Rowan Byrne, a Marine Biologist and Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, will discuss ocean plastics, explaining their impact on marine life and civilization. His extensive career includes shark research, sea turtle conservation, and pioneering satellite tracking of leatherback turtles from Dominica to Ireland.

As Marine Plastics Lead for Mott MacDonald, Rowan drives global research and solutions for marine plastic challenges. He champions collaboration with industry and governments to integrate environmental considerations. His work earned him the IEMA Sustainability Leader of the Year Award in 2020 and media recognition for installing Seabins at Howth Harbour.

This talk was given at a TEDx event. Learn more at ted.com/tedx.

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Martin Putschek, founder of Swimsol (2012), developed SolarSea™, the world's first commercial modular marine-grade floating solar system. Inspired by the Maldives, Swimsol provides solar energy to islands with limited land.

Swimsol's innovation replaces island diesel generators with clean solar. With 55 employees, Swimsol has completed projects in Maldives, Indonesia, Malaysia, and is expanding.

This talk was presented at an independently organized TEDx event. Join the event: tedxtuwien.at, facebook.com/tedxtuwien. Video production: Daysatreef, Ape House Studios. Learn more about TEDx: ted.com/tedx.

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Published on June 18, 2015, by Democracy Now, this report covers Pope Francis's encyclical on the environment and climate change. In the encyclical (available to download here), Pope Francis called for urgent action to protect the planet, urging leaders to hear "the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor." He emphasized a moral imperative for all to safeguard the environment, advocating for a shift from a "throwaway" consumer culture in rich countries and an end to attitudes that prioritize profit over the common good. A key theme is the disparity between rich and poor, with the Pope noting the vast difference between those in "desperate and degrading poverty" and those with excessive possessions.

The discussion features Naomi Klein, author of "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate," who was invited to speak at the Vatican's "People and Planet First: The Imperative to Change Course" conference. Also joining is Nathan Schneider, a columnist at America magazine, a national Catholic weekly published by the Jesuits.

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour, airing weekdays on over 1,300 TV and radio stations. Their livestream is available Monday through Friday, 8-9 am ET.

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A DREAM - Get Ready by Dave Courchene I had this dream last night. I was speaking to this man and telling him what I was told by the Grandfather. I told him, “The Grandfather spoke directly to

A DREAM - Get Ready by Dave Courchene I had this dream last night. I was speaking to this man and telling him what I was told by the Grandfather. I told him, “The Grandfather spoke directly to me and said: ‘You were told many years ago that there would be great changes coming to the Earth. As you were told, we prepared you with the spiritual teachings of your ancestors.’ ‘We were preparing you so you could live on the land. To live on the land you have to live from the spirit. Well that time is very close and there is no time to waste. Get the things you will need to survive on the land. Get axes, and the other things and tools you know you will need to live the most simple life, away from the technology that is destroying the water and the land.” I see many changes happening already, and I wondered how severe these changes are going to be in relation to the current lifestyle we are living. I realize that the current path we are on is not one that treats all life in sacredness. The Earth continues to feel the brunt of our selfishness and greed. When we reflect on the current world conditions, there is no doubt of a need for a major change – the need to change our current attitudes, to values that support life. A change is needed to be more kind, more compassionate, more giving and sharing. We were told of a time that is coming where the Earth would give birth to a New Life. The Earth would go through pains of labour while the vision of the New Life, brought by the Great Spirit, was growing in her womb. We were told long before the arrival of the newcomers in our homeland that there would be people coming from the many different lands of the Earth. They were brought here by the Great Spirit to come and learn, and be reminded of their true spiritual identity and purpose as human beings, which is to love and take care of each other and the Earth. All human beings were given original instructions, complete with values, duties and responsibilities that we are supposed to fulfill. There are those amongst our Nations as the Original People who have stayed faithful and true to our original instructions. It would be these few who would be propelled into the forefront of a movement, offering a leadership of sharing that knowledge. We are living in a time that we need a vision of hope based on values and teachings that can set the foundation for a change of heart. It is the spirit of these seven animals that we call upon to teach and remind us of the Seven Sacred Laws, beginning with the law of Respect – to be a giving and sharing people, following the example of the buffalo who gave its whole being for the life of the people. Love – is about loving the Great Spirit, loving the land, loving ourselves in the way we were created, and loving each other in the highest way, as the eagle brings vision that is always based on love. The essence of love is understanding, with empathy and compassion. Through the unconditional love of the Great Spirit, we have all been given the ability to have vision, and to make our visions come true. Courage – is living from the heart, and having the courage to be ourselves. It takes courage to do the right thing for the sake of the children, the way a mother bear would die before seeing harm come to her cub. Honesty – is being honest with ourselves, speaking and living our truth from the heart. Honesty is refusing to lie or engage in gossip about others. Honesty is being true to our words. Honesty is never judging or condemning others, but to speak well of others, honouring their uniqueness within the human family. Wisdom – is about using the gift the Great Spirit gave each of us to serve, and to build a strong family, community and Nation. Our gifts do not belong to us as individuals, but belong to all the people, to serve the good of the Nation. If the beaver did not use his gift to build, his teeth would grow long and he would die. Similarly if we do not use our gifts in a good way for the benefit of the Earth and the brothers and sisters of our nations, we too would die spiritually. Humility – is about showing gratitude for life received, never overstepping the natural laws of Mother Earth. Humility is to know that not one of us is ever above or below our fellow human beings. We are all equal in the eyes of the Great Spirit. There is so much we can learn from the wolf. The teaching of humility is especially important for the leaders of our Nations. Our motherland is referred to as Turtle Island. To know and live truth is to walk and live all the Seven Sacred Laws. Living truth means living in the spirit of Respect, Love, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility and Truth. It is when we live truth that we will know peace and find the truth of our humanity. When one is able to walk the spirit of these Seven Sacred Laws is when one becomes truly free, it is then that one receives the full support of the universe, and the forces of the Earth itself.

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The energy transition is critical, with the 2020s marking a decisive decade for climate justice. As fossil fuels peak, we must rapidly scale renewables, ensuring an equitable new energy economy. Visionary "green" entrepreneur Danny Kennedy, founder of New Energy Nexus, proposes a "3D" clean energy future: distributed, decentralized in ownership, and democratized in control, driven by global grassroots entrepreneurship.

Kennedy, a seasoned eco-activist and clean-tech leader, co-founded Sungevity and Powerhouse. He now serves as CEO of New Energy Nexus, a global nonprofit providing funds, accelerators, and networks to advance clean energy innovation and adoption worldwide.

Learn more at bioneers.org.

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COP26 aims for measurable progress in mitigation, adaptation, and finance, urging non-state actors, including businesses and financial institutions, to join the Race to Zero and set ambitious net-zero targets. Collaboration across governments, financial institutions, and corporates is crucial for achieving these transformations.

This event, held on Friday, November 5th, in Glasgow, convened leaders from government, finance, and corporate sectors. Participants examined current progress and discussed essential actions beyond COP26 to halve global emissions by 2030, foster post-pandemic recovery, and build climate resilience for communities and nature. Experts shared diverse perspectives on these critical challenges.

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Protein and its amino acids are a vital source to our human existence. But our reliance on animal proteins has strained their earth. In short – it isn’t sustainable in the long run. But how far

Protein and its amino acids are a vital source to our human existence. But our reliance on animal proteins has strained their earth. In short – it isn’t sustainable in the long run. But how far are you willing to go to help the earth? The answer has always been right in front of us – insect protein. With all essential amino acids, fibre, and lack of toxins, worms in particular are a favourite. Though not a common culinary choice, would you be willing to change your attitude to save the earth? Ilga Gedrovica is someone who cares about what we eat. After getting her PhD in Food Quality and Technology, Ilga started working closely with entrepreneurs and many new innovative foods products have been created together – cereals, fruit, berry and vegetable snacks, crispbread, bread pastilles, etc. As the result of her work, she was awarded the Latvian Academy of Sciences Award for “The Most Significant Achievement of Latvian Science in Practical Applications in 2015”. As an associate professor and leading researcher of the Faculty of Food Technologies of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Ilga analyses the characteristics of many different food sources, traditional and exotic. Her recent work may make some squirm – Ilga is exploring how various insects and larvae may be used to meet our dietary needs in the future. By examining the characteristics of similar products on the global market, she is discovering what Latvia could bring to the table in the future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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Business revolution: What is the membership economy? New videos DAILY: https://bigth.ink/youtube Join Big Think Edge for exclusive videos:

Business revolution: What is the membership economy? New videos DAILY: https://bigth.ink/youtube Join Big Think Edge for exclusive videos: https://bigth.ink/Edge ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I think that the membership economy is having as big an impact on business as the industrial revolution," says Silicon Valley consultant Robbie Kellman Baxter. Memberships or subscriptions fundamentally change the relationship between the consumer and the brand by delivering what Baxter calls a "forever promise." The famous example of Blockbuster vs. Netflix illustrates this perfectly. Subscriptions are not a new idea. Charles Dickens released his books to subscribers one chapter at a time, as he wrote them. What's different today is technology and the speed at which even a one-person business can reach a huge number of customers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROBBIE KELLMAN BAXTER Based in Silicon Valley, Robbie is the author of The Membership Economy: Find Your Superusers, Master the Forever Transaction & Build Recurring Revenue (McGraw-Hill 2015), andThe Forever Transaction: How to Build a Business So Compelling, Your Customers Will Never Want to Leave (McGraw-Hill 2020). Robbie’s expertise extends to include SaaS, media, consumer products and retail and community organizations. Clients have included Microsoft, Fitbit and the Wall Street Journal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSCRIPT: The membership economy is a term that I coined to describe what I was seeing starting about 15 years ago when I was working with Netflix and continuing into this massive transformational trend where companies of all types were moving from a model that focuses on ownership to access, from the transactional to the relational, from anonymous to known, from one payment to many smaller payments and from the organization talking at the customer and hoping they’re listening to multidirectional communication among customers and back and forth between the customers and the organization under the brand umbrella of the organization. So when you put all of those things together you have this kind of painter’s palette to reinvent your business model and that’s what’s driving this membership economy. So membership isn’t a new concept. We have been joining things for as long as there have been humans. We joined clans or tribes. We’ve had professional societies and trade guilds for centuries. Charles Dickens sold his novels in subscription format so people subscribed to have access and as he had the chapters done he would deliver them to his subscribers. So this is not a new concept, but what has changed is the ability to build a business model around it that transcends time and space. So Charles Dickens actually had to know the people he was delivering to, had to print it out, had to bring it to them. Today we can deliver it to strangers digitally and we can do it with time lapse. So that has created so many possibilities for organizations to build this ongoing relationship which is what people want. One example of the difference between a membership economy company and a non-membership economy company is the comparison between Blockbuster and Netflix. So when people, you know, way back when people used to have to go to the corner store to the Blockbuster on a Friday night to see what movies were available to rent, bring them home and it was never the movie that you really wanted. It was whatever happened to be available. And then if you forgot that you had it and you kept it for a few extra days the cost would end up being like triple what you thought it was going to be. And compare that to Netflix where they sent you three DVDs at a time, so three movies that you had on your long list, your queue. You didn’t have to leave your home. You always had three movies at home. And, best of all no late fees. So it’s a very different way of thinking about the model that starts with a forever promise. A promise of what it is that you really want to achieve. So in the case of Netflix versus Blockbuster, which was what really inspired me, what I wanted was to always have movies, professionally created content delivered in the most efficient way possible because I had little babies, with cost certainty – no late fees. And that’s what Netflix delivered on 15 years ago that pretty much put Blockbuster out of business. And today even though they have streaming, even though they create their own content, even though a lot has changed at Netflix they still deliver everyday on that promise of professional created content delivered with cost certainty in the most efficient way possible.

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