Sparkling Water Without Plastic Bottles (from your taps)
Release Date: 01/15/2025
Why You Should Think Twice Before Eating Squid (The Seafood Labeling Problem No One Talks About)
How To Protect The Ocean
Squid fisheries are booming worldwide, but most consumers have no idea what they are actually eating. In this episode, marine biologist and Oceana policy advisor Marine Cusa breaks down how seafood labeling gaps are hiding critical information about squid species, origins, and fishing practices. Using DNA testing, her team uncovered that many squid products come from distant, high-risk fisheries, often without any transparency for consumers. We explore how traceability failures, unregulated fishing, and complex global supply chains make squid one of the hardest seafood products to track. You...
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The Squid You Eat Is a Mystery, Seafood Mislabeling Explained
How To Protect The Ocean
Seafood mislabeling is more common than most people realize, and squid might be one of the biggest examples. When you order calamari, you are rarely told which species you are actually eating. With more than 300 squid species in the ocean, and most products labeled simply as “squid,” consumers are left with almost no information about the origin, sustainability, or even the species on their plate. Squid fisheries are growing rapidly across the globe, but they are also some of the hardest to track. Squid is often caught on the high seas, processed in multiple countries, and sold in forms...
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Why Seafood Traceability Is Broken (And What’s Really on Your Plate)
How To Protect The Ocean
Seafood is one of the most globalized food systems in the world, but that complexity comes at a cost: traceability. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we break down why it is so difficult to track seafood from the moment it is caught to the moment it reaches your plate. With supply chains spanning multiple countries, processing steps that remove identifying features, and practices like transshipment happening far from oversight, even well-intentioned systems struggle to keep up. We explore how seafood moves through a complex network of fishing vessels, cargo ships, processing plants,...
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The Fish on Your Plate Might Not Be What the Label Says
How To Protect The Ocean
What if the fish on your plate isn’t the fish you think it is? Scientists around the world have been testing seafood from grocery stores, markets, and restaurants using DNA. The results are often surprising. Studies have found that anywhere from 10 percent to more than 30 percent of seafood products are mislabeled. In some cases, cheaper fish are sold as expensive species. In other cases, endangered fish or illegally caught seafood can enter the market under completely different names. Seafood mislabeling is not just a consumer problem. It can hide illegal fishing, undermine sustainable...
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The Seafood Label Problem Most Shoppers Never Notice
How To Protect The Ocean
Most seafood labels look simple, but they often hide more than they reveal. When you buy fish at a grocery store, the package might say salmon, tuna, or cod. But those market names can represent dozens of different species, and the label rarely tells you exactly which one you are eating. In many cases, key details like the fishing location, the vessel that caught the fish, or the specific species are missing. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we explore the seafood labeling gap and why it matters. When multiple species are grouped under the same market name, it becomes harder...
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The Invisible Climate Engineers Running Our Ocean
How To Protect The Ocean
Ocean microbes quietly power the planet. In this episode, we explore the microscopic organisms that regulate Earth’s climate, produce much of the oxygen we breathe, and move enormous amounts of carbon through the ocean every day. These invisible life forms are not just background players in the ocean system; they are central to how the planet works. Synthetic biology is now pushing this idea even further. Dr. José Ángel Moreno-Cabezuelo, a synthetic biologist working in Oxford, is engineering ancient microorganisms called cyanobacteria to capture carbon dioxide using sunlight and biology....
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Can Engineered Ocean Microbes Help Fight Climate Change?
How To Protect The Ocean
Engineered microbes could transform how we fight climate change. Scientists are modifying ancient ocean microorganisms to capture carbon dioxide and produce materials using only sunlight and seawater. These tiny organisms may become living factories capable of creating fuels, plastics, and industrial chemicals without relying on fossil fuels. Cyanobacteria are at the center of this research. These photosynthetic microbes helped oxygenate the Earth billions of years ago, and now scientists are exploring how they can be engineered to produce biofuels, biodegradable plastics, and sustainable...
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Ocean Microbes That Eat Oil and Pollution
How To Protect The Ocean
Millions of people see the damage caused by oil spills and plastic pollution, but very few know what happens beneath the surface. In the ocean, microscopic organisms begin responding almost immediately. Certain marine microbes can actually consume hydrocarbons and other pollutants, turning toxic compounds into energy. Ocean microbes play a surprising role in pollution cleanup. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, scientists observed massive blooms of oil degrading bacteria that rapidly multiplied as they fed on hydrocarbons released into the water. These microbes act as nature’s chemical...
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The Ocean Engine That Regulates Earth’s Climate
How To Protect The Ocean
Every year, the ocean removes billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Most people assume whales, mangroves, or seagrass are responsible for this massive climate service. But the largest carbon capture system on Earth is actually microscopic. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we explore the biological carbon pump, a powerful process driven by ocean microbes that captures carbon at the surface and transports it deep into the ocean for centuries. These tiny organisms, including phytoplankton and cyanobacteria, form the foundation of marine food webs and play a critical...
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Ocean Microbes Run the Planet — Here’s Why That Matters
How To Protect The Ocean
When people think about ocean life, they imagine whales, sharks, coral reefs, and giant kelp forests. But the vast majority of life in the ocean is invisible. In a single teaspoon of seawater, there can be millions of microbes, including bacteria, archaea, and microscopic phytoplankton. These organisms may be tiny, but collectively they regulate oxygen production, drive nutrient cycling, and influence Earth’s climate system. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we explore the hidden microbial world that powers the ocean. You will learn how ocean microbes control the chemistry of...
info_outlineSparkling water without plastic bottles is not only good for your health (plastic bottles can cause health problems).
In this episode of the "How to Protect the Ocean" podcast, host Andrew Lewin interviews Marcus O'Donovan, the founder of CO2U, a company that provides carbon dioxide cylinders for home sparkling water machines. The discussion centers around the intersection of entrepreneurship and sustainability, highlighting how CO2U addresses environmental concerns while offering a convenient product.
Key Points on Sustainability:
Convenience Over Single-Use Plastics: CO2U allows consumers to create sparkling water at home using tap water, significantly reducing the reliance on single-use plastic bottles. This shift not only minimizes plastic waste but also eliminates the carbon footprint associated with transporting bottled water.
Sustainable Business Model: The business model focuses on delivering CO2 cylinders directly to customers' homes and collecting empty ones, promoting a circular economy. This approach contrasts with traditional methods where consumers must return cylinders to collection points, making it more user-friendly and sustainable.
Innovative Solutions: Marcus discusses the introduction of a new aluminum refillable cylinder to replace disposable steel cylinders used in many sparkling water taps. This innovation aims to further reduce waste and enhance sustainability in the industry.
Authenticity in Sustainability: The episode emphasizes the importance of genuine sustainability efforts over greenwashing. Marcus expresses a desire to focus on authentic practices that truly benefit the environment, rather than just marketing claims.
Growth and Impact: Since its inception, CO2U has experienced significant growth, with a 500% increase in the second year. The company is expanding its reach across Europe, demonstrating that sustainable business practices can also be profitable.
Overall, the episode illustrates how CO2U not only meets consumer demand for sparkling water but also contributes positively to environmental sustainability by reducing plastic waste and promoting the use of tap water.
CO2YOU website: https://co2you.com/
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