​Our Oceans Conference – Malta Oct 2017

COI founder Jim Holm was invited to address the “Our Oceans 2017” Conference in Malta about how PPTF could reduce plastic in our oceans at a local level on a global scale

“SRV Pono” put on some miles 2017. Leaving South France at the end of September we made a 750-mile dash to Malta to attend the “Our Oceans Conference”. Dash is descriptive of the trip. With our equipment delayed by French Customs and damaged by FedEx, we were a week behind schedule and had to keep up a pace to ensure on time arrival. Nevertheless, we had wonderful dawn and dusk light shows, sperm whales and dolphins blessed our path, and we had a hitchhiking sparrow south of Sardinia. The wind rarely cooperated on this course, but we’ve been sailing long enough to count our blessings too.

On the day of the conference “Pono” was warmly received in pouring rain at Portomaso Marina. This marina was spotless and the service was amazing. David and Kenneth are a father son team that provide family attention to customers.

​Project Summary

​Project Name: COI in Malta - "Our Oceans" Conference

​Focus: Global Education

​Number of Volunteers: 12

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​GROUPS INVOLVED

​COI, Scripps Institute, Southwest Airlines Volunteers 

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​CHALLENGE

​Cover 750 miles by boat with 8 persons on schedule 

​5 days of travel time

​Present our ideas

​International environmental conference

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​SOLUTION

​Hard work and perseverance pay off eventually. 

​Not all systems were go as we left for Malta. 

​We held on and made things work. 

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​RESULTS

​COI was a small but significant force for change in the realm of oceanic plastic pollution. 

​Our ideas were well received and collaboration was invited from every corner of the planet. 

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