Reflection of Mission Blue
Dr. Sylvia Earle’s “Mission Blue” is to protect the ocean in the same way we protect the land. To an Environmental Studies student, it may not appear as though protecting the oceans would be so easily swept under the rug; however, this documentary proves otherwise. As was mentioned in the video, “as the ocean’s dying, it looks the same- the waves are the same.” Perhaps because of this reason, we have postponed action in conservation efforts of the sea. Most people do not have the opportunity to see under the waves and therefore have no visual for the extent of the damage we have inflicted on our oceans. At the surface, a person does not see the schools of millions of fish that no longer swim, or the once colorful corals that …show more content…
During an interview, Dr. Sylvia was asked, “aren’t you a radical about protecting the oceans?” to which she replied, “if I seem like a radical, it may be because I see things that others do not.” It was awe-striking to hear Sylvia tell of how much the oceans have changed since her childhood. She recalled 60 years ago the Gulf of Mexico was a “sea of Eden” and now it’s a “paradise lost”. Growing up in 1947, Dr. Earle said there was one offshore drilling site in the Gulf and as of 2014, there were over 33,000 offshore drilling sites. In terms of watching the degradation of both land and water – especially in the Gulf region – Dr. Earle stated that she saw the “before and after”. I cannot imagine the heavy heart that would come from experiencing such a transition of life on Earth. Although in my lifetime I have only ever witnessed Sylvia’s “after”, I have witnessed environmental disasters unlike any previously recorded by man and it has altered my life tremendously. One of the best aspects of this documentary was Sylvia’s candidness and fearless attitude towards confronting the issues at hand. She was open about her personal life and discussed how each of her three husbands helped her get