>> THERE WAS AN EVENT GOING ON AT THE TIME. NOBODY INJURED, SO GOOD NEWS
THERE.
SHE’S BEEN CALLED THE JOAN OF
ARK OF THE OCEAN.
A MARINE BIOLOGIST, EXPLORER,
AUTHOR AND CONSERVATIONIST
USING HER VOICE TO SAVE OUR
SEAS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
>> AND BEFORE LEAVING FOR
GLASGOW TO ADDRESS WORLD
LEADERS AT THE U.N. CLIMATE
SUMMIT, SHE SPENT SOME TIME
WITH ME TO TALK ABOUT THIS
CRITICAL TURNING POINT IN OUR
HISTORY AND HOW ALL OF US MUST
PLAY A PART IN RESTORING
BALANCE TO OUR PLANET.
DR. SYLVIA EARL DOESN’T MINCE
WORDS.
>> IF YOU LIKE TO BREATHE,
YOU’LL LISTEN UP.
>> EVERY SECOND BREATH WE TAKE
COMES FROM THE OCEAN.
AND RIGHT NOW, OUR PLANET
OCEAN IS IN TROUBLE.
>> YOU SAY THAT WE’RE NOW
FACING PARADISE LOST.
IS THAT HYPERBOLE?
>> NO, NO IT IS NOT.
IT’S HEARTBREAKING.
NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT THAT
OTHERS CANNOT KNOW OR SEE WHAT
IN MY LIFETIME WAS THERE FOR
EVERYONE TO SEE.
AND NOW IT’S GONE FOR
EVERYONE.
>> DR. EARL SHOULD KNOW, SHE
WAS ONE OF THE FIRST HUMANS TO
EVER STRAP ON A SCUBA TANK AND
EXPLORE THE UNDERSEA WORLD
WHILE ATTENDING FLORIDA STATE
UNIVERSITY IN THE EARLY
1950’S.
SHE’S SINCE LOGGED THOUSANDS
OF HOURS UNDERWATER AND HELD
THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE
DEEPEST UNTETHERED DIVE
EARNING HER THE MONICKER, HER
DEEPNESS.
>> I’M IN THE DEEP SEA LOOKING
AROUND AT A PLACE WHERE HUMAN
BEINGS SHOULD NOT BE.
BUT I’M THERE.
>> IN THE PAST 70 PLUS YEARS
OF EXPLORING OUR VAST OCEAN,
DR. EARL HAS SEEN THINGS NOT
MANY PEOPLE HAVE AND HAS
EXPERIENCED CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
WITH NATURE’S MOST AWESOME
CREATURES.
>> IT’S HUMBLING.
HUMBLING TO BE ALIVE AT ALL
WHEN YOU THINK WHAT A MIRACLE
IT IS THAT EARTH EXISTS, THAT
WE EXIST.
AND WE’RE ABOUT TO BLOW IT.
UNLESS WE HURRY.
>> DR. EARL SAYS THE TIME TO
ACT IS NOW AS CLIMATE CHANGE,
POLLUTION AND OVER FISHING
WREAK HAVOC ON OUR OCEAN, OUR
SPECIES FAST DISAPPEARING.
>> WE’RE LOSING SHARKS, 90% OF
THE SHARKS GONE.
>> SHARKS LIKE TUNA AND WHALES
AND EVEN SHRIMPS ARE CARBON
SINKS, SUCKING UP CARBON
DIOXIDE AND KEEPING IT OUT OF
OUR ATMOSPHERE.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHY IT’S A
STRETCH FOR PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE TAKE
THE ELEMENTS OF A HEALTHY
ECOSYSTEM OUT, THAT CAUSES THE
SYSTEM TO CRASH.
YOU’RE DOING YOUR PART TO
FOSTER GLOBAL WARMING WHEN YOU
TAKE STUFF OUT OF THE OCEAN.
>> AND SO DR. EARL TRAVELS THE
GLOBE, GIVING TALKS AND
LECTURES TO ANYONE WHO WILL
LISTEN.
>> THE OCEAN IS OUR HOME.
>> ON THIS DAY, SHE WAS
ADDRESSING STUDENTS AND GUESTS
AT FIU BEFORE FLYING TO
GLASGOW TO SPEAK AT THE U.N.
CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE.
HER URGENT PLEA, THE SAME.
>> IN HER LIFETIME, DR. EARL
SAYS SHE’S WITNESSED A
TERRIBLE DECLINE.
BUT SHE BELIEVES WE HAVE THE
POWER TO IGNITE A WONDERFUL
RECOVERY.
>> THIS IS A SEMINOLE MOMENT
IN OUR HISTORY RIGHT NOW.
>> YOU HAVE THE BEST CHANCE TO
BE A PART OF 21ST CENTURY
HUMAN BEINGS WHO COULD SEE THE
WORLD IN DECLINE AND DID WHAT
YOU COULD DO.
EVERYBODY CAN DO WHAT THEY CAN
DO TO GO IN THE OTHER
DIRECTION, TO RECOVER AND FIND
THAT MAGIC PLACE WHERE WE HAVE
STABILITY.
>> AT 85 YEARS OLD, DR. EARL
IS NOT SLOWING DOWN, HER
MISSION BLUE FOUNDATION HAS
FOSTERED A WORLDWIDE NETWORK
OF AREAS WHERE HUMAN ACTIVITY
IS RESTRICTED AND WILD LIFE
THRIVES.
>> I CALL THESE PLACES HOPE
SPOTS BECAUSE THEY CAN SERVE
AS MODELS.
THIS IS WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
AND ALSO SOURCES OF RECOVERY.
>> THE OCEAN COVERS 70% OF THE
WORLD’S SURFACE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, LESS THAN 3% OF
IT IS FULLY PROTECTED.
THE GOAL IS TO PROTECT 30% BY
THE YEAR 2030.
DR. EARL HAS FAITH.
>> CAN YOU LEAVE US WITH YOUR
PRAYER?
WHAT IS YOUR HOPE, WHAT IS
YOUR WISH?
>> THAT WE WOULD EMBRACE THE
NATURAL WORLD AND TREAT IT AS
IF OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT
BECAUSE ACTUALLY THEY DO.
>> AND OUR LIVES DO DEPEND ON
IT.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT DR. EARL’S MISSION BLUE
AND HOW YOU CAN BE A PART OF
THE CHANGE, WE HAVE THOSE
LINKS ON Local10.com.
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