Sylvia Earle, an Inspiration …. “Mission Blue” Documentary!!

~~About Mission Blue~~

Mission Blue is a global initiative of the Sylvia Earle Alliance, a 501c3 organization, which was formed in response to Sylvia Earle’s 2009 TED Prize wish.

Dr. Earle urged people “to use all means at your disposal — films, expeditions, the web, new submarines — to create a campaign to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, Hope Spots, large enough to save and restore the blue heart of the planet.”

Currently, the Mission Blue community includes 50+ respected ocean conservation groups and like-minded organizations — from large multinational companies down to individual scientific teams doing important research.

Jenelle Riley
Associate Editor, Features@JenelleRiley

“Variety”

“Do you enjoy breathing?”

It’s a question Dr. Sylvia Earle asks people who wonder why we need to protect the oceans. The legendary marine biologist and National Geographer Explorer-in-Residence has been studying the ocean since the 1950s. Her life and work are now the subject of a new documentary, “Mission Blue,” hitting theaters and Netflix today.

As Earle points out, Earth would not be hospitable for humans if it weren’t for the ocean. “It’s filled with living things that shape the chemistry of Earth,” she says. “It’s where we get most of our oxygen, from small organisms that make up the plankton in the sea. Of course trees and other green things have much to do with generating oxygen and taking up carbon dioxide — but there’s no green without blue.”

As a career retrospective, the film is fascinating. When she embarked on a mission in 1964 to study the Indian Ocean, one headline blared: “Sylvia Sails Away with 70 Men, But She Expects No Problem.” As a personal story, it’s equally intriguing — she details the collapse of three marriages and raising children as a working mother who would take off for expeditions across the world. But as a warning call to protect our planet, it’s terrifying.

“We’ve done great damage to the fabric of life, especially in the ocean,” she notes.

Originally, Earle was not going to be the main focus of the film; it was going to concentrate primarily on the hope spots. Over time, the filmmakers realized the way into the story was through Earle, who has witnessed all the changes to the ocean. “I began diving in the 1950’s and since then, half the coral reefs are gone or in a steep decline,” she says. “I’ve personally seen how the fish have been depleted over the years. I’ve seen how we’ve gone from having no dead zones in coastal areas to more than 500 today.”

Earle admits seeing her life story play out in the film was strange, to say the least. “Especially because they found things I haven’t seen myself,” she adds, as the film incorporates photos and videos from decades earlier. “Some of those I had forgotten about or don’t think I ever saw!”

The film is not all doom and gloom, however. The message is ultimately one of hope—that if we act now, change can be made. “It’s time for us to use our knowledge and powers to restore and protect these systems,” Earle says. “You don’t come to people’s houses and throw trash on the floor and knock over furniture.”

And the response has been very positive, with many audiences wanting to get involved.

“People care. People want to know,” Earle says. “And I want them to go jump in the ocean — in a positive way.”

~~FULL READ/SOURCE/FULL CREDIT~~

http://mission-blue.org/

http://mission-blue.org/about/

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/dr-sylvia-earle-who-leonardo-dicaprio-calls-an-inspiration-1201283987/

~~Mission Blue – Official Trailer~~

~Exclusively on Netflix Aug 15~

~~Published on Jul 28, 2014~~

Official trailer for Mission Blue, a Netflix original documentary. Mission Blue tells the story of world-renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle as she travels the globe on an urgent mission to shed light on the dire condition of Earth’s oceans.

Mission Blue premieres August 15, only on Netflix.

We ALL are ONE!!