“The ocean is in trouble and therefore, so are we.”: A Conservation with Sylvia Earle
November 2024
Legend of oceanography Sylvia Earle has been at the forefront of marine conservation, field research, and advocacy for over half a century. Affectionately known as ‘Her Deepness’ by the scientific community, she has broken records and boundaries: blazing a trail for women in marine science. Her passion and determination inform not only her science but also her championing of marine conservation: her work for the government, her support for museums and her nonprofit organization, Mission Blue. She has received accolades from National Geographic, The Library of Congress, Time Magazine and others and has over 100 publications to her name.
Through their work to protect our planet, Dr. Earle and 2024 Tyler Prize Laureate Johan Rockström have become well acquainted, both professionally and personally. In this conversation, Sylvia Earle talks to the Tyler Prize about why the Planetary Boundaries framework is such a powerful tool for understanding our planetary systems and their limits. She also gives us an insight into her relationship with Johan Rockström, both as a fellow scientist and as a friend, and discusses what world leaders–and all of us–need to do now to protect our planet.
As a global authority on marine conservation, can you tell us a bit about the importance of our oceans and the state they are in today?
Until now, the ocean has been taken for granted, thought to be too big, too resilient to fail. But we’ve got evidence now that the ocean is in trouble and therefore, so are we. Now we know the ocean drives climate, shapes weather, affects planetary chemistry, and holds most of life on earth. It’s 97% of the biosphere and it’s in trouble. Kelp forests have declined since the middle of the 20th century, since I began exploring as a scientist. Ninety percent of many of the big animals in the ocean that were there when I began exploring the ocean are gone: tunas, sharks, the creatures that we love to extract and consume. Now we can see it, and we have to hurry to change this trajectory of consumption because it affects planetary security.
The ocean is one of the facets of the Planetary Boundaries framework, which identifies thresholds for planetary security in a comprehensive and cohesive way. Can you explain the Planetary Boundaries framework in simple terms?
The concept of Planetary Boundaries defines in a measurable way what keeps Earth safe in a universe that is really not very friendly to humans. Johan Rockström and his colleagues came up with a concept of defining those issues that maintain planetary security, keeping Earth habitable. Johan was able to define what constitutes Earth’s life support system and where we are in trouble. He decided to define the problems as a start, but then look for solutions; what can we do about it?
What is original about the Planetary Boundaries research is the brilliance of looking at what defines that security blanket that Earth has. Can you measure it? Can you see where we are on a trajectory of going too far? And what can we do to bring it back into a safe place? If you can define the problem, then you can do something about it. If you don’t know what the problem is or what you can do to solve the problem, you’re just paralyzed.
The Planetary Boundaries framework is really important to be able to illustrate to people the magnitude of the trouble we’re in, backed by sound evidence. It’s only now that we have enough information to be able to see what was not seeable before. It’s like a puzzle. You get a lot of pieces assembled. You begin to see patterns. But not everybody sees it. Johan has the genius to be able to see through all of this data and understand how it fits together, even without having all the pieces.
What was your reaction to seeing the Planetary Boundaries concept for the first time?
I first heard Johan explain this Planetary Boundaries concept in 2012 at the World Economic Forum. I thought “How brilliant!” At last, someone who’s really defined in a tangible way the magnitude of the problems, the trouble we’re in, and what we can do to change things.
It’s obvious to me as a scientist that we have already gone further than we should to maintain planetary security. But knowing that we have already exceeded some of the Planetary Boundaries is a powerful incentive to really, really act now.
What’s at stake? How would the world be different if we didn’t have the Planetary Boundaries framework?
If we just continue doing what we’ve been doing, in ignorance and with complacency, the trajectory is very clear. We’re in trouble and we don’t have a lot of time to modify our behavior to change this decline into recovery and stability. That is the goal, and it’s achievable.
Having crossed six of the nine planetary boundaries so far, there’s so much we need to do. We really need to listen up and take major steps while there’s still time. We need to understand the magnitude of the problem and the opportunity that we’ve never had before. And if we wait, it will not come again.
As a fellow scientist with a huge global platform, how do you think Johan Rockström is uniquely positioned to lead this work on Planetary Boundaries and to ensure the concept’s impact?
Some people refer to Johan Rockström as “Johan Rock Star.” That’s because he is so effective in communicating these deep thoughts, these complex realities, in ways that his fellow scientists can understand, even though they’re not schooled in his particular discipline, as can children and even government officials. But one thing that comes through in listening to Johan speak is that he’s the real deal. He’s not a salesman. He’s communicating the reality in ways that you really get it. He’s not making this stuff up. He’s basing it on his understanding, backed by evidence, that you can peel back the layers. And he just keeps going, saying, “Why?” “How?”, understanding that he can show you why he has come to the conclusions that he has.
One of the things that sets Johan apart from many of his learned colleagues is that he gets out in the ocean, in nature, as a witness. It’s not just textbook, it’s just not crunching numbers, although that’s part of it. But he really engages with the natural world. That makes a difference in terms of his personal conviction and the reality of seeing change that is there for anybody to see. He comes armed with the background of a scientist to be able to see what others do not, and then to communicate it so others can see what is obvious to him.
For Johan, Planetary Boundaries is a lifetime endeavor. Once he saw this concept, it became his focus, and for good reason. This is at just the right time when we need the capability of definition with an action plan to go from decline to recovery. Getting people to understand the magnitude of the change required is hard, but Johan is tenacious. He isn’t giving up.
Given that the Planetary Boundaries research has now been around for 15 years and has been widely recognized, do you feel world leaders are currently doing enough to protect us from transgressing the boundaries?
The Planetary Boundary framework has been powerful in terms of enabling world leaders to understand the magnitude of the problems and the direction that we must take if we are to secure a safe future for everything we care about. It’s been helpful, but it’s also frustrating to see that complacency, self-interest, a lot of things are causing reluctance to act for whatever reason when people really understand the magnitude of the issues.
They are motivated. But there’s a lot pulling on world leaders to cause them to continue business as usual. But business as usual is not the answer to a safe and prosperous future for humankind and for life on Earth. World leaders should be doing everything in their power to reverse the decline of nature: land, air, water, ocean. As if their lives and everything they care about depend on it. Because they do.
What can individuals do to make a difference?
Look in the mirror. Who are you? What have you got? I can’t tell you what you’ve got, but you know what the problems are. Pick up something, some piece of it that you can act on. Do you sing? Are you good at math? Are you good with kids? Are you good with animals? What do you care about? Whatever it is, just step up and do it.
This conversation has been edited from its original length for concision and clarity.