Ocean Conservation and People’s Passion
As a Marine Scientist, I was trained to analyze the Ocean using numbers and statistics from an objective point of view. Science is nothing without being objective, meaning we scientists do not let our own beliefs get in the way of our scientific results. We ask a question, we develop a hypothesis (a statement that we determine whether it is true or false), we test the hypothesis, and we make our conclusions from our results. We don’t add our love for the Ocean because the results cannot be biased. It’s what makes our scientific results true because it is absent of bias…for the most part.
So I’ve never really been to keen on the fact that people try to protect pieces of Ocean, or Ocean in general, by telling decision makers their personal stories and demonstrating their passion for the Ocean….scratch that, I didn’t understand why people did it. Until last night…
Something Happened To Me Last Night That Changed My Outlook On Ocean Conservation
I attended a City Council meeting in Burlington Ontario, Canada, where I live to advocate, along with 30 of my neighbours, for a bridge to be repaired instead of torn down to allow access from our neighbourhood to the rest of the city.
The City ended up voting in our favour only after we told our personal stories and showed our passion for keeping our neighbourhood connected and environmentally friendly (walking access keeps us from using our cars).
Last night’s event made me realize how important passion and personal connection is to things that matter to us, like the Ocean and its Conservation. It’s what makes Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Wallace ‘J’ Nichols, and Jean-Michel Cousteau so loveable; and it’s what made me start SpeakUpForBlue.com!
We all have a passion for Ocean Conservation and we need to express how we are personally connected to the Oceans to connect with decision makers how important it is for us to conserve our Ocean.
Check Out These Similar Posts
About the Author: Andrew Lewin
Andrew Lewin is founder of Speak Up for Blue and an active Ocean Scientist. He started Speak Up for Blue because he wanted to make sure people got the best news, solutions, and conservations stories that were out there as opposed to the mainstream Ocean News out there today. Andrew wants to help you become an Ocean Leader and change the way the world treats our Oceans
