We Need a Blue New Deal

We Need a Blue New Deal Interview with Grace Chapman, LSESU Marine Society president. Hi Grace! Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and why you get involved in the LSESU Marine Society? Hello! I am an International History student from Norwich. I have always lived near the ocean, and it has been central to the way I view the world, which I why I wanted to get involved in Marine Society. LSE is obviously a social sciences university, and to have the chance to get involved in a cause – ocean conservation – that too often has been confined to the natural sciences showed to me the scope we have for change. We have a unique view of how we can approach climate action, and we hope to bring that to the people of LSE.

Why is protecting our oceans so important? It is no surprise that we need immediate action to combat global heating and plastic pollution, and it is our oceans that are most affected by our actions. The ocean takes up over 70 per cent of our world and has the capacity to bring so much joy to so many. Such a large part of what we do is about having fun in, around, and on the ocean: bringing diving training to students, going on beach cleans and trips to Brighton, and collaborating with other societies to inject our message across the University. The seas unite us, and this is symbolic of the collective approach we must employ globally to protect our oceans. It is the only way we can enjoy them. The LSESU marine society is currently working on a “Blue New Deal” manifesto. What kind of issues need to be addressed by a Blue New Deal? The Blue New Deal is a project that involves a variety of things: policy proposals, charity campaigns, wider education and engagement at the University. Our discussions and research so far have included the following topics: the issue of greenwashing oceanbased tourism, the question of overfishing, and how we can deal with plastic pollution at its source and once it is in the ocean. We are lucky to have an international and diverse group of members, both in the society and on our Blue New Deal scheme. This means that whilst UK examples provide the basis for our research, we will compare how the UK approaches issues of ocean conservation to the home countries of other participants.

The Marine Society plans to undertake a sailing expedition as part of your work exploring a Blue New Deal. Can you tell us more about this? The best way to understand the ocean is to go on it. Sailing is a unique experience out of reach to many because of its cost. We are lucky to work in collaboration with an exceptional organisation, Sail Britain, whose passion for bringing the ocean to groups dedicated to saving it has allowed us to conduct our research at a relatively low cost. We hope to work on our policy proposals and inform how they might work in practice whilst in the field. We will collect micro-plastic samples from the rural Scottish seas, and use this unique platform to collate our ideas: a think tank for the ocean, made on the ocean.

Is there anything that we can do as individuals to support marine conservation? Join Marine Society! But also just to be conscious of your everyday actions and question everything. Where is my plastic bottle going to end up? Does my face wash have micro-beads in it? How many food miles does my food have? Has my fish been caught sustainably? Beyond what the individual can do, we need collective action. Educate your parents on how they can change their behaviour, educate your community and your friends. If you can change one person’s mind about their actions, it can set off a chain reaction.

Right now we’re experiencing a period of extreme disruption and uncertainty, as the coronavirus pandemic coincides with the climate crisis. At such a strange time, what are your hopes for the future? I hope that this time of uncertainty can foster greater unity between communities. We cannot go back to ‘normal.’ Now more than ever we need to work together to question our behaviours, and to dismantle systems that harm our oceans. The pandemic has shown that we are capable of mass change for the right reason. Never before has there been such an urgent reason than for the cause of climate action and ocean conservation.

How can LSE students get involved in the Marine Society and the Blue New Deal? We will be hoping to hold a number of (socially distanced) events in the lead-up to our Michaelmas term elections, where a number of committee positions will be open. If you are a student who loves the ocean, whether that is through surfing, swimming, diving, sailing or ocean conservation, Marine Society is a platform to pursue that love even when you feel detached from it in London. The Blue New Deal will continue throughout the year, culminating in our annual expedition to Scotland which is organised for June 2021.