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Personhood for Nature & Living Things and Nature-Based Economies - a Look Back & Forward in 2025 "A Bellwether Year for the Ocean" with Resilient Earth Hosts Leigh Anne Lindsey (Producer/Editor), Scott & Tree Mercer (Whale & Seal Study)
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This episode includes a radio show we recorded a year ago, April 2024, when we talked about the March 28, 2024 Declaration for the Ocean signed by Indigenous leaders of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Hawaii, and Easter Island. This treaty declared whales to be legal persons with inherent rights, including the right to freedom of movement, a healthy environment, and the ability to thrive alongside humanity. Signed by chiefs from the island nations, as well as king of the Māori and president of the High Chiefs of the Cook Islands). The Māori King stated: “Ultimately, this is a declaration for future generations.This partnership will establish a marine recovery plan that will accelerate the recovery of populations of sacred species, from whales to sea lions, dolphins, and manta rays.”
This declaration draws upon the traditions of the Māori worldview and emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living things. Recognizing the urgent threats whales face from unsustainable practices, pollution, and climate change, the declaration outlines a plan for their protection, including establishing marine protected areas and implementing customary restrictions guided by ancestral wisdom.
Co-Hosts Scott & Tree Mercer have dedicated their lives to ocean awareness & observation, & have run a whale census program for the past 12 years. They report daily findings along the Northern CA coasts of Sonoma & Mendocino counties to places like Cal Academy of Science in San Francisco, the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, the Noyo Center for Marine Science in Fort Bragg, & the LA Chapter of the American Cetacean Society. Tree taught biology for 34 years on Long Island, NY. Scott began researching marine mammals in 1974. He's flown aerial surveys & studied humpback, finback, & North Atlantic right whales, along with co-founding the Briar Island Ocean Study Research Station on Briar Island, Nova Scotia. He led winter expeditions in the British Virgin Islands for humpback whales & coral reef studies, & co-wrote the Great Whale Book.
Ralph Chami, Founder & Director of Blue-Green Future & Rebalance Earth, former Assoc. Dir. of the IMF is also showcased. He inspired us to create & launch this podcast last Sept, 4 years after he was a guest speaker on the Ocean Life Symposium we simulcast on public radio & YouTube. Chami is a financial economist who is helping to create markets around nature that protect nature in perpetuity.
Thank you for listening, subscribing, & supporting Resilient Earth Radio!
Leigh Anne Lindsey, Producer Sea Storm Studios, The Sea Ranch, North Sonoma Coast
Scott & Tree Mercer, Co-hosts/Producers, Mendonoma Whale & Seal Study, Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts.
Planet Centric Media is Media for a Healthier Planet. Resilient Earth is a project of this 501 (c) (3) non-profit that is developing & producing media to elevate awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.
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