Keeping our planet safe

To kick off BC’s Green Week in April, legendary oceanographer and activist Sylvia Earle spoke about her book The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One, the title of which describes the cause that has driven much of her impressive work throughout the years. In addition to her highly distinguished academic research and government service, Earle is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Time magazine’s first Hero for the Planet, and the founder of Mission Blue: The Sylvia Earle Alliance. The Winston Center collaborated with EcoPledge and BC Dining to bring her to campus.

As Earle began her address in McGuinn Hall, she reflected on Boston College’s deep roots, beginning with its founding in 1863. “None of us were around in 1863, maybe some of us were around in 1963, most of you are likely to be around in 2063,” she said, going on to suggest that we are all part of a continuum, and that what we have today is a result of everything that has come before.

Earle said that today, with modern technology that no one could have dreamed of years ago, we have developed an even greater capacity to get outside of our own skin and think about the past, where we come from, and where we are going from here. From her perspective, it is our duty as a global society to consider these questions in relation to the Earth and its oceans. In reference to her book, Earle said, “The world from afar is blue; up close most people don’t see it that way . . . but we’re coming around to the awareness of how important the blue is to everything else.”

After discussing the current state of ocean wildlife, she declared that humans must be smarter and more mindful consumers of it. Despite a dawning realization that our actions can cause significant harm to the Earth’s water and air, Earle said, we still cling to destructive “policies, habits, and mindsets that were born of a different time” and that don’t match the new reality.

So, “What are we going to do about it?” Earle asked. She considers the biggest problem facing us globally to be profound, widespread ignorance about why nature really matters everywhere, all the time. “We can and we must, if we’re going to have success as a species, pay attention to the evidence and not say ‘it’s his responsibility’ or blame the government, but look at what you do every day and be a part of doing the right thing.” Keeping the planet safe should be our highest priority, Earle said, so what are we waiting for?

Caitlan Griffith, Winston undergraduate assistant