The sea, the sea! Crashing waves, salty skin, summer freedom, suncream. For those of us who live far from the coast, the sea and vacations are often intertwined. Others use the sea for sport, sailing or diving – and then return home via the same watery channel afterwards. But the sea itself is always there: breathing for us, regulating our weather, keeping the climate in balance. Without the constant work of the ocean, our lives would be completely different – whether we live in Gebrüder Weiss’s native Austria, in a port city like Hamburg, Germany, or in deepest Kazakhstan, thousands of kilometers from the coast.

Elsewhere in this issue, we recognize the contribution of the earth’s forests – which are often described, quite rightly, as “green lungs” (rainforests, in particular, can absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide and produce oxygen). But when it comes to climate protection, the oceans are a far bigger deal. They absorb nearly a quarter of the carbon dioxide we humans generate and they store more than 90 percent of the surplus warmth produced by the greenhouse effect. Without this gigantic thermal buffering, the earth’s average temperature would now be several degrees higher. And the sea produces at least half of the oxygen in our atmosphere – half! That means we owe every second breath we take to the oceans. And without breath,
there is no life.

So shouldn’t we be treating the ocean as something precious? Yes, but the opposite is generally the case. People overfish and pollute the sea, they pump oil out of it and lay cables in it. Dolphins get tangled up in nets, sea birds are mired in oil slicks, colorful plastic bottle tops jangle in the guts of sea turtles. And we humans, too, have for a long time now been harboring microplastics from our marine waste in our own bodies – with as yet unknown consequences. It’s a grim situation, and it hurts us all. Because the oceans aren’t just a vacation destination, or the blank space between continents, they’re our life insurance. By preserving their health we’re protecting the climate, biodiversity, and therefore also the basis of human civilization. The state of the seas doesn’t just impact coastal dwellers; what happens in the North Sea, for example, influences the weather in the Alps. Dying coral reefs mean not just the loss of picture-perfect tropical colors, but also dwindling fish stocks, with knock-on impacts for global food security and, in turn, for prices and markets inland. The warming of the seas also drives extreme weather events – storms, droughts, and floods – that have long since visited us all.

This is why people all over the world are taking action to help protect the oceans – and in so doing enable a good life for all of us. Hamburg yachtsman Boris Herrmann, for example, is not just breaking records with his racing vessel but also collecting scientific data on CO2 levels, microplastics, and water temperatures in remote maritime regions. And then there’s watersports athlete and climate activist Michael Walther, who had planned a daredevil world record attempt – supported by Gebrüder Weiss – to cross the Atlantic on his stand-up paddleboard (SUP). For Walther, this wasn’t primarily about the sporting challenge. He wanted his mission to make a statement about the endurance and determination we humans must devote to protecting our seas. Walther’s plan also involved teaming up with a research institute to collect valuable data and promote marine conservation. Walther has been advocating for climate and environmental protection since 2008 with his “Zero Emissions” project and already has a number of remarkable missions under his belt, including paddling across Germany by SUP and traveling to Iceland with a film crew to document glacial melt there, again from his paddleboard. Next up was the Atlantic crossing. However, two weeks after setting off from Lagos, Portugal, he was forced to abandon the trip. Paddling the waters near Fuerteventura – one of the Canary Islands – he collided with a floating object, damaging the board to such an extent it was impossible to continue.

Gebrüder Weiss was a sound choice of logistics partner for the Atlantic campaign, building on previous environmental initiatives launched by the company. A good example here is GWcycles, where for every kilometer covered by the participants, plastic is removed from rivers and coastal regions in Southeast Asia. The Air & Sea team in Germany transported the special Atlantic-ready paddleboard for Michael Walther’s adventure to Lagos – and brought it back to Kiel, Germany after its premature demise.

Perhaps Michael Walther will renew acquaintances with this epic voyage in due course; after all, while the crossing is risky and daring, it is doable – as shown by others who have rowed across the ocean. These days there are races held over both the Atlantic and Pacific, contested solo or in teams. But this is still a challenge that pushes sportsmen and women to their physical and mental limits. And, as Walther can testify, one that can bring with it some unpleasant surprises. You don’t need a paddleboard to be inspired by Walther’s endeavors, and to protect the oceans you don’t even have to travel to your nearest beach. It all starts with small steps. Taking a critical look at your own plastic consumption and buying fish that has been sustainably sourced: that really is something anyone can do.