Episode 4: Deep, Blue Thinking

Anna Rose: Thanks for downloading this podcast from the University of Portsmouth. This is the series where we share world-changing ideas and research on everything from tech and the environment to health, security and democracy.
Anna Rose: In Life Solved, we're asking the big questions about how research here is set to change our world in the near future. Hopefully, your mind is ready for a workout. Today, John Worsey is hearing how our guest is working to connect the needs of our lifestyles, governments and environments in a new way of thinking.
Steve Fletcher: So at the moment, a lot of trips to the Marine areas and even close to the shore are managed in a sector by sector way. So conservations... It's done conservation, it's done independent tourism, it's done independent shipping and energy generation.
Anna Rose: Can you imagine the leaders of the world making decisions on everything from the environment to gas pipelines, tourism and mining at the same time?
Steve Fletcher: For a long time, the environmental cost of economic development hasn't been included in the products that we buy and the lifestyles that we lead. We're beginning to recognise that all of our actions have some environmental implications.
Anna Rose: This new way of understanding our deeply interconnected economies means we can work towards a future where sustainability, conservation and emissions goals are just as high on the agenda as fighting poverty and giving access to health and energy. Be prepared to look at our world in an entirely different way, as Steve Fletcher explains how we can make the world a better place without deprioritising our environments.
Anna Rose: Steve Fletcher is Professor in Ocean Policy and Economy here at the University of Portsmouth. He's been bewitched by our oceans his whole career.
Steve Fletcher: I think the ocean is in a way most people only ever get to interact with the edge or even the very shallow bits of the ocean. And so it's a bit of a challenge, I think