World Ocean Radio - Ocean Policy Ocean Policy & Governance6 Governance
This week on World Ocean Radio: part twenty-nine of the multi-part BLUEprint series. In this episode we discuss the March 2021 release by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs announcing a new statistical framework entitled the "System of Environmental/Economic Accounting" (SEEA EA) which would ensure that natural capital (the contributions of forests, oceans, and other ecosystems) are integrated into economic reporting. This move may reshape decision- and policy-making toward sustainable development: natural capital calculated as equal to financial capital, as a mandatory inclusion in the budgets and estimates for all new development projects and corporate initiatives.
We continue our thematic overview of the ocean edge this week with a conversation centered around coastal and offshore zones and the politics that define them. The Political Edge is part 6 of a 7-part series dedicated to the ocean edge, exploring what takes place there, from the real to the symbolic.
In this episode of World Ocean Radio we discuss The Earth Law Center, a New York-based environmental non-profit organization that is dedicated to the concept that Nature, as an ecosystem, deserves the same rights as humans to exist, thrive, evolve and be protected by law. We share the scope of their work and advocacy, their programs and values, and the communities that are served by their involvement in American and international environmental court cases, laws, briefs and resolutions.
This week on World Ocean Radio we provide our annual observations on the Arctic Circle Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland. This year's report highlights not only a seemingly insurgent presence by the Chinese but also a diminished presence by the United States, whose typically consequential interest in the Arctic was lacking. Also noticeably absent from the conversation: a perceived decline of representation by the Arctic's indigenous peoples. We'll discuss these things and more in this week's episode.
In this episode of World Ocean Radio, part 2 of a two-part series on environmental law, host Peter Neill provides a series of examples of systems we have in place to protect nature and its resources. These protections extend from international treaties to intergovernmental agencies and NGOs working to enact and secure maritime policies, governance and legal rights; and from law centers to the United Nations working to set standards for marine protections and indigenous peoples rights, and for the conservation of Nature, ecosystems, and natural resources.
Laws protect us from abuse, they preserve the stasis of systems, and they maintain stability and sustainability. We live in a time when the vast majority of the world's wealth is derived from the exploitation of natural resources, and there are laws and legal responses to protect those resources from corruption. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill outlines a series of additional laws that are intended to protect Nature and its resources--water, fresh air, food, and all living organisms--from corrupt values, indifference, and the consequences of exploitation. And he reaffirms the importance of the Public Trust Doctrine which demands that all resources must be sustained for the benefit of ensuing generations. "Nature and the Rule of Law" is part one of a two-part series dedicated to environmental law.
World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill recently returned from the Economist World Ocean Summit in Cancún, Mexico where he gathered with 400 ocean leaders and decision makers to discuss ocean policy, strategies, research, exploration and innovation. In this 461st episode of World Ocean Radio he shares what was discussed at the summit but also what was left out: namely the global fresh water cycle and the ocean as a financial, political, social, and cultural system. And he shares a surprising discovery made while swimming in an underground limestone cave in the the Mayan ruins at Chitzenitsa.
This week on World Ocean Radio: part two of a multi-part series on the Arctic. In this episode, host Peter Neill examines the Finland chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2017-2019), outlines their statement of intent, speculates about why the Finland approach is so different from past agendas, and ways in which their innovative approach may make it possible for them to succeed for the Arctic.
This week on World Ocean Radio: part one of a multi-part series on the Arctic. In this episode, host Peter Neill examines governance, oversight, resources, and the conditions and challenges facing the Arctic. He describes the work of the Arctic Council, an eight-nation consortium with jurisdiction in the region, and outlines the processes and responsibilities of stewardship by those member nations.
As a follow up to a World Ocean Radio episode from mid-May, we offer an overview of the Ocean Conference in New York last week which sought to reach outcomes toward sustainable development goal (SDG) 14: to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. And in this episode we encourage all listeners to become agents for change by choosing one ocean issue and investing talent and action toward a solution.
On June 5th the United Nations General Assembly will convene for The Ocean Conference in New York City to set objectives, cultivate partnerships, and build consensus for the further implementation of sustainable development goal 14—Life Below Water. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill describes the sustainable development goals and lays out the plan for this major four-day event and the final report which will follow as an agenda for targeted success by 2030.
We are living in a time of great environmental, social, and political change, and our outdated ways of living and governing are failing. The 21st century is crying our for invention and innovation. One such provocative idea is the evolution toward governance and management around eco-regions such as coastal zones, watersheds, deep ocean, and more as a way to shift our approach for the future. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill breaks down the concept of eco-politics: new practices, laws, energy, and education designed to bring about a more successful response to the challenges of this new century, and beyond.
On February 13th and 14th Peter Neill, director of the World Ocean Observatory, will be in New York City to moderate a United Nations Inter-Parliamentary hearing entitled “A WORLD OF BLUE: Preserving the Ocean, Safeguarding the Planet, and Ensuring Human Well-Being in the Context of the 2030 Agenda.” In this episode of World Ocean Radio Peter describes the work of the UN as a forum for communication and resolution of issues confronting all nations. And he will outline the 2-day hearing at the General Assembly where some 300 legislators will gather to discuss and learn about ocean issues and to organize observations and suggestions to be presented as a final report at The Ocean Conference in June.
In this episode of World Ocean Radio we discuss politics in a changing landscape, and the ways in which global agencies advocate for, protect, and improve upon existing agreements in an age when environmental and ocean protections are under threat.
This week we continue the Earth Optimism Series, a 24-episode project in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution's Ocean Portal, to address ocean solutions and innovative projects in the context of the Earth Optimism Summit, April 2017. In this episode, host Peter Neill praises the work of the Center for Biological Diversity in Oregon, a group of individuals dedicated to using the legal system to advocate for species on the verge of extinction.
President-elect Trump, a committed opponent to climate change mitigation, will likely appoint fellow deniers to key cabinet positions overseeing air, water, and other natural resources. With the U.S. presidential election now behind us, many scientists and environmentalists are asking, “What now?” In this episode of World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill encourages citizens to join voices and forces to recommit to ground-up strategies, and provides ways in which we can choose our causes, amplify our interests and engagement, and unite in expressions of sustainability values and organizational actions.
With this edition of World Ocean Radio we embark on an informal partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Ocean Portal to address ocean solutions and innovative projects in the context of the Global Earth Optimism Summit to be held Earth Day Weekend in April 2017. The Smithsonian will convene thought leaders, scientists, philanthropists, the media and more to discuss and share solutions. In this episode we introduce the ideas behind the Earth Optimism Summit and the subsequent series of radio broadcasts profiling exemplary people and projects, new visions, new ideas, inventions, and new behaviors that are transforming our relationship with the natural world.
In September the World Ocean Observatory was invited to attend the Our Ocean Conference hosted by the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C. During the 2-day gathering more than 4 million square km (1.5 million sq. miles) of ocean were newly pledged to protection and sustainability, and more than 1 billion dollars were pledged to ocean protection, research, and the blue economy. In this episode of World Ocean Radio we offer a report of the various pledges, commitments, and advancements made during Our Ocean 2016.
The World Ocean Council is an international leadership alliance focused on ocean sustainability, stewardship and science. In this week's episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill dives into their work, their mission, and their membership. Their recent emphasis on the Polar regions has raised a number of questions about sustainability versus access to resources, development of systems versus protection of fragile ecosystems, and corporate interests versus the health and well-being of indigenous peoples.
The public trust doctrine is designed to protect our natural resources for the benefit of future generations. Plaintiffs in a number of legal cases around the country, with the help of Our Children’s Trust, have been fighting to bring legal action against state and federal governments, claiming not enough is being done to protect their future by reducing global warming. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will discuss one particular climate change case, a landmark victory in Eugene, Oregon, which rejected all arguments raised by the federal government to deny youth their right to proceed with the case. This is a monumental step forward, proving that plaintiffs do in fact have a right to bring charges of violations under the public trust doctrine.
Since the creation and ratification of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), many international experts have been debating how to create a binding instrument to address marine areas outside of national jurisdiction—the high seas. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill details the complex and time-consuming process of creating and implementing international ocean policy, and hails the work of the many people who contribute to the process of building an effective, practical, and applicable agreement for the benefit of all.
What does it mean to be accountable for our actions? Individuals are accountable for personal behaviors, commitments, and relationships with those around us. What about corporations? In this episode of World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill questions why corporations are not held to the same standards, and outlines ways in which shareholders and the divestment movement have shown how engaged citizens can encourage and force changes in corporate behavior.
In this fourth and final episode in the "Nature's Trust" series, host Peter Neill highlights two citizens' lawsuits filed against governments for failing to protect the legal right to a healthy atmosphere and a stable climate, using the legal principle of the Public Trust Doctrine to assert that governments are required by law to protect and maintain natural resources for future generations. This episode is part of a series on designing an enduring plan for the future which will protect natural resources such as water, wildlife, and air beyond the challenging circumstances of the 21st century.
What would the American landscape look like if we had no legislation? Would it be habitable today? In this episode of World Ocean Radio we discuss the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the foundation of which is the Public Trust Doctrine, which we began discussing last week in Part 1. This episode is part of a series on designing an enduring plan for the future which will protect natural resources such as water, wildlife, and air beyond the challenging circumstances of the 21st century.
How do we organize a civilized response to the needs of a new age? What do we want and how can we achieve it in a democratic society based on the rule of law? In this episode of World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill attempts to answer these questions and more. This is part 1 of a 3-part series on designing a plan for the future which will protect natural resources such as water, wildlife, and air, one which will endure over the challenging circumstances of the 21st century.
