Solutions
October 17, 2017

"Soul of the Sea in the Age of the Algorithm" is a new book by Dr. Gregory Stone and Nishan Degnarain, produced in association with World Ocean Observatory Publications. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill outlines the book and explains the ways in which it provokes the imagination, reveals the advantages of new technologies, calls for creative and talented young people to apply their knowledge and skill in the ocean world, and provides an optimistic platform for a future sustained by the capacity of the ocean.

October 10, 2017

This week on World Ocean Radio: part three of a multi-part series on the Arctic. In this episode, host Peter Neill discusses the melting of sea ice, its causes, the adaptation of native Arctic people, and the potential for future exploitation and passage as sea ice continues to recede.

October 2, 2017

This week on World Ocean Radio: part two of a multi-part series on the Arctic. In this episode, host Peter Neill examines the Finland chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2017-2019), outlines their statement of intent, speculates about why the Finland approach is so different from past agendas, and ways in which their innovative approach may make it possible for them to succeed for the Arctic.

September 25, 2017

This week on World Ocean Radio: part one of a multi-part series on the Arctic. In this episode, host Peter Neill examines governance, oversight, resources, and the conditions and challenges facing the Arctic. He describes the work of the Arctic Council, an eight-nation consortium with jurisdiction in the region, and outlines the processes and responsibilities of stewardship by those member nations.

September 11, 2017

Natural forces unleashed an epic scale of destruction on Houston and surrounding areas of Texas. Built upon consumption, unmitigated growth, and fossil fuels, critics now point to the consequences of development based on an outdated paradigm. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill asks, “What are the questions we should be asking, and what are the lessons to be learned from this catastrophe?” and he suggests a new, reorganizing principle on which to rebuild, one that redesigns in the face of a changing climate future, and one that manages growth and treats water as an asset, not an enemy.

September 5, 2017

In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill shares a technology first developed by a team of scientists from MIT and UC Berkeley that could radically change the world by mitigating the global water crisis.

August 28, 2017

After a recent three-week sailing voyage in the North Atlantic, host Peter Neill returns to World Ocean Radio to share observations from being in a distant ocean environment, and how important it is for us to commit to action for protection of the natural places that improve and sustain us.

August 21, 2017

After more than 430 episodes of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill takes this week to outline what the World Ocean Observatory does, and the ways in which we reach people around the globe through various programs, social networks, and our vast website of educational resources.

August 14, 2017

The Chicago Ship Canal is a major feat of civil engineering, and has been controversial and problematic since the beginning. Pollution from an ever-growing human population, the added demand for increased ship and barge traffic, and the introduction of Asian carp into the waterway in the 1970s have posed increased challenges and new threats both upstream and downstream. In this episode of World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill outlines the present situation and the expensive, multi-year plan to restore a natural barrier that was destroyed more than 100 years ago.

August 7, 2017

Since the creation and ratification of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), many international experts have debated how best to create a binding instrument to address marine areas outside of national jurisdiction—the high seas. In this episode of World Ocean Radio we detail the complex and time-consuming process of creating, coordinating and implementing international ocean policy. And we hail the work of the many people who contribute to building an effective, practical, and applicable agreement for the benefit of all.

July 31, 2017

Summertime along the coast offers us the opportunity to reflect on why the ocean matters, and its importance in our lives. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill shares insights from the great American naturalist and author Rachel Carson, by reading from her seminal book "The Edge of the Sea."

July 24, 2017

An innovative company in Iceland has developed a product from fish skin to treat chronic wounds so that new skin can grow. Called Omega 3 Wound, developed by Kerecis Limited, and approved by the FDA, this product illustrates that we have the capacity to use 100% of the fish, thereby maximizing the value of the catch and accelerating economic opportunity around the globe.

July 17, 2017

As Finland begins to outline its Arctic Council agenda for the next two years, Russian involvement and investment in the region continues to grow at a fast pace. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill explains Russia’s history in the Arctic and their present and future interest, centered primarily on the extraction of oil and mineral resources. And he cautions that Russia, with their advantage to the region via fleet size and access, shows little concern for the consequences of the inevitable negative outcomes from increased exploitative activity.

July 10, 2017

The ocean is continually and exhaustively over-exploited: over-fishing by international fisheries, sand mining for construction projects and artificial islands, coral reefs and marine species for medical advances, and deep sea mining for minerals. In this episode of World Ocean Radio we discuss the controversial Solwara One project proposed by Nautilus Inc. for mining minerals offshore Papua New Guinea. We share outcomes from the Nautilus Annual Meeting and read a selection of comments from community members opposed to the project.

July 4, 2017

Age old discoveries and scientific advances have long dispelled the belief that the earth is flat. Recent technological advances have moved recorded data into third dimension visualization, yet today we continue to depict and understand the world in two dimensions. In this episode of World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill asks us to consider how we might add dimension to our ways of thinking in order to fully understand and interact with Earth's dynamic systems.

June 23, 2017

As a follow up to a World Ocean Radio episode from mid-May, we offer an overview of the Ocean Conference in New York last week which sought to reach outcomes toward sustainable development goal (SDG) 14: to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. And in this episode we encourage all listeners to become agents for change by choosing one ocean issue and investing talent and action toward a solution.

June 20, 2017

At the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York in June, each attending delegate was presented with a new book by co-authors Dr. Gregory Stone and Nishan Degnarain. “Soul of the Sea in the Age of the Algorithm, How Tech Start Ups Can Heal Our Oceans,” surveys the evolution of ocean exploration and exploitation through three phases of global change. "Soul of the Sea" sets out just how grave the problems facing our oceans are, but also how solvable they can be.

June 12, 2017

Water conflict is nothing new. We have been fighting wars over the most valuable resource on the planet since thousands of years B.C. In this episode of World Ocean Radio we highlight the Pacific Institute as a provocative source of information about the world's freshwater resources, including a comprehensive chronology of water conflict complete with historical context.

June 5, 2017

On June 8th we celebrate World Ocean Day, a day to recognize our relationship with the ocean through global connection and stewardship. In this episode of World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill discusses what World Ocean Day is meant to do and will ask, "What does it take for the will of the people to coalesce around a single issue, to be informed and changed into a voice for change?"

May 30, 2017

In this week’s episode of World Ocean Radio we discuss the work of artist Jason deCaires Taylor, creator of underwater sculpture museums that explore the balance between society and nature and speak to how humans have affected the environment and our future place in it. His works, located in underwater museums offshore of Cancun and Spain, ask us to examine the transformations of nature and challenge our perspectives on life, community, identity, empathy, and understanding.

May 22, 2017

In this episode of World Ocean Radio we discuss some of the 2016 winners of the Movement for Change Initiative's "Lighthouse Activities"--some of most innovative examples of what people around the world are doing to address climate change and to benefit the planet.

May 15, 2017

On June 5th the United Nations General Assembly will convene for The Ocean Conference in New York City to set objectives, cultivate partnerships, and build consensus for the further implementation of sustainable development goal 14—Life Below Water. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill describes the sustainable development goals and lays out the plan for this major four-day event and the final report which will follow as an agenda for targeted success by 2030.

May 9, 2017

We are living in a time of great environmental, social, and political change, and our outdated ways of living and governing are failing. The 21st century is crying our for invention and innovation. One such provocative idea is the evolution toward governance and management around eco-regions such as coastal zones, watersheds, deep ocean, and more as a way to shift our approach for the future. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill breaks down the concept of eco-politics: new practices, laws, energy, and education designed to bring about a more successful response to the challenges of this new century, and beyond.

May 1, 2017

Arctic ice is melting at record levels, revealing an ocean open and vulnerable to enterprise and extraction. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill suggests that the Arctic be treated like the Antarctic-—a place for research and conservation rather than one of exploitation and exhaustion.

April 24, 2017

China is the world's largest consumer, producer, and exporter of every fish species caught by their vast industrial fishing fleet, at a rate on track to decimate the global fish supply in the not-too-distant future. Indifference to treaty quotas, illegal species catch, fishing outside of national jurisdiction, and other government sanctioned activities have propelled China to the status of largest consumer of natural resources on the planet. In this episode of World Ocean Radio we report on the problems generated by an insatiable appetite for fish, regardless of the global consequences.