CEO Iain Kerr joins Parley for the Oceans and Corona to protect islands from plastic

So often when I give a talk, it is in a darkened theater or laboratory, so to be standing on a beach in Tulum, Mexico, with the Caribbean Sea behind me, giving an ocean conservation talk to people from the global beer brand Corona, representatives of Parley for the Oceans and about 25 members of the Mexican press was a powerful opportunity to stress the importance of healthy oceans.
The overriding theme of the talks was the unacceptable levels of plastic polluting our oceans. It may seem like an overwhelming problem, but the conversations were positive, and about solutions and a can-do attitude. I encourage all of you to look at the Parley for the Oceans AIR strategy for dealing with Ocean Plastic.
During my presentation, I talked about my work around the world over the last 30 years, documenting ocean pollution and the health of whales (& ocean ecosystems), and of course I talked about new innovations and technologies (like SnotBot) that I believe can act as a catalyst for change in ocean conservation.
The occasion of the meeting was the announcement from Corona and Parley of their partnership in the movement to end marine plastic pollution, one of the biggest threats to human health and the survival of the planet’s largest and most important ecosystem – the world’s oceans. The long-term partnership launches with a plan to protect 100 Islands by 2020, starting in six key regions in different parts of the world – Mexico, Maldives, Australia, Chile, Italy and Dominican Republic.
 

Corona has committed to Parley’s creative, multidisciplinary approach and signature formula for reducing ocean plastics, the Parley AIR Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign), and will adopt a plastic-free philosophy across al aspects of its brands.
Read more about the Parley x Corona partnership here.
As much as I like SnotBot, I always remember the words of our president and founder, Dr. Roger Payne; “Saving the world is not a job that requires some highly developed technology, or some arcane new science, or some hitherto undeveloped social system.  It just requires us to change our minds, as to the value of our oceans and the power of the individual”
Two out of every three breaths we take come from our oceans – if that’s not important enough to change your mind to act, I’m not sure what is.
I hope that I was able to inspire and engage those listening with the idea that at the end of the day the job of saving the world is in our individual laps. It isn’t someone else’s responsibility!
Please commit to supporting ocean conservation and don’t buy products that can pollute our oceans.