“The ocean is our biggest guarantee to deal with the climatic crisis,” says Peter Hefverman.

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Marine science expert and former CEO of the Maritime Institute in Ireland, Peter Hefanan He contributed actively in Ocean protection. He is currently part of the European Union’s mission to “restore our oceans and water” and is a member of the Blue Ocean Foundation Board of Directors. The researcher in Portugal was on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the American Porto Development Corporation (FLAD) to participate in “Breathing with Ocean” conferenceWhich gathered experts to discuss challenges and opportunities for marine resources.

In an exclusive interview Con ‘Euronews’ Y ‘SUNRISE’ In the Lisbon Museum, Hefrannan did not talk only about the ocean As a link between Portugal and the United StatesBut also of your importance ConservaciónCriticizing the progress of US President Donald Trump Towards the exploitation of mining from the sea floor He asks European leaders to take matters “the greatest guardianship on the lands of the ocean.”

Question: To what extent can the ocean play an important role in achieving climate neutrality and in terms of preserving species?

Answer: The ocean is our biggest guarantee to deal with the climatic crisis. It is closely related to the weather. It protects us very hot, and stores a lot of carbon and is an important part of our solutions to deal with the weather. But we disturbed the ocean to its borders. Now we have to re -put, respect and sponsor this guarantee for our lives. If we do that, we will have an opportunity to get out of this crisis. If we do not, the future will be dark.

But what do you think can be done at this level? I mean, in research, in investment?

As countries, as a European Union, as a scientist, we have to plan the ocean as part of our future. We have to judge in a more responsibility, and much more United. We must take care of ensuring our lives, the ocean. For this, a lot of dedication, resources, a lot of focus and many leaders are needed. It is time for leaders from all over Europe to stand and plundered darkness.

Portugal welcomed the United Nations Conference around the oceans until recently, and the witness moved to France. Do you think that during that period, Portugal played an important role in protecting the oceans and in the policies that were promoted during that time?

Portugal did a great job by welcoming UNOC2. It was like a beacon lighting the road, and showed us the way to follow up. He gave great energy and power to French leaders, who are now planning how to host it. We are very sure that June UNOC3 will represent the political declaration and the subsequent step forward in the surrounding, management and protection of the ocean.

As for what is happening in Europe and as a member of the European Union mission to restore our oceans and water, what has this task contributed to?

I think when the Starfish report was published, it was an ambitious project. It was very ambitious, with a lot of vision for the future, and he had a scope and a batch. Now is the moment, as we approach the European Ocean agreement and the advertisements made by President Ursula von der Lin in Nice, to re -discover this visual, ambitious, comprehensive and integrated approach to all governments in relation to the ocean. We started, we have a long way to go to the end.

There is a goal to meet. What can be done during that period?

We do not have days we lose. We have to increase political ambition, approach and the approach of all rule in all European Union countries. We must be front lamps for the world because we are the greatest guardians on the peripheral land of this planet. That is why it is compatible with the European Union to take over this moment of leadership. This depends on each of the member states part of this motivation, because all countries that contain fresh water, freshwater and oceans are one, and they are all connected. It does not matter if we are thousands of kilometers from the ocean, then the ocean is part of our lives. So we all have to move forward. This is for our grandchildren. This is dangerous and this is now.

We have heard the capabilities of the ocean economy. What are the capabilities of renewable energies in the ocean and what can we still open?

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We have new and terrible opportunities related to the ocean economy. There can be no change in our relationship with the ocean without changing our economy model. We have to move from the devastating bases to other professionals and circles and renew the potential of carbon storage in the ocean. The peripheral energy of Portugal, for Ireland, is the factor of change. Our energy safety crane, for our carbon neutrality, and in fact, our ability not only to provide all our energy needs, but also to export clean and neutral energy in carbon. These are the types of new innovative innovative industries for a new and different economic model. We need a biological economy based on vital technology that is not destroyed for food production, for many different industries of materials based on their origin in the ocean.

In recent years, we have come to a rise in sea level, severe meteorological phenomena and an increase in ocean temperature, which also causes meteorological phenomena. What can we do to invest this trend?

The ideal storm is a fermentation. Unless we take our carbon effect very seriously, we face the risk of living in worse conditions. And science does not lie, and science is accurate. We know enough to know how to change it, what should be reversed and what should be guaranteed to our future. It is time to start doing this and lead the political leadership, lead the private sector and adhere to citizens to do so.

We are here on the occasion of a conference organized by Flad. How can this cooperation take advantage of Portugal and the United States to the issue of oceans?

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She participated and honored a great honor to participate in the establishment of a Gallowean statement, the Investigation Alliance in the Atlantic Ocean, in 2013, between the European Union, Canada and the United States. In 2017, it grew through a Balm’s statement to extend to South Africa and Brazil and is now Polo to Polo in the Atlantic Ocean. They are examples of international scientific diplomacy. At such times, we need diplomacy as it has not happened before. Political dynamics change and we need this understanding and the Atlantic link. Flad has a great history in creating associations between the United States, Europe and Portugal in particular. But in Ireland, with the largest diaspora in Europe in the United States, we understand the Americans. We talk “America” ​​as we talk “Brussels”. Associations, diplomacy, dialogue. This is our future.

Since we are talking about the United States, how do you see Donald Trump’s executive about mining on the high seas?

Common goods from the depths of the navy belong to humanity. It is a gift between generations for all future generations. We must respect all sciences about any storming in the common goods of the planet. You have to respect her. We need to develop a science that monitors and protects any extractive industry or any use of common commodities. I think we should adopt a conservative approach to any extraction or mining on the high seas. We should not do that until we know enough about science and its potential impact. Because this effect will not be isolated in one place. The ocean is one and affects all the inhabitants of the planet.

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Do you think this executive is also a sabotage of international law?

I don’t think we should do so. I don’t think it is in the interest of humanity to do so now. Among the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Authority for Maritime Funds, there is a way to organize this issue and must be respected.

What are the concrete environmental problems to exploit mining at the sea floor?

It disturbs the peripheral boxes, which store carbon. So we export the carbon atmosphere from which nature found a way to protect us. We offer the rich, disturbed sediment and ecosystems and ecosystems, in the first place, we do not know enough. BIOOTA, this sea floor microbes play an unknown role in the work of the entire system. We have to understand this before allowing any extractive or harmful industry of any kind in these areas.

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How will this executive matter shake the geopolitical council? Because with regard to climate change, we also saw how the United States abandoned the Paris Agreement.

After I worked, lived, and I have a unique opportunity in life in the eighties to work as a scientist in the United States, and I have great respect for the group of science and scientific contributions. The United States contributes 57 % of all the surveillance capacity of the planet. However, the exchange of this information was activated by executive order. It could not be conceived even a few months ago. Now we have to face this reality. It happened. It does not matter if we love it or not. We must face and act. This presents Europe, as I say, the largest surrounding situation on this planet, an opportunity to take a step forward, to live according to our values, to provide leadership, to save these data in the name of all humanity because it serves us all. The scientific community of the United States has made a tremendous contribution so far. It’s time to move forward.

What can this also mean to the international bottom power in terms of progress in organizing the sea floor mining?

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It represents the International Maritime Funds Authority and behaves on behalf of the member states that are part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It has the ability to prepare protocols and means of government. This is what I will ask for the salad of the sea floor. This took a step forward now and offered member states the ability to contribute to providing guarantees to protect the common assets of the oceans.

Can countries like China be seduced by the same thing as the United States?

I think all countries have the ability and ability to take care of their future generations, to do the right thing for their future generations. And doing the right thing for future generations means doing the right thing for the surroundings in all its aspects. I believe in humanity, I think we can find a way to do the right thing in time.