Mission Blue: The Sylvia Earle Alliance is an environmentalist advocacy group that focuses on ocean-related issues. The group works with a variety of nonprofit and for-profit organizations to promote ocean conservation through public policy advocacy. [1] The organization signed on as a sponsor of the Green New Deal in 2019.
Background
Mission Blue was founded in 2009 after a TED talk given by Sylvia Earle, the organization’s president and chairman. [2] The main activity of Mission Blue is establishing “Hope Spots” across the ocean. Currently, Mission Blue has established numerous spots in seas around the world. Mission Blue Hope Spots protect areas of economic value from resource exploitation and other human uses. [3]
The group permits anyone to petition to establish a new Hope Spot. [4]
Climate Change
Mission Blue has encouraged people to vote “for policymakers who believe in solving climate change.” [5]
Mission Blue is critical of undersea mining and economic development. [6]
Other Activities
In 2014, Mission Blue released a documentary entitled Mission Blue which followed Sylvia Earle’s efforts conserve the ocean and save it from “pollution, overfishing and climate change.” [7] Netflix and film director James Cameron were involved in its filming and release.
Earle and Mission Blue are active on Twitter. Earle tweeted that “Human beings are sea creatures” on June 3, 2019. [8]
According to their website, Mission Blue is partnered with groups that support ocean conservation and environmentalism, such as Rolex, Biotherm, Ted, Google, National Geographic, EarthX, and Sargasso Sea Alliance, among others. [9]
Funding
The total revenue of Mission Blue in 2017 was $991,313. Its total expenditures in 2017 were $1,261,676.
Its net assets in 2017 were $782,009. [10]
The group has received six-figure contributions from the Dalio Foundation. [11]
Leadership
Mission Blue’s founder and chair is Sylvia Earle, a marine biologist and longtime environmentalist.
The Board of Directors includes the following people: Professor Dan Laffoley, PhD, advisor to the British government on marine science; Carl Gustaf Lundin, previously of the World Bank; Shari Sant Plummer; Shannon O’Leary Joy; Linda Glover; Robert Nixon, a film director; Sharon Kwok; Will Travis, “a respected global brand builder”; [12] and John Vermilye.
Laura Cassiani is the executive director, and had a $121,385 salary in 2017. [13] She works “with the Board of Directors to implement the strategic goals and objectives of the organization.” [14] Deb Castellana is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and had a $111,163 salary in 2017. [15] Castellana has sailed her own yacht in Europe, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico. [16]