Goal 7: Development Matters:  Ensure environmental sustainability: Water

Bob Evans of the Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences brought together ocean advocates Sylvia Earle and Jean-Michel Cousteau to talk about the state of the ocean and what we can do to make a difference. "The divers voice is an important voice " This conversation took place while the two were attending the Blue Ocean Film Festival in Monterrey, California August 2010. Uploaded on May 18, 2011

Plasltic doesn't decompose but breaks into fragments. 46,000 per square Km of plastics across all the seas.  What is killing our birds and how does this effect us? Published by the GoodPlanet Foundation, a non-profit organization set up by Yann Arthus-Bertrand in 2005, seeks to educate the public and raise awareness of environmental protection. In 2005 it was recognized as a public-interest foundation, enabling it to put its activities on a long-term footing.

The GoodPlanet Foundation advocates a lifestyle respectful of the Earth and its inhabitants.

Oceans are silently choking on our plastic waste. Plastic and synthetic materials are the most common types of debris in our oceans and are having horrific impacts on marine wildlife and systems. As an island continent "girt by sea" marine debris is of particular importance for Australia. Creatures get entangled in plastics and drown and ingested concentrated toxins from plastics pose a threat to the health of the food chain. Plastics also transport and introduce species into new environments. Anja Taylor catches up with the CSIRO research team spearheading the Marine Debris Survey, a world first study of the plastics around our coastline. Published on Sep 9, 2012 Published by ABC Catalyst.

Marine Debris.

In this episode of OCEAN HEROES, Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen of 5 Gyres Institute explain: WHAT IS A GYRE? Learn more about how you can help protect our oceans at One World Oceans. Visit our special collection, Plastics in Our Oceans and find 5 Gyres Institute's documentary, Plasticized. Uploaded on Jan 12, 2012

Animated story of plastic garbage floating on our oceans and its impact on us and our environment. UpGyres works to stop plastic from getting into the ocean by promoting to reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, rethink and upcycle plastic waste on land.

Upcycle the Gyres Society (UpGyres)is  a not-for profit organization in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

Howard Lack CEO of the documentary project, Plastic Oceans talks about his fundraising activities for increasing awareness of the plastic polluting our oceans, particularly the tiny bits and pieces.   He references UNESCO leaders and the naturalist David Attenborough who believes "when people are aware of the problem they want to solve the problem."  What the film project focuses on is increasing awareness.

Howard was interviewed in the Fall of 2013 in San Francisco, California by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv, Voices of Sustainability.

Howard Lack, CEO of Plastic Oceans in this interview talks about the film project Plastic Oceans has undertaken with the objective of increasing awareness of the plastic that is in our oceans negatively effecting our wildlife and the health of humans, especially our children as plastic moves through the food chain.  This is a cause Mr. Lack is passionate about as you will hear as he discusses the role of plastic toxins on developing nations; the importance of accepting personal responsibility; the development of solutions to the problems; and recognition of plastic, when properly recycled, as an energy source. Plastic Oceans provides a powerful and effective platform campaigning for, supporting and funding targeted solutions aimed at significantly reducing plastic pollution in the environment. 

Steve Russell, VP Plastics Department, of ACC Plastics notes we all agree that plastics should be used wisely to begin with, reduced when possible, and recycled when finished. Goodwill among all the "sides" to this issue gives him confidence we will succeed.