Sarah M. Winchester

Photographer, Graphic Designer, Interior Designer

I live blue™ because…
everything we do affects the health of our oceans. Even if you live in a landlocked town, your watershed eventually meets the sea. In turn the health of our oceans affect the health of our planet. Living blue and living green are interconnected, and for me there is really no other option. I want to be able to enjoy our planet and keep it healthy for future generations.

Why do you care about the environment?
As a photographer, nature lover and SCUBA diver, I see so much beauty in the world around me. As an artist, it is my muse. I am fascinated by the interconnectedness of of our actions and the environment, and want to make sure that beauty is conserved and survives.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I try to recycle as much as I can. I consider it a success, when my recycling bin, is fuller than my garbage. I also eat sustainable seafood. There are only so many fish in the sea and some fishing practices are quite harmful to the health of our oceans. I choose to eat only seafood which is caught or farmed in a manner not harmful to the ocean or the population of fish. Monteray Bay Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium have some helpful guides. They even have an App you can download for your mobile device. [Here is the New England Aquarium’s sustainable seafood list.]

See Sarah’s plot of ocean here.

Visit Sarah’s website here.

Read Sarah’s reports and see her photographs from the Bahamas Collecting Expedition here.

Carl Lamborg

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

I live blue™ because…
the ocean is in control of my life. Though I don’t see it every day, it has as much if not more impact on my life as the ground I walk on. For example, plants in the ocean make most of the oxygen I need to breathe…the ocean determines most of the planet’s weather and climate, delivering the rain needed to grow the food I eat.

Why do you care about the environment?
It’s where I live, where all the people I know live, and where everyone else lives. If you don’t care about it, you don’t care about yourself, the people you know and everyone else.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I try to think about the resources I use (energy and food) and the material I return to the land and ocean (wastes, fertilizers). So, I ride a bike when I can, eat local food when I can, buy local products when I can and take steps to make my house and life more energy efficient. I don’t fertilize my lawn and minimize the amount of detergents and other chemicals I use to keep house. Everything ends up in the ocean eventually, so the less of stuff you need and use, the “bluer” you will be.

See Carl Lamborg’s’s plot of ocean here.

John Mandelman

Research Scientist, New England Aquarium

I live blue™ because…
For as long as it is possible to remember, I have loved and appreciated the oceans - not for the enjoyment they provide, but also because the health of our world is incredibly dependent upon them. That has inspired the drive to do everything in my power to help protect them. Now, having young children, I feel even more compelled to do my part to protect the world of water, because at the rate in which mankind is inflicting harm on the environment, things will not be looking too good by the time my kids are old enough to truly appreciate it. I have also been fortunate enough to make a career out of it, so there are many incentives to do my part to help.

Why do you care about the environment?
We often take for granted how insanely lush and beautiful our natural world is; there is so much to cherish if folks actually stopped and took a look around. In that realm, I strongly believe in individual accountability regarding the environment. Similar to voting in an election, it is convenient for the average person to say “how does what I do as an individual even make a lick of difference?”. However, each person must take it upon him/herself to control what HE/SHE can do. That is the only means for success.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
My career is based on conducting research to better understand the effects of human impacts on inhabitants of the oceans. Such knowledge helps to inform policy, influence management and conservation initiatives, and educate the scientific community, students of various ages, and the public. I feel blessed that my career itself has a direct positive impact. Otherwise, I do my best to adopt and preach (to friends, family, colleagues, the public, etc.) environmentally/blue friendly actions - eating sustainable seafood, avoiding littering near ocean (or anywhere), driving less/walking more, eating meat and produce from local farms, being energy efficient at home and away, supporting and buying from green companies, etc.

See John Mandelman’s plot of ocean here.

Deborah Cramer

Author

I live blue™ because…
All life, including ours, depends on the sea. The ocean is our lifeline: we can’t live without it.

Why do you care about the environment?
For 3.8 billion years of earth’s history, the ocean has nurtured and sustained life. Most of us live away from the shore, far from the reach of the tides and the smell of salt spray, yet the sea is always with us. It provides the land we walk, fresh water to drink, half the oxygen we breathe, and many of the fossil fuels that heat our homes and businesses, and power our cars.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
Through my writing and talks, I invite people to explore the meaning of the sea in their lives, to reconsider our lost, but critical connection to the ocean. I believe that once we understand how the sea makes our lives possible, we will do what needs to be done to protect and restore it. At home, I forgo lawn fertilizers, eat less meat and poultry from large factory farms, and try to avoid products containing high fructose corn syrup. I’m remembering more often to shop with reusable bags. I drive less, and improve gas mileage by keeping the rpms at or under 2500. We’re doing an energy audit on our house to identify and seal air leaks, and we’re replacing clunker energy inefficient appliances.

Learn about Deborah Cramer’s writing here.

Explore the many ways the sea is always with us here.

See her plot of ocean here.

Emily Milinazzo

Aquarist, New England Aquarium

I live blue™ because…
I know that every effort counts in the fight to protect our planet.

Why do you care about the environment?
Growing up on the Maine coast I spent the majority of my youth outside. I developed a profound sense of respect and responsibility for learning and sharing knowledge of animal life and habitats.

Working at the New England Aquarium has given me the unique opportunity to teach our visitors about not only the marine environment, but the rest of the natural world as well. Once people start to understand this awesome planet, they feel connected to it and that connection is essential if we want people to care enough to take action in preserving the environment.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I make informed decisions at the grocery store; I always try to buy locally grown or produced items whenever they are available. I enjoy seafood so I always carry a pocket guide to sustainable seafood (available at the Aquarium, on the Aquarium’s website and there are even versions for smartphones now!). I always ask where seafood is from and how it is caught when I purchase fish or other seafood. This lets the restaurant (or fishmonger) know that there is an interest and need for sustainable options.

Read Emily’s blog entries from the Fall 2010 Bahamas Collecting Expedition here.

See her plot of ocean here.

Andrew Ference

NHL Hockey Player, Boston Bruins

I live blue™ because…
I heard a saying when I was younger and followed it. “We do not own the Earth, only borrow it from future generations.”

Why do you care about the environment?
Caring about the environment is natural and only recently people have gotten away from that. Past generations have seen the connection and as things industrialized we’ve lost that.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
I’ve created initiatives that make co-workers more aware of environmental issues and encourage them to limit their carbon footprint to be carbon neutral. This includes using offsets for airline trips during road games.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I ride my bike and try to save energy by composting, using alternate transport and using energy efficient appliances.

Check out Andrew’s profile on the Bruins’ website here.

Learn more about the National Hockey League Player’s Association Carbon Neutral Challenge here.

See his cube of ocean in the Bay of Fundy here.

Chris Bauernfeind

Senior Aquarist, Giant Ocean Tank

I live blue™ because…
I want the Earth to have a future.

Why do you care about the environment?
The environment is the backbone of the Earth. Without a healthy one, life will cease to exist. It is absolutely prudent that we as the apex predators protect it.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
One, I make as little trash as possible. I use a reusable mug for coffee each and every day and I always use my own bags when buying goods at stores. I recycle everything that is recyclable, even when it’s not convenient. Most recently, I began composting our kitchen scraps at home.

Two, I try to have a small carbon footprint. I use public transportation and walk or bike more often than I drive. I buy local produce through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and also keep a small community garden plot to limit the fossil fuels needed to get food on my plate.

Three, I spread the word that living blue is a smart thing to do.

Learn more about the Giant Ocean Tank here.

Read Chris’ entries on the Divers Blog here.

See his plot of ocean here.

Ari Daniel Shapiro

Independent radio producer

I live blue™ because…
our Earth depends on it.

Why do you care about the environment?
I’ve always cared a lot about the natural world. When I was little, I remember reading about the destruction of the rainforest and about the pollution we cause. I told my mom how sad I felt. She looked at me and said it’s okay to feel sad but that I need to do something about it. Something to help.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I spent many years learning about the ocean and the creatures that live there. These days, I tell stories about science and the ocean on the radio and using multimedia, teaching others about what our planet has to offer us. I also bike wherever I can, recycle and compost, and talk to others about the importance of our behavior and choices, and that doing little things for the environment add up over time. It’s important to live blue because we owe it to the other plants, animals, fungi and bacteria with which we share the Earth. And we owe it to one another.

Read Ari’s blog.

Listen to Ari’s podcast on the Encyclopedia of Life.

See Ari’s plot of ocean in Fiji here.

Lindsey Feldman

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

I live blue™ because…
The ocean is not only a magical and beautiful place, we also can’t survive without it. There’s something about the ocean that captures the hearts and souls of people around the world. No one can deny the jump in their heart when they look out over the blue part of our planet.

Why do you care about the environment?
We cannot survive without the environment around us. The ‘environment’ gives us the food we eat, the air we breathe, land to walk on, and water to drink and swim in. Without the natural world, we are nothing.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to protect our nation’s fisheries and ocean resources. I dedicate each day of my life to protecting what the ocean provides to us humans. I’m also a scuba diving instructor and I try to teach every student to respect, honor and protect the blue planet by showing them how incredible the underwater world is.

Follow Lindsey’s updates on twitter.

Learn more about the NOAA here.

See Lindsey’s plot of ocean in the Bay of Fundy here.