Ocean Hero of the month - Simen Knudsen
Who are you?
Still trying to figure that one out… ;) Simen Andreas Henrik Knudsen. 34. From Stavanger in Norway, but now living in Oslo. Founded NOW back in the days and currently working as Sustainability Director in Æra Strategic Innovation. Educated Master in Marine Technology.
What are you doing these days?
Right now I´m working with two cross sectoral innovation projects in Æra, one on sustainable diets and the other one on new urban mobility solutions. NOW of course is a ongoing project and mostly doing strategic work and giving a lot of Tavaha lectures. Luckily we have hired a manager in Norway, Cristina Engum, so she is stearing the ship now. Also, we founded Empower, a global deposit system for plastic, two years ago, and trying to contribute with strategic direction and development there as well. We also have a really exciting startup with Norwegian Trash to upcycle ocean plastic to new products. So, I´m not exactly bored ;)
And in between I try to go surfing as much as I can, or spend time in the woods. The first snow also fell here a couple of days ago, so now the snowboard and Nordic skiing season is on!
When did the ocean become important for you?
I grew up by the ocean, so its always been important. But I guess the combination of surfing, watching first season of Blue Planet, studying marine technology and seeing all the plastic on the beaches really sparked something that opened my eyes and heart to the Ocean and the need to do something more than just play around in it.
What role does the ocean play in your life?
What role does she play in anyones life? She is the reason we have planet to live on. Without a healthy ocean we cant have a living planet. And surfing, free diving or paddling is really the most fun thing I can do in life. And she is a great mental therapist.
What do you do to take care of the ocean?
Well, I feel that almost everything I do is somehow connected to taking care of the ocean. I´ve made some choices in my life to reduce my environmental footprint, and increase my handprint, and a lot of that is about moderation my consumption and simplifying life so I that avoid situations where my actions are in conflict with my moral compass.
What does tavaha mean to you?
Hehe, we made that word, so it means a lot. Tavaha basically is my moral compass. What I like most about it is the fact that we talk about leaving handprints, I really believe that we have to reinvent almost everything, and those creations in my view are handprints. And also what I think is a great challenge in general in society, the relationship between humans and the rest of nature, we are really disconnected. A lot of the problems we see are due to this lack of connection and unity.
What do you think is the biggest challenge we have to solve in order to save the ocean?
The biggest challenge is the self-interest individuals, companies, organisations, nationas and trade agreements have in keeping the exisitng systems that are putting destructive pressure on the ocean. That self-interest is blocking the new opportunities for innovation. And the fact that we are always trying to find that one best solution to our problems, not understanding that we don´t just need the single best solution, but the hundred or thousand best solutions!
What are your three #tavahatips to take care of the ocean?
-Avoid single-use plastic
-Reduce your flights
-Eat more plants, and no red listed fish!
What is your happiest ocean memory?
Ah, that’s impossible to answer. But I think our mission last summer, where we went out to get plastic out of the mountainside in Hoddevik is the most recent top listed memory. It had almost all my favourite aspects: adventure, plastic cleanup and good friend
Who are your everyday heroes?
Regitze and the rest of the Nordic Ocean Watch Denmark team. Really! I´m amazed and proud to be part of the Nordic NOW collective when I see all the stuff you manage to do!
What would you like to thank the ocean for?
I want to thank her for making me feel small, giving me my greatest experiences in life, and being a good friend when things are rough.
Tavaha! :)
http://instagram.com/simentavaha