Our guest this week is Rachel Labbe-Bellas, founder of Montreal Canada-based O’Land Stations which hydrates the world's largest entertainment events & venues with profit-oriented cylindrical water stations that reduce single use plastic - one of the biggest issues now facing our planet.

It’s quite the success story, from launching right at the beginning of the pandemic - when most all major events were cancelled, pivoting during that time, and now gaining their stride as they have hit the ground running with a solution for reducing single use plastics, specifically at large events, from sports to music to conferences and events of all types where clean, cold, and quick delivery of water for an attending public is needed, and where it is also an economical tool for the event host or the event organizers. They’re building an economy around an enormous plastics pollution problem.

Rachel shares her journey from marine biology to entrepreneurship, the challenges faced during the pandemic, and the success of her company in promoting sustainability at large events. The conversation highlights the importance of partnerships and data-driven solutions in creating a more sustainable future. We discuss role of host cities for major events like the FIFA World Cup, the innovative solutions for water dispensing, the impact of their efforts in reducing single-use plastics, logistics of delivering water stations, the dynamics of market demand, and the unique offerings of their business model. The conversation also touches on manufacturing challenges, expansion plans.

Rachel has traveled the world and earned a biology degree from McGill University in Quebec, and a Master’s in ecology degree in Brazil. She’s a quadrilingual and has lived in Panama, Barbados, Italy, Philippines, and Brazil, studying tropical ecology. She worked 7 years at 5 Gyres institute as a science programs and development manager, and a corporate relations manager. She worked as a Development Coordinator for Dr. Sylvia Earle at Mission Blue, and was also a science research associate at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA. Dec 2015, she was part of 14 women from around the globe who set sail for 19 days to make the unseen seen, from the toxics in our bodies to the toxics in our seas. Their mission was to explore the issue of plastics

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Leigh Anne Lindsey, Producer Sea Storm Studios, The Sea Ranch, North Sonoma Coast

Scott & Tree Mercer, Co-hosts/Producers, Mendonoma Whale & Seal Study, Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts.

Planet Centric Media is Media for a Healthier Planet. Resilient Earth is a project of this 501 (c) (3) non-profit that is developing & producing media to elevate awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.

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Carl talks about the pressing issue of ocean plastics and his organization's efforts to combat this global crisis. They discuss the origins of OpenOcean's Global, the facts and myths surrounding ocean plastics, and the innovative solutions being implemented worldwide. The conversation emphasizes the importance of collaboration, citizen science, and the need for systemic change to address plastic pollution effectively. They explore the challenges of recycling, the health risks associated with plastics, and innovative solutions for cleanup and prevention.

takeaways

• OpenOcean's Global aims to aggregate and visualize ocean data.
• Plastic pollution is a significant global challenge, with 75% found on shorelines.
• The majority of ocean plastic originates from a few countries with poor waste management.
• Citizen science plays a crucial role in gathering data on ocean plastics.
• Understanding the flow of plastic waste is essential for effective intervention.
• The UN Treaty on Plastics faces challenges from key countries.
• Our ocean plastic map allows citizen scientists to report pollution.
• Plastic pollution significantly impacts marine life and ecosystems.
• Plastic production is expected to triple by 2040, worsening the crisis.
• There are over 4,000 hazardous chemicals found in plastics.
• Plastic in homes contributes to increased fire risks during wildfires.
• Identifying the source of plastic pollution is crucial for solutions.
• Innovative toolkits can help communities track plastic sources.

If you have questions, or would like to speak with the hosts, please send us a message here. Thanks for listening to Resilient Earth Radio & Podcast!

Support the show

Thank you for listening, subscribing, & supporting Resilient Earth Radio!

Leigh Anne Lindsey, Producer Sea Storm Studios, The Sea Ranch, North Sonoma Coast

Scott & Tree Mercer, Co-hosts/Producers, Mendonoma Whale & Seal Study, Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts.

Planet Centric Media is Media for a Healthier Planet. Resilient Earth is a project of this 501 (c) (3) non-profit that is developing & producing media to elevate awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.

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We still have time to make a positive impact on the future of life on this planet.

Watch the video of his presentation here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nZ4NgdnmFf8

This episode is about Dr. Josh McInnis who presented at our 6th Annual Ocean Life Symposium October 2024. Topic: Determining the Ecology and Community Structure of West Coast Transient Killer Whales in the Northeastern Pacific. Josh is from the windy seaside city of Victoria BC, Canada. His research focuses on the ecology and behaviour of marine mammals in British Columbia and Monterey Bay, California, with studies focusing on the foraging behaviour, diet, and ecology of transient (Bigg’s) killer whales and Risso’s Dolphins. They gather information with the help of NOAA, Oregon State University, Pacific Wildlife Foundation, ACCESS (which we interviewed before), and a bunch of whale watchers from Canada to Baja.

See his publication: Foraging behaviour and ecology of transient killer whales within a deep submarine canyon system

Josh D. McInnes ,Kevin M. Lester,Lawrence M. Dill,Chelsea R. Mathieson,Peggy J. West-Stap,Stephanie L. Marcos,Andrew W. Trites

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0299291

And this article published: March 20, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299291

Transient killer whales have been documented hunting marine mammals across a variety of habitats. However, relatively little has been reported about their predatory behaviours near deep submarine canyons and oceanic environments. We used a long-term database of sightings and encounters with these pre

If you have questions, or would like to speak with the hosts, please send us a message here. Thanks for listening to Resilient Earth Radio & Podcast!

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Thank you for listening, subscribing, & supporting Resilient Earth Radio!

Leigh Anne Lindsey, Producer Sea Storm Studios, The Sea Ranch, North Sonoma Coast

Scott & Tree Mercer, Co-hosts/Producers, Mendonoma Whale & Seal Study, Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts.

Planet Centric Media is Media for a Healthier Planet. Resilient Earth is a project of this 501 (c) (3) non-profit that is developing & producing media to elevate awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.

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We still have time to make a positive impact on the future of life on this planet.