Paul Lauenstein

Water Conservation Advocate

I live blue™ because…
my unborn grandchildren will need adequate supplies of clean water and a healthy environment.

Why do you care about the environment?
As a boy I caught frogs and turtles in nearby wetlands and fished and canoed on local streams and rivers.  Those are some of my fondest memories. I want future generations to have the same opportunities.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
I was a zoology major in college. I taught farmers how to grow fish in the Peace Corps in Nepal. I got an MS in aquaculture from Auburn University. I worked on a fish farm in Israel and ran a commercial fish farm in Colorado. I have spent the last seven years promoting water conservation here in my home town of Sharon, MA.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
We never water our lawn. We don’t use lawn pesticides. We installed two High Efficiency Toilets, a water-efficient washing machine, low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators in my home.  We flush only solid wastes. We compost and recycle.

Read the Boston Globe story covering Paul’s efforts here.

Take a virtual tour of Sharon’s water resources work here.

Download “Conservation Through Waterless Lawn Care” here (pdf).

Watch the public service announcement about water conservation here.
(Click Meeting Replays and scroll all the way to the bottom.)

See Paul’s plot of ocean here.

Hilary Maybaum

Science Writer / Editor

I live blue™ because…
I care about the ocean so much, I earned a degree in oceanography.

Why do you care about the environment?
Earth is the only home we have. If we don’t protect it, who will?

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I help educate others about our planet, its value and how we can protect it.

Follow Hilary’s science updates on twitter.

Visit Hilary’s company, i.e. science, online here.

See Hilary’s plot of ocean off the coast of Florida here.

Randi Rotjan, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

I live blue™ because…
I live green. On land, I try to recycle, be energy efficient and be an eco-friendly consumer. These actions also impact the oceans, but our oceans have additional, specialized environmental needs. Would there be any green without blue? Probably not. Hence, I live blue in order to fully live green.

Why do you care about the environment?
It’s my home, and home to everything I know and love. Life as we know it would not exist without access to clean air, fresh water, sunshine and healthy oceans. I love life, so I care about the environment.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
I am fascinated by the natural world and have always had questions about the way the world works. Becoming a scientist has enabled me to formalize those questions and explore them for a living.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I drive a Vespa or carpool to work. I recycle. I use low energy light bulbs. I donate money, time and supplies to environmental organizations. Most importantly, I study the environment and try to bring my findings to the public to help motivate my community (you!) to be good environmental stewards.

Visit Randi’s website here.

Learn more about Randi’s work here.

Read more her posts from the field on the Aquarium’s Global Explorers Blog here.

Read her posts from the Phoenix Islands here.

See her cube of ocean in the Phoenix Islands here.

Sherrie Floyd

Senior Aquarist/Expedition Leader

I live blue™ because…

I am passionate about all things aquatic. Working at the New England Aquarium has allowed me to take my love for the ocean to a whole new level. Every day I care for hundreds of marine animals including sharks, sea turtles, moray eels and stingrays. I couldn’t look them in the eye, if I didn’t live blue!

Why do you care about the environment?
I care about the environment because it is what sustains all of us as well as the animals I love so much.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
Two words: scuba diving! In addition to diving in the Aquarium’s Giant Ocean Tank, I lead Bahamas collecting expeditions every year. Can’t do that without the ocean!

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I take great pride in our Bahamas collecting expeditions, as we use only the most conservative collecting practices. Our techniques are gentle on the fish we collect, as well as the habitat in which they live.  We carefully choose fish that acclimate well to our exhibits and that showcase the diversity and beauty of a Bahamian coral reef. Not only do these trips provide us with a unique opportunity to teach individuals how to collect aquatics without impacting critical habitat, but they also allow us a receptive audience for marine conservation education.

Other ways I live blue are low energy bulbs, recycling, phasing out plastics, and making sustainable food choices.  And last but not least, in an effort to help educate my friends and family, I  had a “Live Blue” party!

Learn more about the Giant Ocean Tank here.

Read Sherrie’s entries on the Aquarium’s Giant Ocean Tank Blog here.

See her plot of ocean in Fiji here.

John Hanzl

Dive Safety Officer

I live blue™ because…
I live blue because the ocean is both my passion and my second home.

Why do you care about the environment?
The question really should be “How can you NOT care about the environment.” It is what makes life possible. Without it our planet is nothing but an airless, lifeless hunk of rock.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
My love of nature in general, and of the aquatic world in specific, is what led me to make a drastic change in careers many years ago. I transitioned from a career in electrical engineering to being a diver for the New England Aquarium, and it is a decision I’ve been grateful for ever since.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
Both my wife and I work on a daily basis toward protecting and preserving our natural resources. From the small, such as being conscientious and avid recyclers, to the large, such as modifying our diets to embrace sustainable food sources. We work at putting the planet first.

Learn more about the Giant Ocean Tank here.

Read John’s entries on the Aquarium’s Giant Ocean Tank Blog here.

Check out John’s fiction writing here.

See his plot of ocean in the Phoenix Islands here.

Sebastian Junger

Author and Journalist

I live blue™ because…
water is the lifeblood of the planet.

Why do you care about the environment?
I care about the environment because it is one of the few things of lasting value that we can pass on to the next generation. We evolved as a species in this environment and evolving to the point of destroying it is too great an irony to bear.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
I decided to become a journalist because I believed that it was a profession that could help improve the human condition. I don’t write about the environment but I think it is one of the most important topics there is.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
I turn off lights, I turn off the water, I keep the heat down and I try to live gently on the planet.

Learn more about Sebastian Junger’s work here.

Browse Sebastian Junger’s articles in Vanity Fair here.

Read a National Geographic article about Sebastian Junger’s book The Perfect Storm here.

See his plot of ocean in Tierra Del Fuego here.

Brian Skerry

New England Aquarium Explorer in Residence, National Geographic Photographer

I live blue™ because…
It feels right. And I know that the future of our planet depends on it.

Why do you care about the environment?
I love nature, and having a direct connection with the natural world is crucial, I believe, to humans’ well being. I also realize just how much we have lost and want very much to restore the environment to the way it once was. As much as possible I want to live in harmony with nature and for future generations to have this opportunity.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
I knew from an early age that I wanted to work with animals and to explore the planet. I was drawn to the ocean in a way that is difficult to describe, but was impossible to ignore. I decided to pursue wildlife photography as a way to be connected with the sea and to be able to tell stories about various species and places in which I had an interest.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
My family and I have been recycling for years. And we have also eliminated the use of plastic bottles as much as possible. We all have reusable water bottles we take with us wherever we go. We’ve also replaced the light bulbs in our home with low energy bulbs. We inform ourselves about the food we eat and make choices that are better for the environment. We also tell friends and family about the things we’ve learned as a way of spreading the word.

Learn more about Brian’s work here.

Visit Brian’s website here.

Read Brian’s posts on the Global Explorers Expedition blog here.

Read Brian’s posts on the Phoenix Islands Expedition blog here.

Read Brian’s posts on the Sea of Cortez Expedition blog here.

See his plot of ocean in the Phoenix Islands here.

Wallace J. Nichols, PhD

Research Associate, California Academy of Sciences & Founder/Co-Director, Ocean Revolution

I live blue™ because…
When I look around at the beauty of and challenges facing the planet we live on, there’s no better way to live.

Why do you care about the environment?
That’s kind of like asking “why do your care about your body or your daughter?” Simply put, I don’t see a separation between myself and my kids and the air I breathe, the water I drink, the food I eat and the earth and ocean I walk and swim on. So, it makes sense to take care of it.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
I’ve been fortunate to spend lots of time in places people call “inspiring.” Places where animals are still in charge and where I’m a visitor on their terms. Places where the human footprint is small or invisible. As a result, I’ve been driven to help safeguard those places. My education and career has been about doing that.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
In our home, we try to eat local foods grown by farmers and ranchers nearby. We choose local and sustainable seafood, if at all. And we’ve been working to get plastic waste out of our household in creative and “old fashioned” ways. Beyond our local actions, we vote blue for candidates who understand that the future of water and the ocean is paramount. The “LIVBLUE/VIVAZUL” theme is a big part of talks I give to groups all over the world.

Visit Wallace J. Nichols’ website here.

Read his blog here.

Learn more about the California Academy of Sciences here.

See his plot of ocean in Fiji here.

(Above photo copyright Neil Osborne)

Ian Bowles

Former Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs

I live blue™ because…
I was lucky enough to grow up by the sea and want to make sure my daughter can also enjoy its natural beauty and bounty.

Why do you care about the environment?
The natural environment sustains mankind – economically, nutritionally, spiritually.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
It has been my focus for my whole career.  I studied economics and public policy because they are major influences on environmental protection.

What are some things you do to protect the environment?
My job is to serve as chief steward of the Commonwealth’s natural resources.  In my personal life, I spend a lot of time swimming, poking around in tidepools and boating with my wife and young daughter. At home, I’ve invested in simple retrofits that save energy and water – such as a new washing machine, programmable thermostats and super efficient windows.

Read about the EOEEA department’s work here.
Read the draft Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan here.
See Secretary Bowles’ plot of ocean here.