Rio Plus 20 Archives - Mission Blue

Blog Archives

Sylvia Earle’s clear message: Act now to save our oceans

Courtesy of Oceans Inc.
June 21, 2012

Speaking at a roundtable with world governments in the Rio+20 process, world renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle urged world leaders to act now to save our oceans.

“I was here 20 years ago, we all hope to be here in 20 years. This is an historical occasion. Will we look back and lament on what we didn’t do?”

“For the first time we are empowered with knowledge we didn’t have 20,50 or 1000 years ago. This could be a true turning point, whether we act on that knowledge or neglect to take action. Technology and science make it clear our planet is not too big to fail. There are limits to our life support system.…

Posted in Dr. Sylvia Earle, High Seas Alliance, Ocean Elders, Rio Plus 20 |

1 Comment

Ocean Dialogues – Taking a Moment for the Fish

Dr. Earle shared with us a moment from the Ocean Dialogues of June 19th in Rio.
“One panelist, concerned that fishing interests were under-represented, asked that anyone in the audience who made their living as a fisherman to stand up. No one did, and he made his point.  So I asked if all of the fish in the audience would please stand up.  We were determining their fate, after all, but I didn’t see them at the table. Only on the table. Later, the fish-man and I shook hands and agreed that we need to listen to both the fishermen and the fish.”

 …

Posted in Dr. Sylvia Earle, Earth Summit, High Seas Alliance, high seas MPAs, Rio Plus 20 |

1 Comment

Oceans Inc. on Alternative Summit at Rio Plus 20

Ocean campaigners have been disappointed by the lack of progress for the High Seas at Rio Plus 20. But although it is difficult to make changes made at the higher political level, there is hope found in grassroots levels upwards to policy makers. Says Charlotte Smith of Oceans Inc., “One of the biggest messages to come out of the summit is that public education and awareness is crucial to forcing policymakers to up their game in the future.”…

Posted in Dr. Sylvia Earle, Earth Summit, Rio Plus 20 |

Leave a comment

Ocean in Google Earth Makes a Splash in Rio

In an interview with Charlotte Smith of Oceans Inc., Dr. Sylvia Earle and Maria Montoreano of Mission Blue describe the exciting new features soon to be unveiled in the Ocean in Google Earth. In the next year, plans are in place to roll out Spanish, French and Portugese versions of the free download from Google Earth to bring this exciting tool to a greater worldwide audience.
Said Dr. Earle, “Fifty years in the future it will be too late to take action that we now can take to stabilize the planet in a way that is favorable for us.”  The Ocean in Google Earth can make a difference in how the world perceives the ocean, giving those who otherwise would not be able to explore the depths of the ocean first hand a chance to appreciate it’s beauty, fragility, and it’s crucial role in maintaining the health of our planet.…

Posted in Dr. Sylvia Earle, Google Ocean, Rio Plus 20 |

Leave a comment

Oceans Panel with Dr. Earle LIVE Tuesday A.M.

Be sure not to miss the Oceans Panel, broadcast live from Rio Tuesday morning on the UN Live Webcast channel. The Oceans Panel will be moderated by Philippe Cousteau of CNN with Sylvia Earle, Jean Michel Cousteau, Asha De Vos and other ocean luminaries.  Live broadcast from 10AM-12:30PM EST, 7AM-9:30AM PST. The program will be also recorded for later viewing.  We send our thanks to all of our friends who are working hard in Rio to move towards a positive result for the blue heart of our planet. Click below for a direct link.UN Live Streaming Webcast plus recorded sessions…

Posted in Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Google Earth, Google Ocean, Oceans Panel, Rio Plus 20 |

Leave a comment

Rio Plus 20 ~ Weekend Wrap-Up & What comes Next

Photo: Asha De Vos

This weekend at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, valuable dialogues and in-depth negotiations continued in the lead up to the arrival of heads of state and other government leaders later this week. Attendees gathered to talk about the future of our oceans, coasts and Island States. A full schedule of the day’s events, is at this link.
The main outcome of Oceans Day at Rio+20 was the Rio Ocean Declaration, which attempted to address priority action items for oceans and coasts, both at the Rio+20 Conference and into the future. The Declaration will be submitted to approximately 130 world leaders attending the summit from Wednesday to Friday. 
The day culminated in the first e-Awards to acknowledge those that have most affected social change and sustainable development in the 20 years since the first Earth Summit at Rio in 1992.…

Posted in Dr. Sylvia Earle, Earth Summit, Google Earth, Google Ocean, Ocean in Google Earth, Rio Plus 20 |

1 Comment

We've Updated Our Privacy Policy

Read our new privacy policy here.