[EP18] A Sea Captain Explains Why Saving The Planet Starts With Curiosity | Cyrus Foote

On this episode I’m joined by Cyrus Foote. Cyrus is a sea Captain and team leader who creates oceanic based transformational and cross-cultural experiences. After spending almost two decades sailing the world’s oceans and logging over 100,000 sea miles through more than 50 countries, working alongside marine biologists, oceanographers, climatologists, outdoor educators, community leaders and environmental activists, Cyrus has intimate knowledge of some of the world’s most pressing environmental concerns and seeks to unite communities to meet these challenges through solution based environmental awareness and cross cultural education, utilizing the latest in sustainable/regenerative/collective technologies.

We spoke about these topics and why it’s important that we amplify the conversation about climate change. Cyrus shared his own personal experience of spending much of his life on the ocean, what he’s seen and what he believes needs to be done to “right the ship” by creating curiosity, appreciation and love for cultural diversity.

Episode Topics

(Click Links Below To Watch In Video)

3:12 | Cyrus & Trevor speak about what TheMENtorship World mens group means to them
4:39 | Cyrus shares why he’s living on a 70’ sailboat in Auckland, New Zealand
5:39 | Cyrus speaks about what it’s been like to live in New Zealand during COVID
8:38 | Cyrus talks about what led him to be passionate about climate change & sustainability
12:41 | Cyrus shares his time on an expedition boat looking at alternative energy in microbes
14:08 | Cyrus speaks about why Al Gore failed to create a significant impact on climate change
16:22 | Why we need to focus on regeneration not sustainability if we want to save the planet
17:37 | Trevor asks Cyrus what it’s like to sail through the South Pacific garbage patch
20:33 | Cyrus explains why there needs to be global policy change to create real impact
25:12 | Cyrus shares what he believes needs to happen to create the wake up call we all need
31:12 | Cyrus discusses “The Street” project and why it’s about creating appreciation for diversity and sustainability
40:42 | Who is the ONE person/mentor that has been most influential in your life (all time)
41:48 | Who is the ONE person/mentor that is the most influential in your life (right now)
43:23 | What is the ONE philanthropic cause that means the most to you and why?
48:57 | What is the ONE thing you are most grateful for in your life right now?
49:46 | What is the ONE thing that you are most curious about right now and wanting to explore more in your life?
53:50 | What is the ONE thing that scares you right now that you know you must meet with bravery?
58:20 | Where can people find out more about you and connect with you online?

Episode Quotes

“Al Gore was talking about climate change and the data that scientists were collecting back in 2006, and it didn’t have the impact that we all thought it would” – Cyrus Foote

“I enjoy a good hamburger, and if you threw me on the kill floor I might be a bit disturbed, but I’m not sure I’d stop eating hamburgers because of it” – Trevor Turnbull

“I have sailed through the South Pacific trash gyre. When you are out in the ocean and all around you is plastic garbage to the horizon, it’s disheartening. It’s a visual manifestation of how out of alignment we are with utilizing the resources of the planet in unsustainable ways” – Cyrus Foote

“Act local and think global. This is what we need to be doing. We need to act in our local sphere where we have our influence but thinking about the global sphere” – Cyrus Foote

“I think the equation that we are working with is that we tend to want to protect what we love and appreciate. So you might not stop eating hamburgers if you saw factory farm. But if you came to appreciate and love cows, you might not want to eat them” – Cyrus Foote

“What we are looking at right now is that the people that are alive on the planet right now, they are the ones that will be deciding what kind of planet we’ll be looking at for the next 10-100 generations” – Cyrus Foote

“When I think about my kids and their future, as a Dad, this conversation is important. That’s why I really wanted to have this conversation. Cause even if we can be one piece of awareness or a ripple effect that gets people talking about this in a different way and taking small actions, it can have a huge impact” – Trevor Turnbull

“What we are trying to create with The Street is an international marketplace with street food and experiences from all over the world. The idea is to spark that inspiration and curiosity that you are open to when you are travelling. First create the curiosity. And then through curiosity we come to appreciate some things. And once we appreciate them we want to learn how to protect them” – Cyrus Foote

“We are in the middle of the most epic story in history. The people that are alive on the planet right now are going to decide the fate of our species for 1000’s of years. This generation. That’s the story. We are in it. And we have a choice to make this an epic tale of redemption and heart and courage to make the right choices” – Cyrus Foote

“What we seek out we find. What we are looking for we will see. If you are looking for someone to align with you about how much you hate your government you will find those people. And they will validate your position and you will stay in a state of hate and anger. Or you can stay in a state of happiness and possibility and want to create impact and find those people and attract those people. These conversations are my small contribution to say these things out loud so people can think differently and create impact” – Trevor Turnbull