Environmental Protections Before the Next President
Release Date: 01/10/2025
What Happens When Politicians Ignore Ocean Science?
How To Protect The Ocean
Ocean conservation is often treated like an impossible problem, but the truth is simpler: when strong laws are created, enforced, and guided by science, ocean protection works. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin looks at the unglamorous but powerful role of legislation in ocean conservation. From Canada’s Oceans Act and marine protected areas to the U.S. Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Magnuson-Stevens Act, this episode shows how laws can help recover species, rebuild fisheries, and protect habitats. But laws only work when governments follow...
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Canada’s Ocean Promise Sounds Big, But Is It Enough?
How To Protect The Ocean
Canada has a rare chance to become a global ocean conservation leader, but the path is not simple. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin breaks down Canada’s proposed $3.8 billion nature strategy, what it could mean for marine protected areas, and why ocean protection matters as development pressures grow. From pipelines and shipping to offshore oil and gas, fisheries conflicts, climate change, and Arctic access, Canada’s ocean future is being shaped right now. This episode looks at the promise, the risks, and the question every coastal nation should be asking: what...
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Are We Protecting the Ocean Fast Enough?
How To Protect The Ocean
The world has now protected about 10% of the ocean, a major milestone compared to where we were a decade ago. But with the global 30x30 target aiming to protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030, the big question is whether we are protecting the right places, fast enough, and with enough enforcement to make those protections real. In this episode, Andrew breaks down why 10% ocean protection is worth celebrating, why the next 20% will be difficult, and why small coastal protected areas still matter even if they do not add much to the global percentage. Support Independent Podcasts: Need help...
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What Happens When People Show Up for the Planet
How To Protect The Ocean
Many people feel powerless when it comes to environmental issues. Whether it's climate change, habitat destruction, or controversial development projects, it can seem like the biggest decisions are made without public input. But recent protests against proposed AI data centers are reminding us that communities still have influence when people choose to get involved. Across North America, residents have been raising concerns about water use, energy demand, environmental impacts, and transparency surrounding AI data center developments. By attending meetings, contacting elected officials, and...
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The Ocean Connection We Are Losing, And Why It Matters
How To Protect The Ocean
Ocean conservation often focuses on threats: climate change, overfishing, plastic pollution, deep-sea mining, and political failure. But on World Ocean Day, this episode takes a step back to ask a deeper question: why do we protect the ocean in the first place? I reflect on the emotional, cultural, and personal connections people have with the ocean, from living near the coast to watching whales, exploring tide pools, diving, kayaking, listening to waves, or simply standing beside water and feeling calmer. The episode argues that ocean protection cannot only be about resources, regulations, or...
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What You Think About Cold Water Oceans Is Probably Wrong
How To Protect The Ocean
Cold water oceans do not always get the same attention as coral reefs and tropical beaches, but they are full of incredible life, beauty, and ecological importance. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin speaks with Kirsti Burnett about why cold and temperate marine ecosystems deserve more love, curiosity, and protection. From Nova Scotia’s eelgrass beds and coastal inlets to blue sharks, mola mola, leatherback sea turtles, North Atlantic right whales, and cold water kelp forests, this conversation celebrates the ocean environments that many people overlook. The episode...
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How One Puddle Can Hold an Entire Ocean World
How To Protect The Ocean
Tide pools may look like simple puddles along the shoreline, but they are tiny ocean ecosystems filled with fish, crabs, snails, sea stars, worms, algae, and other hidden marine life. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why tide pools are one of the best ways to experience the ocean without a boat, scuba gear, or expensive equipment. These small pools reveal how much life exists right at our feet, and why slowing down is often the best way to discover it. You will learn how tide pools support biodiversity, why they help coastal species survive between tides,...
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Why Canada Matters to the World’s Largest Sea Turtle
How To Protect The Ocean
Leatherback sea turtles are usually associated with warm tropical beaches, but some of the world’s largest sea turtles travel thousands of kilometers to cold Canadian waters each year. Why? Jellyfish. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why Atlantic Canada is an important feeding destination for leatherback sea turtles, how cold water ecosystems support huge bursts of life, and why these northern waters matter more than many people realize. Support Independent Podcasts: Need help with your ocean non-profit, company, or project? Get the help you need...
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The Shark That Turns Fear Into Fascination
How To Protect The Ocean
Blue sharks are one of the most beautiful and misunderstood predators in the ocean. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we explore how this sleek, cold water shark can change the way people think about sharks, especially when they see one off the coast of Atlantic Canada. Blue sharks travel enormous distances, follow ocean conditions, and play an important role in healthy marine ecosystems. They are predators, but they are also ambassadors for a better understanding of sharks. This episode looks at why sharks belong in the ocean, why cold Canadian waters are full of surprising life,...
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The Cold Water Fish That Looks Dead, But Isn’t
How To Protect The Ocean
Ocean sunfish are one of the strangest fish on Earth. They can look like a giant floating dinner plate, drift sideways at the surface, and appear almost lifeless, but their strange behaviour is part of an incredible survival strategy. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explores why the mola mola, also known as the ocean sunfish, spends time in cold Canadian waters. These waters may not look tropical or crystal clear, but they are packed with plankton, jellyfish, nutrients, and life. That productivity attracts whales, turtles, seabirds, sharks, and even one of the...
info_outlineEnvironmental protections before the next president could be sworn in were implemented to help save 625 million acres of ocean from oil and gas exploration.
In this episode of the "How to Protect the Ocean" podcast, host Andrew Lewin discusses recent developments regarding the Gulf of Mexico and new protections for marine environments in the U.S.
Gulf of Mexico Name Change Proposal
The episode begins with a focus on Donald Trump's controversial proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." Lewin explains that such a unilateral change is not feasible due to historical, cultural, and diplomatic considerations. The name "Gulf of Mexico" has been recognized internationally for centuries and reflects the region's shared history with Mexico and Cuba. Any attempt to rename it would require significant international consensus, which is unlikely given current diplomatic tensions. Lewin emphasizes that the U.S. cannot simply impose a new name on an internationally recognized body of water.
New Protections for Oceans
The podcast then shifts to President Joe Biden's recent actions aimed at protecting marine ecosystems. Biden has banned offshore drilling and gas drilling across 65 million acres of federal waters, including sensitive areas in the Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific Oceans, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This decision was made through an executive order invoking the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which grants the president broad authority to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing.
Lewin notes that while Biden's ban can be reversed by a future administration, it would require congressional approval, making it more challenging for Trump to undo the protections unilaterally. The episode highlights that the economic impact of this ban may be minimal in the short term, as existing offshore rigs continue to operate and new projects take years to develop.
Overall, the episode underscores the complexities surrounding the Gulf of Mexico's name and the importance of Biden's new protections for marine environments. Lewin invites listeners to share their thoughts on these developments and the future of ocean conservation.
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