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Ocean

Texting Q&A with John Barwise:

Q. So what inspired you to get involved with the environment and sustainability?

A. My Interest in environment started in Whitehaven with my concerns over Sellafield nuclear waste affecting human health. In the 70s Environment organisations were just beginning to take off and I was inspired by their social and environmental values. I joined a few campaigns but realised I needed to know more about how the environment works and why it is so important to human health and wellbeing. That’s why I decided to go to university. Those three years were a real inspiration to me – I knew at that point I wanted to work to protect the environment – not just for nature but for humanity as well.

Q. Do you believe that the government should be putting in more effort in order to stop plastic pollution in the oceans and helping all aspects of sea life that are suffering?

A. [John Barwise]  Two important things have changed in recent years – we consume much more than we used to, including plastics, and we are becoming much more aware of the consequences. Plastics are ubiquitous – they are in everything we make and use from the humble shopping bag to the helicopter on Mars. They have their uses and are here to stay. Plastic pollution in the oceans comes largely from single use containers which are highly dangerous to marine life. They are also highly visible – a constant reminder to us all that we need to act more responsibly. In the UK the government will be introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) that should see billions more plastic bottles recycled and will introduce a world-leading plastic packaging tax in 2022 to encourage the use of recycled content in plastic packaging. This is better than most countries but it’s too little too late for much of the damage already done, but it is a start.

That’s why we desperately need people like you taking the lead on raising awareness of the plastics problem and actively encouraging plastics recycling and inspiring others to get involved.

Q. Do you think our generation will manage to save the ocean?

A. [John Barwise]  You have a huge task in front of you. Don’t expect the world to suddenly change and hoover up all the plastic we have discarded over several generations. My stepdaughter Jessie takes her kids on litter picking sessions – and they love it. Small steps – big learning. Remember we are all in this together – your job is to inspire all of us to get involved. 

Q. If you were to eliminate any single use plastic (just one), which one would it be?

A. [John Barwise]  that’s a difficult one – for the oceans, my preference would be on plastic bottles – not just because they clog up the oceans but because they are collectively the biggest danger to marine life – discarded fishing nets are a big problem as well. I would always refer to the science before making any judgement on preferences. Microplastics that go unseen in our oceans are also a problem and  have actually been found in mussels and other shellfish, which we then eat. What goes around comes around. Checkout ‘Life cycle analysis’.

Q. What are some simple things children/teenagers can do to be sustainable in their own homes and help their parents be more aware and to get them involved with saving our oceans?

A. [John Barwise]  You are already doing a fantastic job with your website and active waste collections. It will inspire others including mums and dads to act more responsibly on what they buy and what they do with their waste. It is a simple truth that you guys probably know much more about the problems and the solutions than your parents, so take time to explain things clearly, don’t be impatient – if friends or adults ask things it is because they want to know what to do so it’s best to engage with them rather than accuse them of not doing enough. To quote one of favourite rock bands “Teach your parent well and feed them on your dreams” 

This is our written interview with John Barwise, a BBC environmentalist.

When and how did you end up working for the BBC and what was it like?

A. [John Barwise]  After Waste Watch I was asked by the University of Surrey to research and write a State of the Environment Report for Basildon District council. The report covered energy, water, waste, pollution, transport and other things managed by the local council. This was fascinating because it gave me the opportunity to join all the dots together, linking environmental activities to human activity. Very little work had been done on State of Environment reporting and my report was the first for a district council in the UK.

After that – Surrey Uni asked me to join their new environmental policy and research unit (EPRU). I worked on a range or projects and programmes – including setting up an MA on environment science as well as sitting on various committees that were guiding government policy and business trades bodies. My boss left shortly after and I was asked to take over. Through my work I had developed a unique knowledge of environment and human activity but knew very little about management. And whilst I continued to enjoy my work, I wasn’t enjoying being a manager.

At that point a job came up as ‘Environment Correspondent’ with the BBC in Manchester. I was offered the post because of my environment experience,  even though I had very limited knowledge of journalism. The first year was a challenge but really exciting! I loved being back in the Northwest after several years in London and I got to cover some really interesting stories across a wide range of environmental issues. But you only had three minutes to tell a story and sometimes it was frustrating not to expand some of those stories. After three years I decided that I could do more outside the BBC and set up my own business ‘Quality of Life’ (QoL) consultancy. I continued to work on environmental topics but focused more on ‘getting the message across’ through documentaries and videos – I also ran hundreds of media communications training sessions with organisations such as Friends of the Earth, RSPB, environment agency and many others. These days I spend most of my time writing environmental stories and publishing technical guides on various aspects of environmental management.

Q. After working with the BBC, what significant impacts have you seen on sustainability towards the ocean?

A. [John Barwise] Thinking of the bigger picture, probably the most significant impacts on the sustainability of the oceans is the warming not only does this change the natural habitat for marine life and corals, but it also causes oceans to rise, threatening coastal regions – it is worth noting that most centres of civilisation are in these coastal areas. Warming seas is also threatening frozen hydrate caps of CO2 and methane, which if released with exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions.

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