Pictou Advocate
July 17, 2013
Green Heroes: Well loved author and conservationist Farley Mowat with local resident Mary Gorman, Save Our Seas and Shores Coalition. (Photo courtesy of Cinefocus Canada)
MERIGOMISH – The oceans dominate our blue planet yet marine species are some of the first to go. Called into action, Green Heroes are defending marine life with every means necessary, from the written word to waging battles at sea. Green Heroes™ is back for a second season. This time there is a new group of heroes in this smart, sexy and green Web/TV crossover and a local woman, Mary Gorman, is one of them.
Produced by CineFocus Canada in association with TVO, the six 30-minute series (www.greenheroes.tv/tv-episodes) tells stories of people who acted on their ideas and “ventured forth” to protect the planet. From the celebrity to the everyday person, each story details the different paths and interests the Green Heroes have taken in their quests to help save the world.
The story arch of each episode begins with the tipping point event of Green Heroes – the moment that moved them from apathy to action. It then tells of the obstacles and challenges they overcame, ending on the impact their action had on the environment. The goal is to show how a change was made and a community inspired, and to surprise people by including Green Heroes who are not your status quo, but whose story speaks to a mainstream audience. By shining a light on real people who have become Green Heroes through their actions and dedication, the aim is to give everyday people the nudge they need to also become passionate green participants.
Mary Gorman of Merigomish is trying to stop a disaster before it starts: Canada’s own Gulf Oil Spill. Twelve years ago, she turned from fisherman’s wife to Green Hero after two leases were issued for oil and gas development on the shores of her home. Knowing spills were likely and would impact 2,000 marine species including endangered ones, Gorman decided to prevent a disaster instead of reacting later. Today, she has formed a growing movement – Save Our Seas and Shores Coalition – with support from celebrities like Ethan Hawke and Jason Priestley. Her struggle and resulting victory led to her winning the inaugural Green Heroes award, as selected by fans of the web channel and a jury of esteemed environmental and broadcast judges.
Farley Mowat is one of Canada’s most widely read authors and best-known conservationists. His books, such as Never Cry Wolf, have reached more than 14 million readers. After Mowat’s war service in 1946, he trekked in Canada’s Great North where he witnessed the demise of indigenous culture and animals by industrial colonialism. Today, he is one of Canada’s most vocal conservationists, using his books and voice to shed light on the loss of nature and the need to protect it. He is an active supporter of such groups as Sea Shepherd and Mary Gorman’s mission to protect the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Gorman says of Mowat: “Not only did Farley fight for Canada in World War 2, he has been fighting ever since to protect our world’s vast oceans that were once brimming with wildlife. He will go down in history not only as a literary icon but as one of the world’s earliest and bravest environmentalists, who understands how dependent we are on healthy oceans”.
Alexandra Cousteau is another Green Hero. Through her Blue Legacy project and as a filmmaker and TV host, Cousteau continues the work of her renowned grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau and her father Philippe Cousteau Sr.
Green Heroes aired Tuesday night and will air again Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on TVO.