“I used to be an ad man. I spent 10 years in advertising, working at some of the top London agencies. Over time, you realize you’re having these conversations about toilet rolls, and it’s heated debate. And it’s about selling four-ply toilet tissue rather than three-ply. And you go, ‘I’m sure there’s something better I can be doing with my life.’” (Richard Vevers)
Did you know that in the last 30 years, we have lost 50% of the world’s corals? I didn’t. I have always loved the ocean. I have so many fond memories from my childhood there. I’ve probably been to the ocean 20 times, but I always come back for more. So, when I saw this documentary about coral reefs on Netflix, I knew I wanted to watch it.
To be honest, this was not very easy for me to watch. Because I love the ocean so strongly, hearing statistics and seeing photos of its plight really made me sad. It also made me a little angry. Why would humans be so disrespectful of this beautiful natural resource? As Chasing Coral points out, a healthy ocean is essential to a healthy planet. The ocean controls our climate, our weather, and even the air that we breathe. A continually thriving ocean is the only way for us as humans to ensure any quality of life.
As a whole, this documentary opened my eyes to multitude of issues, including the effects of human pollution and global warming on the delicate systems of coral reefs. The documentary was an hour and half long, and I honestly feel like I could write 20 of these blog posts and still not cover every issue that they did. So, for the sake of coming across clearly, I’m just going to focus on a few points that really stuck out to me.
One of the things that shocked me the most was that very few people actually know how much trouble the ocean is in. That’s why I think that Richard Vevers’ point of view on the whole situation is so fascinating. As a former ad man, he argues that what the ocean needs is better advertisement. Maybe, if people were more aware of the problems plaguing the ocean, they’d be more cautious of the way that they live their lives.
This is precisely why he began documenting coral reefs all over the world, using an underwater camera called Catlin to produce 360-degree images every 3 seconds. He published these images in a Google Earth type of format, allowing anyone with access to the internet the opportunity to go on a virtual dive. While this was helpful, it still didn’t manage to bring light to the problem: it peaked public interest in coral reefs, but didn’t explain how these reefs are dying all over the world.
So, with the help of some other scientists, Vevers began to make a comparative analysis of coral reefs in the late 20th century to now (an average time difference of 40 years). I am not going to go into too much detail about this second part of Vevers plan, because I want to encourage you to go watch this documentary for yourself. I promise, it will be an hour and a half of your life that is well spent.
This article brings up a very interesting point. Your point about how few people actually know about how much trouble the ocean is so true. I grew up in the Midwest where people vacation at the beach every year, but very rarely think about how the ocean is more than a place to visit for fun. The idea that the ocean needs "better advertisement" makes a lot of sense. When people view the ocean only as a vacation spot, and only think about it when it's time to plan their next summer trip, they forget the ocean's importance to life around the globe. People need to be made aware that our every day actions affect our ocean and subsequently life on earth. The beach isn't just a place to vacation, but it is a vital part of our world. I am curious to see how Vevers plan to educate people about the ocean will turn out.
ReplyDeleteOh man! I wanted you to keep writing. This feels like a cliffhanger. You really captivated me with that introduction, and now I feel like I could read a whole paper on this.
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