Plastic Odyssey - Parcourir les océans pour sauver la Terre, by Simon Bernard and Alexandre Dechelotte - Foreword by Bertrand Picard - Editions EPA, October 11, 2023 - 240 pages
A round-the-world expedition to combat plastic pollution at sea by acting at source: on land! This book is the real logbook of the Plastic Odyssey expedition, a ship that set sail from Marseilles on December 1.er October 2022 to sail the seas and coasts of the world: Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Cape Verde, Senegal, Guinea and soon South America and Asia. On board, a crew determined to save the oceans from plastic pollution, by proposing innovative solutions to entrepreneurs in the countries with the most waste to deal with.
As the planet suffocates under plastic waste, Simon Bernard, Alexandre Dechelotte and their team have taken up the colossal challenge of fighting plastic pollution. Aboard this laboratory ship, they will be sailing the oceans for three years to discover and disseminate inspiring, sustainable solutions.
Simon Bernard and Alexandre Dechelotte, the two authors, both recent graduates of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Maritime de la Marine Marchande (ENSM), recount in writing and in pictures this adventure, which in itself concentrates the challenges and hopes of humanity in the 21st century. The two multi-hatted navigators met while studying at the ENSM. Through their experiences, encounters and discussions, they realized that as young entrepreneurs, citizens and inhabitants of this earth, they had the power and responsibility to contribute to the changes that are needed.
At equal distance from defeatist rhetoric and false solutions, Plastic Odyssey addresses the vital forces of today and tomorrow, proposing promising projects and spreading their enthusiastic, inventive, supportive and responsible spirit.
"With hindsight, we can say that our carefree attitude in the early days surely helped us and enabled us to move forward despite the difficulties, without asking ourselves too many questions. With this book, we wanted to take you on board the adventure and tell you all about it behind the scenes, revealing the challenges we had to overcome and which enabled us to grow, the memorable encounters we made, the moments of doubt and deep despair, but above all the joy of bringing such a crazy human adventure to a successful conclusion."
Simon Bernard and Alexandre Dechelotte
This official book offers privileged behind-the-scenes access to the expedition, which takes them to meet the inhabitants, politicians and entrepreneurs of the countries most affected by the scourge. From Beirut in Lebanon to Recife in Brazil, it retraces each stage of this adventure, stop by stop, and includes portraits of the key players in this ecological venture, along with a presentation of their ingenious solutions.
Storytelling is a powerful vector of enthusiasm and healthy hope for young people everywhere. We must believe in our dreams and dare to shake up the world!
In this formidable modern odyssey, illustrated with exclusive photographs, each challenge overcome reinforces the conviction that change is possible. More than the story of a simple adventure, this book is an invitation to join a growing movement of people who, together, are shaping the world of tomorrow.
" Planet Earth is humanity's vessel. Each and every one of us is its crew, actors of the present and explorers of the future, with desire and responsibility. To develop our common goods even further, let's combine human adventure with scientific and technical adventure. It's an exciting life choice, and the driving force behind Plastic Odyssey."
Claudie Haigneré, Plastic Odyssey godmother
Alexandre Dechelotte is a graduate of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Maritime and a former officer in the Merchant Navy. He is also co-founder and communications director of the Plastic Odyssey.
Simon Bernard is a graduate of ENSM. He proposed several innovations for environmental competitions before co-founding Plastic Odyssey of which he is general manager.
