Episode 059: Meet Sylvia Earle- A National Geographic Society Resident Explorer, Oceanographer, Author, Lecturer, and “Oceandiver”

The Oceanriders Podcast

Dr. Sylvia Earle is a National Geographic Society Resident Explorer, Oceanographer, Author, Lecturer, and “Oceandiver”. She was awarded “Her Deepness” by the New York Times magazine for her amazing underwater expeditions. In September 1979, Dr. Earle set the world record for untethered diving. In 1990-1992, she became the first woman to serve as the Chief Scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). And in 1998 she became the first female resident explorer at the National Geographic Society. Dr. Earle’s achievements are truly beyond counting, however one of her most notable contributions was helping others become aware of the importance of the ocean to earth and everything in it, including us.

This week, Dr. Earle shares her interesting action-packed journey in the deepest, darkest, and coldests part of the world- the ocean. She also shares how we, humans, have assisted in changing the nature of nature, how this society is encouraging disruptive behaviours, and what obligations we have towards planetary health. Dr. Earle has founded Mission Blue with the aim to help the world move from decline to recovery. The goal is to protect 30% of the ocean waters by 2030, and expand this campaign until the ocean and everything in it is secure. Tune in and find out how this is being done through HOPE Spot projects and what you can do to actively support earth’s rehabilitation and transformation.

The earth is not a supermarket. We used to get our needs from our environment for free, but not anymore. We are paying dearly for the years of exploitation done through the devastating effects of climate change. Discover what superpower is in your disposal right here and now to impact nature and make this world a better place!

Highlights:

• 04:32 Meet the Queen of Ocean Divers
• 11:29 Ocean Health Update
• 16:05 Nature is Not a Supermarket
• 22:31 The Ocean’s Worst Enemy
• 30:28 Mission Blue
• 40:09 Grab the Chance to Make a Difference
• 47:54 Work with the Natural Systems
• 54:28 Protect the Earth
• 58:29 Take Care of the Planetary Chemistry

Resources:

Book

• National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey by Dr. Sylvia Earle

Today's guest is the Queen of Oceanriders. Her name is Dr. Sylvia Earle. And if you've been to National Geographic documentaries, you're bound to have seen her exploring the deep seas in neoprene or some kind of futuristic submarine. In fact, for me, Sylvia is practically a member of my family. My kids used to watch her Nat Geo documentaries, so her soft voice has always been a soothing soundtrack to my early years of parenthood. You may recognize her voice from the documentary Seaspiracy where she played a major role in explaining why we need to protect our ocean creatures. Dr. Sylvia Earle has studied the deep sea and its creatures from the day she dipped her toes into the ocean as a child. She's been the first woman to break world records in the deep with either special diving suits she designed, submarines she built, or by living in underwater vessels for weeks. For making submarines to charging the ocean floors of Google Earth, Sylvia has been involved in every possible way. But Sylvia's life didn't start exploring oceans, she's actually held positions of US administrations, and she regularly meets with world leaders. So all I can say is, it's a true honor to have Sylvia visit me on The Oceanriders Podcast.

“Protect what remains of the natural world and do everything you can to give back to restore what's been damaged and lost. Do it as if your life depends on it, because it does!” -Dr. Sylvia Earle

Sylvia still spends most of her time in or under the oceans, writing books, or running her nonprofits, Mission Blue, which is helping achieve the goal of protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. Sylvia joins me today in this episode to talk about her latest book, National Geographic Ocean, a sea Odyssey that came out this week. But I must admit, we do get a bit sidetracked and explore some fascinating details of Sylvia's life. So if you love the ocean, you'll adore Sylvia.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

Take care, have fun, and enjoy the waves.

Ciao,

Imi

Connect with Dr. Sylvia:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest

Quotes:

• 10:50 “Humans have had such a profound impact on the nature of nature.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 12:41 “We do have superpowers, but the greatest superpower is knowing. It's only right about now that we are beginning to understand the consequences of our actions and are motivated to do something about it.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 16:05 “We do know what to do, it's just having the will to take this seriously… The reality is, we cannot do it in 24 hours but we certainly can not wait any longer..” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 19:30 “Nature is a library. It should not be regarded as a supermarket.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 23:13 “With a billion dollars, we cannot make even one tuna. We need to think differently about the value of the ocean to our existence and the value of life in the ocean.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 29:10 “Viruses don't care anything about our art, or music, or our desire to live. We're just a habitat.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 30:49 “We can be right now, that powerful generation. What we do or fail to do will determine the future of life on Earth, ours very much included. We can be that agent of change.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 39:22 “Nature keeps us alive. How much of your heart do you want to protect?” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 40:56 “Look at the everyday decisions that you make. You've got a chance to make a difference!” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 41:21 “We're paying dearly for our lack of understanding, but there's no excuse anymore. Now we know.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 45:42 “Ocean is where the action is.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 47:19 “Get out there and start protecting what we love the most- the oceans and life itself.” -Imi Barnaeud
• 49:21 “We are connected to not just life on earth as it currently exists, but life on earth as it has existed through all previous history. We're the beneficiaries of this long history that has shaped Earth into a habitable spacecraft.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 51:32 “The words respect and dignity are closely aligned. And they are absolutely vital to finding our way going forward.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 52:26 “A wave doesn't happen with a single drop of water. It takes a lot of troughs of water to make a wave. And here we are!” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 54:31 “Protect what remains of the natural world and do everything you can to give back to restore what's been damaged and lost. Do it as if your life depends on it because it does!” -Dr. Sylvia Earle
• 55:43 “Act as if you are able to make a difference because you're the only one who has control over you.” -Dr. Sylvia Earle

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