December 23, 2011

Plastic Ocean

The health of oceans is essential to the health of our planet. We’ll hear from a sea captain who discovered a huge area of floating plastic waste. Then – we’ll talk to a man who says he had every excuse to fail in life, but became a successful entrepreneur and businessman.

Episode Segments:

InfoTrak: Plastic Ocean Environmental researcher Captain Charles Moore, author of Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain's Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans shared his story of accidently discovering a 1000 square mile mass of plastic scraps in the Pacific Ocean in1997. He explained where this “plastic soup” is originating and why it collects in that one location.
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InfoTrak; The Strength to Move Forward Sebastian K. Young is aninspirational entrepreneur, and author of I Had Every Excuse to Fail But I Chose None. When he was a youngster, his mother was brutally murdered. He talked about the challenges he faced as a result, and how he chose to forgive the killer in order to move forward in life.
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InfoTrak: The United States of Giving The United States is the world's most generous nation. Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, author of Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World Second Edition shared statistics that illustrate the charitable efforts of individual Americas. She suggested ways to maximize the impact of online contributions and offered advice to parents on how to raise a more giving family
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Charles Moore A third generation resident of Long Beach, California, Captain Charles Moore grew up in and on the Pacific Ocean. His father was an industrial chemist and avid sailor who took young Charles and his siblings sailing to remote destinations from Guadalupe Island to Hawaii. Charles attended the University of California at San Diego where he studied chemistry and Spanish. After 25 years running a woodworking and finishing business, Charles founded Algalita Marine Research Foundation in 1994. In 1995 he launched his purpose-designed, aluminum-hulled research vessel, Alguita, in Hobart, Tasmania, and helped organize the Australian Government's first "Coastcare" research voyage to document anthropogenic (human-caused) contamination of Australia's east coast. Upon his return to California, he became a coordinator of the State Water Resources Control Board's Volunteer Water Monitoring Steering Committee and developed chemical and bacterial monitoring methods for the Surfrider Foundation's "Blue Water Task Force." As a member of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project's Bight '98 steering committee, he realized the need for and provided a research vessel so that Mexican researchers from Baja California could participate for the first time in assessing the entire Southern California Bight along the coastline from Point Conception to San Diego. Oceanographic Research Vessel Alguita and its Captain found their true calling after a 1997 yacht race to Hawaii. On his return voyage, Captain Moore veered from the usual sea route and saw an ocean he had never known. "Every time I came on deck to survey the horizon, I saw a soap bottle, bottle cap or a shard of plastic waste bobbing by. Here I was in the middle of the ocean and there was nowhere I could go to avoid the plastic." Ever since, Captain Moore has dedicated his time and resources to understanding and remediating the ocean's plastic load. Along with collaborators from the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project he developed protocols for monitoring marine and beach micro-plastics which are now used worldwide. Algalita Marine Research Foundation Website

Sebastian Young Sebastian Young is a successful entrepreneur and author from Beaumont, Texas. At the early age of two his mother was tragically murdered and he was sent to live with his grandparents. Although his grandparents were older in age, they possessed a wealth of knowledge. Anecdotal stories about relationships and life choices coupled with tough punishments carved out a determined leader, mentor, and parent. Growing up, the death of his mother haunted him. He would hear voices at night, see her murder in dreams, and relent the days that he was unable to hug her as teenager. Then, after his grandparents passed, he determined to turn his pain into motivation. Every trial and experience became a springboard. Sebastian has kept his family first throughout his life and made tough sacrifices to ensure they received all that they have ever wanted or needed. Success is not found in his bank account but in the smiles on his three daughter’s faces, Christian, Asia, and Alaysia. Sebastian is a partner with Al Colbert and Ja Ja Ball of Colbert/Ball Tax services and Colbert/Ball Entertainment. Together they have toured Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, The O’Jays, Gerald Levert, and several stage plays from writers such as David Payton, Je'Caryous Johnson, and Michael Matthews. Sebastian has also hosted events with Charlie Wilson, Steve Harvey, DL Hughley, Mo' Nique, Cedric the Entertainer, and Mike Epps. Sebastian believes that writing this book is only the beginning of what God has planned for him and eagerly anticipates the future. Sebastian's Website

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) Lecturer Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, '92, MA '98, '99, MBA '97, is the founder and chairman of Stanford PACS (Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society) since 2006. Laura is the founder and chairman emeritus of SV2 (Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund) as well as the President of the Marc and Laura Andreessen Foundation. Laura joined Stanford’s faculty in 2000 and has been a pioneer in creating the academic field of strategic philanthropy. Laura’s academic research focuses on individual giving, philanthropic foundations, corporate and venture philanthropy. Her New York Times bestselling book on individual giving, Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World (published by Wiley’s Jossey-Bass 2011) as well as her blog and website (www.giving2.com) empower individuals of all backgrounds, ages, and passions to make their giving matter more. Laura's Full Bio