Okeanos was named one of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas!
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A new Netflix documentary has the internet ablaze, with some of its toughest critics talking trash about the film’s questionable presentation of the facts. The controversial new film “Seaspiracy,” dissects the different ways humans’ actions are responsible for the declining health of our oceans. From bottom trawling to plastic pollution, filmmaker Ali Tabriz’ latest work is both horrifying and dramatic…but is it accurate? We dive into some of the films’ most controversial claims below.
Seaspiracy Says: If we continue abusing our marine environments at the current rate, all fish will be gone by 2048.
Science says: False. Based on a 2006 study by ecologist Boris Worm, this claim looks at a proposed trajectory of marine-life decline. A follow-up study co-authored by Worm in 2009 found that marine life had somewhat recovered, partially due to improvements in fisheries management.
Seaspiracy says: Fishing waste is responsible for more ocean pollution than plastic straws, claiming only 0.03 per cent of ocean plastic waste comes from straws.
Science says: Somewhat deceptive. The film misused this statistic, claiming that 46% of plastic in the oceans comes from fishing waste. According to Greenpeace, it’s estimated that fishing waste makes up a whopping 46% of the composition of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, but approximately only 10% of the ocean’s overall plastic pollution.
Seaspiracy says: Bottom trawling is the most destructive form of fishing.
Science says: True. 3.9 billion acres of the seafloor are destroyed by bottom trawling every year, compared to 25 million on land. Bottom trawling also releases more carbon emissions than global aviation annually.
Seaspiracy says: Sustainable fishing is “impossible.”
Science says: False. According to the Marine Stewardship Council, “One of the amazing things about our oceans is that fish stocks can recover and replenish if they are managed carefully for the long-term.” Many coastal communities around the globe rely on local catch to survive. Fishing is an essential part of their local economies, diets, and ecosystems…research shows that fish stocks that are well-managed and sustainable, are also more productive in the long-term, meaning there is more seafood for our growing global population, which is set to reach 10 billion by 2050.”
Seaspiracy Says: Only removing fish from our diets entirely will save the ocean.
Science says: False. According to the FAO, about 4.3 billion people rely on seafood for 15% of their protein. It is unrealistic to imagine a scenario where coastal communities don’t utilize the resources in their own backyard to survive. It simply must be done more responsibly. For more references on how to eat sustainably sourced fish, check out Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch and NOAA’s FishWatch.
Want to sea the film for yourself? Stream it on Netflix today.
Send us your favorite environmental movies and we’ll do a deep dive in an upcoming issue of Set in Stone at social@madefromstone.com
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Ahead of Cinco de Mayo, we’re celebrating these awesome thermoformed salsa cups created with Made From Stone technology by letting you in on a family secret. Re-create this delicious pico de gallo recipe from Okeanos Social Media manager, Elise Perez at home!
Elise’s stepmom’s pico recipe (serves 4-6). For this recipe you’ll need:
Finely chop tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeños and mix into a medium size bowl add in lime juice and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring in 5-minute intervals to allow juices to absorb. Add in salt and white pepper to taste. Continue to let sit for 1-2 hours prior to absorb flavor adding in seasoning to help combine all the flavors. Serve cold or at room temperature with your chip, taco, or cracker of choice!
Ready to make your cups from stone? Email trade@madefromstone.com
This month’s Rockstar is Fazlur Rahman, Managing Director of Okeanos Bangladesh. With an insufficient waste-management system plaguing Bangladesh, and despite the government’s best efforts at passing sustainable legislation, Fazlur and his team have a huge opportunity to make measurable change with the introduction of Made From Stone technology into the region.
Tell us about your childhood. Did you spend time by the ocean?
Childhood memories leave an everlasting impression on one’s life. As a child, I was studious, and loved chess but always had a fondness for the ocean. Now, whenever I travel anywhere in close proximity to a beach, the ocean is the first place I have to visit. Here in Bangladesh, we have Cox’s Bazar which is the prime beach and tourist town, situated alongside the beach of the Bay of Bengal, beside the Indian Ocean. It’s an unbroken 120 Kilometer golden sand beach.
Author Arthur C. Clarke once said, “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.”
Bangladesh’s government was one of the first to implement a plastic bag ban back in 2002, however, the country still has some of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. Have you seen measurable progress in the past few years?
Every year, nearly 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the oceans and if that continues to be the case, it’s estimated that there will be more plastic than fish by 2050. In 2002 Bangladesh was applauded for becoming the first country in the world to ban thinner single-use plastic bags. However, 19 years later, that the ban has not truly come into force.
Here, people are still using polythene single-use plastics everyday and disposing of them everywhere, resulting in one of the major causes of drainage blockage in the city. A 2002 amendment to the Bangladesh Environment Conservation act proposed punishment for the production, import, marketing, sale, transportation, distribution of polythene bags. Despite such provisions, Bangladesh is still struggling to prevent the use of single-used plastic bags. A study by the Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) shows that, each month Bangladesh produces around 250 tons of single-use plastic as waste. Lack of enforcement, limited educational awareness, and a lack of a feasible alternative are all responsible for this failure.
Outside of Okeanos, you’ve had years of experience in the technical space. How can we use harness the power of the internet to help engage people in our mission?
Awareness of environmental and health issues related to ocean plastic pollution is now universal, and shared by everyone from the general public and industry to politicians. We will use social media to create awareness about avoiding single use plastic through digital campaigns. With the introduction of Okeanos, we can educate, and make sure our plastic manufacturers are equipped with the knowledge and the tools to transform the products they make into sustainable alternatives.
If you could pick a body of water anywhere in the world to spend time near, where would it be?
The Maldives. The Maldives has one of the most delicate environments anywhere on the planet. Coral reefs are the foundation of the islands.
What new skill or hobby did you pick up during quarantine?
Stress management and gardening!
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Underwater photographers have recently brought blackwater photography to the surface. The practice of photographing the daily movement of stunning and unique larval fish which rise to the surface each evening is helping marine scientists to better understand what lives at the deepest depths of the oceans. Meet some of these cool, creepy creatures!
Are you a photographer with some wild images of wildlife? Get in touch for a chance to be featured! Connect with us at social@madefromstone.com
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