HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THE HEALTH OF THE OCEAN
What’s your #OceanHour?
It doesn’t matter how far or near you live to the ocean, what’s under the surface connects us all. Did you know that every second breath we breathe comes from the waters that surround us, and the ocean absorbs around 30% of the carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere? The ocean plays a really important role in the health of our planet, and we all need to work together to keep the ocean healthy.
We caught up with our sailors to hear their top tips on how each and every one of us, wherever we are, can also have a positive impact on ocean health. When the ocean wins, we all win.
Charlie Enright “Start composting!”
Did you know that compost is known as ‘black gold’? That’s how important and valuable it is to healthy soil. And healthy soil is good for the health of our ocean. Composted soil is nutrient-rich, acts as a natural filter for water runoff, sequesters carbon, and reduces the need for fertilizer and pesticides, meaning fewer harmful chemicals make their way into the sea.
Watch more about Charlie’s love of composting here.
Francesca Clapcich “Avoid single-use plastic!”
What plastic can you swap out as you go about your day-to-day life? Consider purchasing a sustainably produced water bottle and refilling it throughout the day. Could you take your lunch to work or school in a reusable container? Would you carry with you a reusable straw and cutlery to avoid using the plastic versions provided by many shops and stores?
Simon Fisher “Reduce, reuse, and repair!”
Reduce, reuse, and repair, is a great start, and there are two more we would suggest are added to the list – rot and recycle!
Don’t create waste if you don’t have to, reuse, share, sell, or give away still usable items, fix things rather than throw them away and buying new, learn to compost, and if you can’t do any of the others, then recycle!
(And, actually, the list goes on: refuse, repaint, repurpose, refurbish, reclaim …!)
Jack Bouttell “Eat local produce!” & Justine Mettraux “Eat local and organic!”
It’s not just the sailors who enjoy a hearty meal, it’s everyone at 11th Hour Racing Team! While the crew are at sea, they have to eat freeze-dried food, but when they are shoreside, we all try to eat local food that is organic and in season. Why does this matter? Well, it reduces the need for preservatives to keep transported food fresh, it reduces the food miles, and it’s good for you! The longer fruit and veggies spend on a truck or in storage before being delivered to you, the greater the loss of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Amory Ross “Join beach cleans!”
Reducing the amount of waste that is left in the ocean is really important for the health of our ocean, but what can we do about the waste that is already there? Why don’t you join a local clean-up: find an organization in your local community and support their activities to keep our waterways clean.
In the summer of 2021, we joined 11th Hour Racing’s Grantee, the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation, to map ghost gear – fishing gear that is lost at sea – in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island – watch more here.
Mark Towill “Start a sustainability program at your place of work!”
There is often a strong desire to be more sustainable at work, but just how do you go about putting a sustainability program in place? It can be hard to know where to start and what to focus on …
We are really fortunate to have a three-person sustainability team here at 11th Hour Racing Team, and they have pooled their years of experience and written The Sustainability Toolbox. This suite of assets is free to download and use, and will help any organization, whatever size or industry, to put in place its own sustainability program, without any experience.
Interested in finding out more? Check out https://sustainabilitytoolbox.com/
