YANN ARTHUS-BERTRAND & THE SEA

According to the latest study by University Oxford presented at the UN entitled “Function of the High Seas and Anthropogenic Impacts”, 60% of oceans show signs of climate change. This report collects recent data from 271 scientific research papers and its conclusions are devastating. The seawater absorbs 40% of all green house gas emissions. The oceans are the planet’s biggest treatment plant. The objective of presenting these data is to promote a treaty that goes beyond the national laws for the conservation of marine life in the high seas.

Yann Arthus-Betrand is recognised as one of the best photographers in the world, and in recent years has devoted his life and work to show the wonders of a world that is suffering the consequences of environmental degradation. Planet Ocean is among his most remarkable works, a documentary filmed to make viewers aware of the relationship between people and sea. It shows the fragility of an ecosystem that is being destroyed unbeknown to us due to its remoteness or difficult access. Yann Arthus-Bertrand stirs our consciences with his photographs and films as he captures the beauty of a world that we must safeguard if we do not want it to disappear. The photographer has created in-depth works not only about oceans, but also about the earth itself, and human beings. Showing always the beauty of an ecosystem that is being destroyed, he tries to wake up viewers’ consciences to induce them to change their habits. On goodplanet.org (his foundation’s website), we can use a carbón calculator to ascertain the amount of C02 that we emit in different moments of our everyday lives, and how much it would cost in euros to offset our carbón footprint.

“Preservation of Coastal and Marine Ecosystem 2” is one of the latest programmes conducted by Arthus-Bertrand’s foundation. It consists of two specific programmes that aim to improve the living conditions in communities of Indonesia and Mauritius, by helping their local populations preserve the environment and make their efforts profitable by earning a living from it. These programmes focus on the assisted regeneration of mangroves in Indonesia-a task which already involves 3,300 people.and on the conservation of seagrass and coral ecosystems in Mauritius-where 300 people are helping to restore a surface área of roughly II0 hectares.

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