Parley for the Oceans

Captain Paul Watson is the original Parley catalyst. We would not exist without his example and commitment to the oceans, nor without the personal risks he takes to get more eyes on the realm beneath the waves. ⁠ ⁠ For decades, the legendary ocean activist - who leads the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, co-founded Greenpeace and founded Sea Shepherd - has stood up for our life support system. Now he needs us to stand up for him. ⁠ On Sunday, July 21st, Paul was arrested by Danish authorities in Greenland on an international arrest warrant issues by Japan. He faces charges for his work opposing illegal whale hunts in Antarctica and is looking at a possible 15-year prison sentence if extradited to Japan. ⁠ ⁠ Since Paul's arrest, hundreds of supporters have joined the campaign to #FreePaulWatson, including influential voices like President Macron of France, who is putting pressure on Danish authorities to prevent his extradition. The situation brings pivotal questions to the surface: Why are the good guys getting arrested? Who is Paul Watson, really? ⁠ ⁠ Parley for the Oceans has worked with Paul for over a decade, and can attest to his character as a devoted father, empathetic conservationist and one of the most quotable and wise collaborators in the Parley network. His opponents paint him as a radical environmentalist and eco-pirate, but as Captain Paul himself has clarified, "protesting illegal activity is not piracy." If he is feared, it is because he is effective - and because he tells the uncomfortable truth: humans are killing the oceans, and "if the oceans die, we die." ⁠ ⁠ When Captain Paul Watson protects whales, he protects the role they play in the ecosystem that generates most of the oxygen in the air we breathe. When he stands up for the oceans, he stands up for us all. ⁠ ⁠ The people who defend our planet should be celebrated, not arrested. Sign the petition to help #FreePaulWatson here: https://lnkd.in/exNQvJH3 and follow Captain Paul Watson Foundation for the latest updates.

“This is not just a movement to protect whales and sharks, seals and fish, it is a movement to protect humanity and all other species on this planet.” - Captain Paul Watson ⁠ The Parley story begins with Captain Paul Watson. This organization would not exist were it not for his example. The legendary ocean activist, who is the co-founder of Greenpeace and founder of Sea Shepherd, a devoted father and passionate environmentalist, has stood for the oceans for decades, and now he needs us to stand up for him. ⁠ ⁠⁠ This weekend, Paul was arrested in Greenland by Danish authorities on an international warrant issued by Japan. He faces two arrest warrants for opposing illegal whaling in Antarctica and for intervening against illegal shark finning in Costa Rica. ⁠ ⁠ Captain Paul’s actions have always been in the interest of upholding international laws and ensuring the health of the oceans. Despite doing the work of governments, he is being treated as an international criminal, for defending sea life and the ecosystem we all depend on to survive.⁠ ⁠ We call for the immediate release of Captain Paul Watson.⁠ ⁠ To show your support, please follow his foundation Captain Paul Watson Foundation for updates and flood the embassies worldwide. 📧 Find the email template at the link here: https://lnkd.in/dkyjwCYw #FreePaulWatson⁠

A cool product can be a stealthy catalyst for social change. One minute you’re admiring a jacket, the next you’re deep into a discussion on food insecurity and plastic pollution. 🌜🍓 That’s the idea behind the Parley x Sky High Farm Universe collaboration — a ready to wear concept capsule collection presented at the Future Fabrics Expo with the material innovators of the Parley Future Material® program. The pieces here are made from revolutionary, non-harmful biomaterials - Bananatex®, TômTex Inc., Ponda and Nature Coatings and also Parley Ocean Plastic® — materials that have the potential to replace leathers, virgin plastics, polyurethane and more. It represents the next step in our vision for a Material Revolution. Each item is a messenger for progress - a Symbol of Change demonstrating what’s possible when creatives and brands take responsibility for the products they offer with an approach that centers community, connects across industries and interests, and invites more people into the solutions. As of now, this capsule collection using Parley Future Material® isn’t yet available for purchase, but the teams are working on bringing it to the market in the near future. Watch this space! Read our interview with Sky High Farm Universe Co-CEO & CMO Daphne Seybold and Senior Brand & Partner Manager Matty Friedman here: https://lnkd.in/geTm4ZTz

Progress over perfection - that’s what makes real change happen. Through direct action, education and eco-innovation, we can support a reality that creates positive change around the globe. We are thrilled to partner with NiD SA to move these conversations from an idea, to a standard. Every step counts. For the oceans 🌊

In a coastal city in Vietnam, designer uyen tran learned to buy her clothing secondhand, and if it broke, to repair it. This lifestyle is a stark contrast to the consumer culture and disposable fashion she was exposed to when she moved West, where nearly 19 million tonnes of clothing ends up in landfills every year. Early in her career, Tran recognized the fashion industry’s waste problem, and wanted to be a part of the solution - but how? One of the answers came from her region’s abundant shrimp farms by way of chitosan: a biomaterial found in shrimp shells that happens to be the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth. ⁠ ⁠ Studying at Parsons and working in various fashion houses in NYC, Tran began to see just how unsustainable the fashion industry and its processes were - and became determined to create materials that addressed waste issues and could also be sustainable alternatives. Out of this desire, TômTex Co. was born: a company dedicated to creating biomaterials from seafood waste and mushrooms. Over the last three years since it’s conception, Tran has established TômTex Co. in the luxury fashion world but aims to expand globally, utilizing her technology to develop materials such as biofilms, bio-yarns, and sustainable packaging, breathing new life into old materials. ⁠ ⁠ Read about Uyen Tran and TômTex’s journey in Parley’s latest Material Revolution interview: https://lnkd.in/gwJr2ibq Music Credit (IG): @balubrigada - So Cold

We are all a part of something bigger than we know, and it all connects back to the oceans. 🌊 We’re thrilled to officially announce our ongoing, long-term partnership with frank green, a company committed to reducing single-use plastic waste by reimagining reusable cups and bottles. 🌱 A timely announcement to kick off #plasticfreejuly! This partnership will be crucial in raising awareness and continuing education on ocean conservation and preservation globally 🌏 delivering projects focused on real action, community education, plastic interception, material science and eco innovation. 💚 “Our commitment extends to restoring and preserving the ocean from the devastating impact of single use plastics. And to be frank, we need to,” says Benjamin Young, founder and CEO of frank green. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g88Zmsf5

Born out of a mutual love for the oceans, we are proud to announce a partnership with Parley for the Oceans. Launching at Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, the collaboration includes locally tailored sustainability initiatives, ocean education to inspire a network of Ocean Guardians, and scientific research projects that harness community conservation to support native biodiversity - such as coral mapping the Mayan Reef in the Riviera Maya to help protect these vital marine ecosystems. The oceans cover more than 70% of the planet, harbour 99.9% of the biosphere, control the climate and weather, and produce more than half the oxygen in the air we breathe. We all depend on the oceans - together we are custodians of the coastline, collaborating to protect what connects us all. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3XxqyNx #TheArtOfBelmond #Maroma #RivieraMaya

Thank you Art Basel 💙 🌊

The Overview Effect gets a lot of love, for good reason. In a zoomed out view, Earth is a fragile, finite blue sphere of interdependence. A cognitive shift is inevitable when you see home floating in the darkness beyond. But how can we make sense of anything we find out there if we don’t also turn our attention inward? Here we are. Don’t just look up, go deeper into the unknown. Beneath the blue surface is a living world that remains, for the most part, a mystery. Over the last century, explorers, divers, scientists and photographers have widened our view of Planet Ocean, and in the process have reported the Underview Effect - a sense of awe similar to that experienced far above sea level. Meanwhile, sailors and surfers know the Oceanview Effect that comes with losing sight of the shore and witnessing the vastness and power of the seas. Studies show that simply staring at a body of water alters our brain waves. Surely it’s no coincidence that we’re hardwired to feel changed when we contemplate the things that connect us all. We humans tend to think of ourselves as the protagonists of the Anthropocene, but a study of Earth’s largest ecosystem changes the narrative. While our actions touch every corner of the globe, it's the oceans that rule our world. As Dr. Sylvia Earle says, "onward and downward." Happy #WorldOceansDay. ⁠ Photos: @underwaterellen, @platoux, Matt Howard & @jonoallenphotography

You’ve probably visualized vibrant rainforests like the Amazon and natural wonders like the Grand Canyon - but have you ever pictured the great expanse known as the Great African Seaforest? As a forest of kelp that is over 1300km long and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, it’s almost so vast, it’s hard to wrap your head around. ⁠ Even though kelp forests are vital to maintaining the planet’s stable climate through sequestration of carbon and removal of nutrient pollution, they fly under the radar in terms of other worldly natural features. Intrigued by this scientific curiosity, marine biologist Loyiso Dunga has been mapping these forests of the sea since 2016, and is still trying to figure out why this specific kelp forest is expanding while others around the globe are on a significant decline. ⁠ ⁠ Join in on our conversation with Loyiso Dunga as he discusses his learnings from his career, his grandfather’s indigenous wisdom as a traditional healer, the barriers that still need to be overcome in South Africa, and the hope of everything we stand to gain by respecting Indigenous teachings.