on earth, but centuries of neglect have pushed them into crisis. The strength of the new Global Ocean Treaty will decide whether we can fix this crisis or if we will continue with the broken status quo. That’s why we’ve lit up the Brooklyn Bridge, turning this iconic New York spot into a monument to ocean beauty.”
Laura Meller of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign said from New York: “These negotiations are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect the blue part of our blue planet. The oceans sustain all life on Earth, but for too long, we’ve neglected them. Delegates must finalize a strong Treaty this August. A weak Treaty, or any further delay, will maintain the broken status quo that has pushed the oceans into crisis.”
Awa Traore, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Africa, said from New York: “Governments have been discussing a Treaty for two decades. In that time, the oceans have lost so much, and communities which rely on ocean resources are struggling. Here in West Africa, we’ve already seen fish stocks severely depleted by industrial fishing vessels, often from Europe, and this is already harming livelihoods and food security across the region. Any further delays would be a slap in the face to all who put faith in political leaders keeping their promises. Delegates must follow through on their governments’ commitments, and finalize an ambitious Global Ocean Treaty now.”
In the two decades since a Treaty was first discussed, more than 100 marine species have become critically endangered. Industrial fishing pressure now covers at least 55% of the global oceans, and the climate crisis continues to damage the oceans’ ability to regulate our planet’s climate and temperature. And just this month in Kingston, Jamaica, governments were negotiating rules that could allow the launch of deep sea mining by July 2023, contributing to the further degradation of the already stressed oceans.
To be considered a success, the meeting must deliver a Treaty that:
- Sets as a primary objective the establishment of a global network of Marine Protected Areas.
- Allows states, through a Conference of Parties (COP), to establish ocean sanctuaries, free from destructive activities like fishing and deep sea mining.
- Allows the COP to make decisions by vote when a consensus is not possible.
- Defines Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to allow for the creation of fully and highly protected areas, which are most cost-effective.
- Allows the COP to decide whether activities such as fishing are allowed or prohibited in MPAs, without deferring to existing bodies.
- Allows the COP to adopt interim or emergency measures to protect an area pending the establishment of an MPA.
On Thursday, August 18, Greenpeace offices, frontline communities, artists, and activists will hold a rally outside UN headquarters to celebrate the world’s oceans and demand that world governments make history by protecting them.
For projection visuals, please see here.
For ocean visuals, please see here.
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Contact: Tanya Brooks, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 703-342-9226, E: tbrooks@greenpeace.org
James Hanson, Global Media Lead, P: / +44 7801 212 994, james.hanson@greenpeace.org
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.