Search

SeaVoice Publishes New Annual Book by People Who Live, Work and Survive by the Ocean

We are an online community created around a smart and easy to access information hub which is focused on providing proven global and local insights about sustainability

17 Jun, 2024

This post was originally published on Eco Watch

SeaVoice — a nonprofit digital platform that amplifies the voices, activism, research and artwork of those who live, work and survive near bodies of water — has announced its first book: SeaVoice Annual: Issue 01.

The annual — endorsed by the United Nations Ocean Decade Network’s Cultural Heritage Framework Programme — is a curated collection of 20 stories representing 16 countries.

“Through my research in ocean conservation I became frustrated with the lack of stories being told from the perspectives of the people who work and live by the ocean every day,” said SeaVoice founder and editor-in-chief of the annual Dr. Georgia Holly, who is program manager for the Cultural Heritage Framework and a marine archaeologist and biologist at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh, in a press release from SeaVoice. “Scientific stories are important, but only within the greater context of coastal community culture and heritage. Where can we hear about ocean culture, customs, art, and story-telling, as part of research and advocacy? If we, as scientists, really want to incorporate diverse ways of knowing into our research, first we have to make space, and listen.”

The selection of narratives from 2023 and 2024 was launched on World Oceans Day at the UNESCO Ocean Literacy World Conference in Venice, Italy, and at the Change Oceans Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica.

“Through thought-provoking articles, captivating stories, and insightful narratives, SeaVoice sheds light on the intersection between the ocean and culture, inspiring collective responsibility for our blue spaces,” the press release said. “With a focus on the key global challenges of the UN Ocean Decade, SeaVoice emphasises the importance of understanding the complex interplay between culture, heritage, and the environment in tackling the pressing issues we face today.”

The SeaVoice annual begins with a foreword by Dr. Sylvia Earle, a world-renowned marine biologist and oceanographer with Mission Blue, and Dona Bertarelli, a Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist with Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy.

“In a world where the health of our oceans, rivers and lakes is rapidly declining, SeaVoice amplifies the voices and stories of people inspiring action to protect and restore these precious environments. By sharing the stories and work of individuals who have a deep connection to bodies of water, SeaVoice seeks to instill a profound appreciation for their significance,” the SeaVoice Mission states.

The stories for SeaVoice Annual: Issue 01 were selected from SeaVoice’s trio of digital volumes: Community, Osmosis and Gen Sea.

They include stories of initiatives like community-led filmmaking in Madagascar, coral restoration led by women in Indonesia and shark fishers who have become conservationists in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Divers in the Maldives clean coral frames with toothbrushes. Zachary Wong / SeaVoice

“SeaVoice tells stories that explore the collision of culture and climate with our ocean, rivers, and lakes, amplifying voices of the people who work, live, and survive by bodies of water,” Earle and Bertarelli wrote in the print edition of the annual. “We invite you to read with an open heart and mind, to learn from those whose voices have too often been silenced or ignored, and to join us in our mission to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for our ocean, and therefore for life on Earth, humankind very much included.”

A Vezo fisher in southern Madagascar sorts her catch of sea urchins. Amber Carter / SeaVoice

In part two of the SeaVoice annual, Emma Segarino, president of the Ocam-Ocam Women Managed Area Management Council, wrote of the journey to protect the marine environment near their community in the Philippines.

“I’m pleased to see the changes happening in a place they once didn’t want to protect, to a place where I see fewer illegal fishers. I know they’re beginning to see the beauty I’ve been striving to create here in Ocam-Ocam. I’m happy that someday we’ll all come together, united and cooperative, for the betterment of our community. I won’t give up on this, for as long as there’s life, there’s hope. With patience and hard work there will be a bountiful harvest in due time, and everyone will rejoice in the collective triumph,” Segarino wrote.

Dr. Easkey Britton, a writer, surfer, marine social scientist and blue health advisor to nonprofit Liquid Therapy, spoke of the connection to the ocean that can be found through surfing.

“Something remarkable happens when we come into direct physical contact with saltwater. Immersion in the sea is to feel transported to elsewhere, as if moving through a portal to another world — not only moving from the solidness of land to the fluidness of water but also moving from the ‘head’ into the body. It’s this, I believe, that offers such healing potential — restoring lost connections, bringing us back home to ourselves, to inhabit not only our bodies more fully but the world,” Britton wrote.

Not only does the SeaVoice annual’s content support the ocean and its advocates, it is printed on paper that was locally sourced and bound between responsibly sourced seaweed covers.

“We cannot present a human experience of the sea without painting a portrait of the richness and resilience of different cultures. Both sea and culture are tapestries woven by collective experiences, traditions, and beliefs, and it is through these tapestries that we can gain a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of humanity and the environment,” Holly wrote in the print edition of SeaVoice’s annual.

The limited edition first printing of 500 copies of SeaVoice Annual: Issue 01 is available here.

“My hope is that we will come to understand our interdependence with watery places and beings, and to sense and feel the aliveness of these connections. To feel that we too are water,” Easkey wrote in the print edition.

The post SeaVoice Publishes New Annual Book by People Who Live, Work and Survive by the Ocean appeared first on EcoWatch.

Pass over the stars to rate this post. Your opinion is always welcome.
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

You may also like…

Bee Hotels Can Help Native Pollinators Recover in the Wake of Climate-Fueled Wildfires: Study

Bee Hotels Can Help Native Pollinators Recover in the Wake of Climate-Fueled Wildfires: Study

Wild pollinator populations are declining all over the world, with increasingly severe climate change-fueled wildfires threatening their survival. These intense wildfires are also putting long-term ecosystem health and biodiversity at risk. Bee hotels are artificial nesting structures that have been specially designed to house cavity-nesting species. Often placed in backyards or gardens, they provide safe […]
The post Bee Hotels Can Help Native Pollinators Recover in the Wake of Climate-Fueled Wildfires: Study appeared first on EcoWatch.

ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB has gained Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) status for its Gearless Mill Drive (GMD) ring motor — technology used to drive large grinding mills in the mining industry.

An EPD is a standardised document that provides detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. Based on a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, the EPD highlights ABB’s commitment to transparency, environmental responsibility and supporting customers in making informed decisions on sustainability in their supply chains.

ABB analysed the environmental impact of a ring motor across its entire life cycle from supply chain and production to usage and end-of-life disposal. The study was conducted for a ring motor of a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill with an installed power of 24 MW and was based on a reference service life of 25 years.

“Sustainability is at the core of our purpose at ABB, influencing how we operate and innovate for customers,” said Andrea Quinta, Sustainability Specialist at ABB. “By earning the Environmental Product Declaration for our ring motor, we emphasise our environmental stewardship and industry leadership for this technology. We adhered to the highest standards throughout this process, as we do in the ABB Ring Motor factory every day. This recognition highlights to the mining industry what they are bringing into their own operations when they work with ABB.”

The comprehensive LCA was conducted at ABB’s factory in Bilbao, Spain, and was externally verified and published in accordance with international standards ISO 14025 and ISO 14040/14044. It will remain valid for five years.

The ring motor, a key component of the GMD, is a drive system without any gears where the transmission of the torque between the motor and the mill is done through the magnetic field in the air gap between the motor stator and the motor rotor. It optimises grinding applications in the minerals and mining industries by enabling variable-speed operation, leading to energy and cost savings.

The full EPD for the ABB GMD Ring Motor can be viewed on EPD International.

0 Comments