Conrad Humphreys and the UK’s largest National Marine Aquarium join forces to launch the ‘Blue Climate And Oceans Project’...
Conrad Humphreys, round the world sailor and oceanographer has teamed up with the UK’s largest National Marine Aquarium to announced the launch of the Blue Climate and Oceans Project.
The Blue Project is a new initiative aimed at inspiring individuals and corporations to be active in choosing to care about the health of the planet by implementing the lifestyle changes needed to slow down and reverse the effects of global climate change.
Sport, adventure and human endeavour can play a major part in highlighting and celebrating the beauty of our natural environment and Conrad wants to utilise his ocean racing campaigns to get people closer to the oceans and the environment, believing that this will help people actively care about the health of our planet.
Conrad and his team will use their latest sailing campaign, in the Extreme 40 European Series as the first BLUE PROJECT which will carry the BE BLUE, BE COOLl message aimed at making it more of a social norm to care about our environment. The Extreme 40 is a 40ft catamaran that is raced in Europe and the UK at several premier events, and will lead into Conrad’s next new round-the-world race which will be announced later this year.
Following the launch, the National Marine Aquarium and Conrad Humphreys Racing plan to turn the Discovery Theatre, in the NMA, into a major audio and visual experience that will enable schools, the public and the media to interact with Conrad’s adventures. The Discovery Theatre or mission control, will become the home to future BLUE Climate and Oceans Projects.
Lady Pippa Blake, the wife of the late environmentalist and renowned ocean sailor, Sir Peter Blake has become Patron of the BLUE PROJECT and said, 'Peter had a real love of the natural world. He was fascinated by the wildlife during his ocean voyages. He believed that if we can only help more people experience the wonders of the world then they will develop respect and care for our natural resources and take responsibility for limiting the negative effects our daily lives have on them. I hope that the Blue Project can encourage people to take active steps, however small, to reduce their impact on the climate and the oceans. There has always been a tremendous link between human adventure, the climate and the oceans and if the Blue Project can engage with people’s spirit of adventure to change their behaviour and become more Blue it will achieve a great deal.'
Kelvin Boot, National Marine Aquarium Director said, 'We humans have treated and continue to treat the oceans in two quite contradictory ways. We see the ocean as a great carpet – we can lift up the corner and sweep away our rubbish – out of sight, out of mind. Or we see it as an endless treasure chest we can take what we want and it will, as if by magic, self-replenish and never run out. We now know that both assumptions are dangerously wrong.'
Conrad Humphreys, ocean sailor and Founder of the BLUE PROJECT said 'I’ve been extremely privileged to take part in some of the greatest sailing competitions and to witness first hand the incredible beauty of our oceans. It is something that as a child I felt compelled to explore and later study. If through the adventure and excitement of ocean racing we can share a little bit of this world, and help make people more conscious of the need to care, it will be fantastic.'
Dave Summers, DMS Ltd Managing Director commented after the launch of the BLUE PROJECT 'Today was a very interesting day, many different characters from all walks of life in the same room but I'm 100% sure everyone left with the same impression that we are all able to contribute something to this new initiative. As a company the BLUE PROJECT will most definately encourage us to focus very strongly on the way we do business. It is our intention to launch a defined range of 100% recycled and enviromentally friendly CD and DVD packaging products within the coming months and to encourage all of our clients and suppliers to join in and make a positive contribution to the important work that is being planned by Conrad Humphreys and The National Marine Aquarium.'
What is BLUE?
BLUE facts:
The oceans encompass 97% by volume of all the earth's living space.
The abundance of water on its surface gives our planet its BLUE appearance.
90% of the planets living biomass is found in the oceans.
Significant reef deterioration has occurred in 93 of the 109 countries they surround.
Reefs are only 0.5% of the ocean floor but 90% of all marine life depends on them.
80% of all pollution in the oceans comes from land based activities.
21 million barrels of oil a year run into the oceans from effluent / ships / factories.
Plastic waste kills 1m sea birds, 100k sea mammals and countless fish each year.
About 70% of the fat-free mass of the human body is water.
80% of the worlds population by 2010 will live less than 100km from the sea.
BLUE ethos:
BLUE is a vehicle for raising awareness about the threat of mans activities to the health of our oceans and the resultant impact on global climate change. It will provide people with a way of being BLUE - by which individuals, corporations and governments can move towards a more balanced and harmonious way of living on earth. BLUE will aim to make caring for our environment cool and will focus on a number of key issues which if addressed could help to safeguard the life of our planet.
BLUE action:
RESTORE OUR OCEANS – preserve coral reefs / care for endangered species / manage fishing / reduce disposal at sea and the level of toxins in the food chain.
MANAGE OUR WATER – water is a precious resource in shorts supply – it uses energy to supply / remove / treat it – we should conserve it where we can.
BE CARBON NEUTRAL – reduce our carbon footprint / seek renewable energy sources / monitor our energy use / change the way we live and travel.
REFUSE / RE-USE / RECYCLE – refuse packaging / re-use what you can / recycle what remains and be more conscious of waste in our processes.
REDUCE HARMFUL EMISSIONS – Carbon / CFC’s / pollutants into the water supply / toxic waste and the way it is handled.
CARE FOR OUR PLANET it is our life support system – the only one we have.
BLUEisms:
BLUE is the colour of the sky and the ocean, it is a colour that is associated with calm, stability and trust.
BLUE-ribbon is the highest award for distinction.
BLUE-chip companies are seen as having the greatest financial strength.
BLUE is deep and blue is cool…
For more information on the BLUE PROJECT please visit www.theblueproject.org