Wild Ones #4: Blue Mind
"How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected."
One idea
A million blue marbles
Environmental communication, in a nutshell, is about understanding the science behind effective communication to better advocate for the environmental issues we care about.
As Dr. Mark Meisner, Executive Director of the International Environmental Communication Association puts it, “How well we communicate with each other about nature and environmental affairs will affect how well we address the ecological crisis.”
As an environmental advocate, I’m always on the lookout for new ideas, strategies, tips, and tools to tell better environmental stories. Stories that inform people about how our well-being is connected to the well being of plants, animals, ecosystems, and oceans and Earth we all inhabit. And, in particular, the stories that compel people to action.
One idea that has gained some steam over the past few years is Wallace J. Nichols ‘million blue marbles’ project. In 2009, before giving a conference talk about ocean conservation, Nichols handed out one, small glass blue marble to each of the attendees. When he finished his talk, he asked everyone in the audience to do these three things:
Pull out the marble you received when you came in and hold it out at arm’s length in front of you, and look at it: “That’s what Earth looks like from a million miles away: a small, blue, fragile, watery dot.”
Then Nichols said: “Bring the marble close to your eye, and look at the light through it. Suddenly it’s as if you’re beneath the water. If that marble actually were made of seawater, it would contain trace amounts of virtually every element. It would hold hundreds of millions of organisms—plankton, larvae, single-celled creatures—in that one spoonful.”
Finally, he told everyone: “think of someone you’re grateful for. Perhaps someone who loves the water, or is helping keep the planet’s waters clean and safe and healthy. Or just someone you are grateful to have in your life.”
After the talk, people who attended began sharing their marbles with others, in a chain reaction leading to blue marbles eventually ending up in the hands of everyone from Jane Goodall to the Dalai Lama. The rules for the blue marble game are simple, Nichols says:
The marble must be blue (any shade, but preferably made of recycled glass)
When you receive one, give it away to someone else as a token of gratitude (whenever and wherever you like).
Share your blue marble story however you like.
I thought this was a creative and effective idea for spreading awareness about ocean conservation. What other possibilities are there for sharing objects to inspire environmental awareness, and especially action? If you have time, please share any ideas you might have in the comments:)
One quote (well two)
In her foreword to Wallace J. Nichols’ book, Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do, Céline Cousteau writes:
“Of my grandfather’s many famous quotes, these are the two I hear, read, and see emblazoned on walls and websites most often:
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
“People protect what they love.”
“What did he mean when he said them? I can only infer—he’s not here to ask—but I believe they should be taken in simplicity. The first is about that magical enchantment so many people feel toward the water. The second is about survival—protecting what we love is a basic instinct to humans (just ask any parent).
“The sea, once it casts its spell, does indeed hold us in its net of wonder forever. People do protect what they love. Why are these the two simple ideas we repeat so often? Because they’re true. Now it’s time for us to update my grandfather’s prescient words by explaining them, and, by doing so, changing our understanding and our consciousness of our place on the planet, who we are, and what goes on inside and between us. It’s about reconnecting our sense of self and soul with our waterways and oceans. It’s about finding creativity, clarity, and confidence in our deep Blue Minds.
My grandfather would go there, and so shall we.”
– Céline Cousteau
One question
“What is water? Why are we humans so enthralled by it? And why is this question so obvious and important, yet so hard to adequately answer?”
– Wallace J. Nichols, in Blue Mind.
Every Sunday, I explore one theme, focusing on one idea from me, one quote from others, and one question for you, all captured in a quick one-minute read for you to consider in your own life and work as an advocate for a more healthy, just, and sustainable world. Wild Ones! I hope you find it useful. Let me know what you think of the newsletter and what you’d like to see in the future.
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