Sep 20, 2022

Impactfully No. 10: Upstream for oceans

Plastics and other debris ride the currents out to the Pacific Ocean until they become trapped in the vortex. Do we work on cleaning up the mess that's there, or do we look upstream to address how plastic ended up in the ocean in the first place?

There's a lot of trash in the ocean, and I can think of few problems as well-designed for upstream thinking.

Take the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for example. Plastics and other debris ride the currents out to the Pacific Ocean until they become trapped in the vortex. Do we work on cleaning up the mess that's there, or do we look upstream to address how plastic ended up in the ocean in the first place?

This question has parallels in other social impact areas as well.

Take the food banks for example. Handing out food to those who need it is important, though it doesn't address why someone can't afford food in the first place. We're not addressing the root cause, and the root cause is where sustainable impact originates.

That said, I'm a firm believer that we need solutions throughout the entire pipeline. With problems of this scale, we have to work everywhere.

This week's reads are meant to highlight work in oceans, rivers, and environmental policy that impacts ocean conservation efforts at multiple stages. That includes you and me: one way to make a difference is to reduce the amount of plastic in your consumer diet and seek out biodegradable options when you can. Voting with your wallet makes a difference – demand is its own form of change management.

- Greg (@gregrancourt)

P.S. Interested in a particular type of job or topic? DM me on Twitter or send us an email at hello@onework.co with your suggestions!

In this issue:

Cleaning up the world's waters
Eliminating single-use plastics
Restoring the coral reefs
Find a meaningful career

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This week's reads

Oops, cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was probably a bad idea

Big efforts to pick up plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can harm sea life and produce carbon emissions. This article is worth reading for a more nuanced take on ocean conservation efforts.

How three companies are cleaning up the world's plastic-choked rivers

Every year, up to 2.97 million tons of plastic enter the ocean through rivers. Here's how companies around the world are trying to clean these rivers up.

Biden administration announces new ocean conservation proposals

The Biden administration announced a raft of ocean-related conservation efforts on World Oceans Day, including ending the use of single-use plastics on federal lands and a proposed marine sanctuary off the coast of New York.

Ralph Pace tells ocean conservation story through photos

Photojournalist Ralph Pace shows how scientists are helping turtles, swordfish and other marine life.

Reef restoration

In addition to ocean cleanup, some organizations are working to restore coral reefs damaged by human activity and global warming. One of the methods used to repair coral reefs is to submerge structures on which new corals can grow – such as the ones shown below in the Maldives.

Global warming is particularly damaging to corals, since many can only sustain a fluctuation of a few degrees Celsius before bleaching. When they do, it can take decades to recover.