Harnessing the power of the many

 

 

Gallifrey practices “venture philanthropy”

01

Key Issues

Climate Change

▷ PLAY

At the front line of climate change, the ocean plays a central role in regulating the Earth’s climate.

Sharks

▷ PLAY

Over 270,000 sharks are killed every day for their fins, squalene and meat.
Read our latest report on shark meat toxicity.  Learn more here

Deep Seabed Mining

There are sources of minerals in the deep sea but we must first understand how to manage and mitigate the risks that come with extracting them.

Plastic Pollution

Our demand for plastic creates an environmental and public health nightmare. The impact affects the creatures of the sea and humans.

02

About

Vision: Make progress by translating research into action

Ocean

Gallifrey identifies collaborative opportunities to tackle ocean conservation issues by identifying synergies that could be exploited and roadblocks that could be overcome by working together. Our model of engagement is to partner with other organisations.

Gallifrey practices “venture philanthropy”

Like Venture Capital we:
Contribute financial, intellectual, and high personal involvement
Back smart people and teams
Are willing to experiment and take risks

Unlike Venture Capital we:
Work for SROI – Social Return on Investment – IMPACT
Not Financial ROI

Mission: Working collaboratively to advance marine protection and social enterprise

Education

Gallifrey supports social enterprise, applying commercial strategies to solve human and environmental problems, rather than simply maximising profits for external shareholders. Gallifrey supports several scholarships for a variety of students from primary, university and post-graduate education. In addition, Gallifrey supports selected research in social enterprise.

We encourage collaboration between other organisations to:

• Not “reinvent the wheel”
• Identify and fill the gaps
• Achieve our mutual objectives through collaboration

Gallifrey does not solicit funds or grant proposals.

03

Ocean

  • Summary of Current Projects
  • Fair Carbon
  • Deep Sea Mining
  • Plastic Free Campus and Carbon-Free Campus
  • Primary Micro-Plastics in the Oceans
  • Health Issues Infographics
  • Marine Education Comic Books
  • Resources and Downloads
  • Untangling the Net of ‘Bycatch’ in Commercial Shark Fisheries
  • Previous Projects

Summary of Current Projects

Fair Carbon

The Gallifrey Foundation is the sponsor of Fair Carbon protecting and restoring the marine and coastal ecosystems.

Fair Carbon is:
ACTIONABLE, SCIENCE-BASED GUIDANCE

BUILDING THE BRIDGE TO BLUE CARBON INVESTMENT

DRIVEN BY PURPOSE, GUIDED BY INTEGRITY

She Changes Climate

SHE Changes Climate

It is imperative that we make sure that the global voices, interests and perspectives of women of diversity are equally present at the decision making level of COP, other international negotiations, and corporate boards.

“The rules of our world are laws, and they can be changed. Laws can restrict or they can enable. What matters is what they serve. Many of the laws in our world serve property – they are based on ownership. But imagine a law that has a higher moral authority… a law that puts people and planet first. Imagine a law that starts from first do no harm, that stops this dangerous game and takes us to a place of safety….” Polly Higgins, 2015

“We need to change the rules.” Greta Thunberg, 2019

FLY WITHOUT FINS
Fly Without Fins

A build-operate-transfer campaign on behalf of a collaboration of NGOs led by Shark Guardians to urge airlines to cease carrying shark fins as cargo.

Where’s the Fish

The equivalent weight of 1.5 billion people in fish is taken from the sea each year. What does this mean for the ecosystem and the creatures that live there? 90% of all big fish populations have been decimated.  Current international law is ineffective in managing this.  The Foundation is leading tangential action to change the paradigm through civil action.

Untangling the Net of ‘Bycatch’ in Commercial Shark Fisheries
Read the report here

 

 

 

Fair Carbon

THE PROBLEM

There are not enough nature-based carbon projects despite the high demand from investors. The Blue Carbon – Mind the Gap study by the Gallifrey Foundation concludes this is due to the complexity, expense and time required to design, register and accredit a project.

DOWNLOAD REPORT

WHAT IS FAIR CARBON?

The solution to the problems identified in the Blue Carbon – Mind the Gap report are being realised by Fair Cabon.

Visit the website to learn more

 

Deep Sea Mining

When we ask ourselves to consider if we have been good stewards of our natural resources we must admit we have not always lived up to our potential.  There is, however, one area where it is not too late and where we have the chance to get it right – the deep sea.  This report lays out the issues and suggests a responsible way forward.

Download Report

INFOGRAPHICS

ECOSYSTEMS MINERALS GOVERNANCE THE WAY FORWARD

Plastic Free Campus and Carbon-Free Campus

The Gallifrey Foundation developed Plastic Free Campus to mobilise student action on single-use plastics consumption and create change at four levels: in the school, at home, at school events and in the community. The self-directed programme is available online and is free of charge.  The “PFC” programme is now available in multiple languages.

Now introducing a companion programme using the same pedagogical process, Carbon-free Campus gives schools and students the tools to assess their carbon footprint and to take tangible action to reduce this

Primary Micro-Plastics in the Oceans

Plastic has penetrated everyday life: from clothing to coatings and from transport vehicles to cleaning products. The disadvantages of plastics however are becoming more and more visible. Large quantities of plastics leak into rivers and oceans, with adverse effects to marine ecosystems and related economic activities

Plastic wastes include all size residues, from large visible and easily removable items, to small invisible particles. This report investigates the sources of primary microplastics; i.e. microplastics that are directly released into the environment as small plastic particles (< 5 mm size).

Download Report

Health Issues Infographics

POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants), such as pesticides and PCBs that bind with micro-plastics, are ingested by marine organisms and accumulate up the food chain.  This process, known as bioaccumulation or biomagnification, can also affect humans.

Some plastics used in food and drink packaging contain endocrine disruptors that leach into food and drink and are a potential time bomb. Already we are seeing direct consequences of certain additives and plasticisers on fertility and early pubescence.

These are urgent public health issues.
Please see more in the excellent report by CIEL.

INFOGRAPHICS  Available in three layouts and 2 digital formats, PDF and PNG:

HOW PLASTICS AFFECT US – WHAT CAN YOU DO?

HOW AND WHAT PDF                                       HOW AND WHAT PNG

ONE SUBJECT PER INFOGRAPHIC

1 EXTRACTION PDF                                           1 EXTRACTION PNG
2 MANUFACTURE PDF                                      2 MANUFACTURE PNG
3 CONSUMPTION PDF                                       3 CONSUMPTION PNG
4 WASTE PDF                                                        4 WASTE PNG

ALL SUBJECTS ON ONE A3 INFOGRAPHIC – DIFFERENT COLOURS W/FOOTNOTES

A3 PORTRAIT TRANSPARENT PDF               A3 PORTRAIT TRANSPARENT PNG
A3 PORTRAIT SKY BLUE PDF                          A3 PORTRAIT SKY BLUE PNG
A3 PORTRAIT BLUE PDF                                    A3 PORTRAIT BLUE PNG
A3 PORTRAIT GREEN PDF                                 A3 PORTRAIT GREEN PNG
A3 PORTRAIT ORANGE PDF                              A3 PORTRAIT ORANGE PNG

ALL SUBJECTS ON ONE SCROLLING INFOGRAPHIC 

LANDSCAPE SCROLLING PDF                           LANDSCAPE SCROLLING PNG
PORTRAIT SCROLLING PDF                               PORTRAIT SCROLLING PNG

Marine Education Comic Books

The Gallifrey Foundation engaged PCI Media Impact to create a new comic series based on SDG Goal 14 – Life Below Water and distributed via Ministries of Education this project is helping to raise the profile of this issue in national curricula and encourage action to reduce marine debris. Behaviour change at a young age can instil habits and a sense of environmental citizenship for life.

DOWNLOAD IN YOUR LANGUAGE

Poseidon Patrol – the original

ENGLISH ARABIC CHINESE FRENCH
HINDI INDONESIAN RUSSIAN SPANISH

Poseidon Patrol – Reef Riders

ENGLISH FRENCH

www.comicsunitingnations.org
If you are interested in printer-ready versions of the comics, please write to: info@mediaimpact.org Poseidon Patrol – SDG 14.

Resources and Downloads

Deep Sea Mining

To lay out the issues and suggest a responsible way forward the Gallifrey Foundation has produced in collaboration with the IUCN “Deep seabed mining – A rising environmental challenge”.

INFOGRAPHICS

ECOSYSTEMS MINERALS GOVERNANCE THE WAY FORWARD

Plastic Free Campus

Plastic Free Campus has been developed to mobilise student action on single-use plastics consumption. The self-directed programme is available online.

Primary Micro-Plastics in the Oceans

Plastic wastes include all size residues, from large visible and easily removable items, to small invisible particles. This report investigates the sources of primary microplastics; i.e. microplastics that are directly released into the environment as small plastic particles (< 5 mm size).

Marine Education – Comic Books

A comic book series based on SDG Goal 14 – Life Below Water distributed via Ministries of Education to raise the profile of these issues in national curricula and encourage action to reduce marine debris. Behaviour change at a young age can instil habits and a sense of environmental citizenship for life.

DOWNLOAD IN YOUR LANGUAGE

Poseidon Patrol – the original

ENGLISH ARABIC CHINESE FRENCH
HINDI INDONESIAN RUSSIAN SPANISH

Poseidon Patrol – Reef Riders

ENGLISH FRENCH

www.comicsunitingnations.org

If you are interested in printer-ready versions of the comics, please write to: info@mediaimpact.org Poseidon Patrol – SDG 14.

SEA FEVER E-Book

The greatest danger to the oceans is not pollution, acidification or overfishing but the ignorance and apathy that allows these incidents to occur in the first place. To promote a better understanding of the oceans’ importance, the Foundation commissioned Sea Fever – People and their Ocean Planet.

Plastics Pollution – Azores 2016

Follow-up Report 2018

The Gallifrey Foundation funded the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) research project. Establishing a Baseline on Marine Litter in the Azores – AZORLIT in collaboration with IMAR Center of the University of the Azores, the Observatory of the Azores (OMA and the Regional Directorate for Maritime Affairs (DGRAM).

Plastic Pollution – Health Issues Infographics

INFOGRAPHICS
Available in three layouts and two digital formats, PDF and PNG:

HOW PLASTICS AFFECT US – WHAT CAN YOU DO?

HOW AND WHAT PDF                                       HOW AND WHAT PNG

ONE SUBJECT PER INFOGRAPHIC

1 EXTRACTION PDF                                           1 EXTRACTION PNG
2 MANUFACTURE PDF                                      2 MANUFACTURE PNG
3 CONSUMPTION PDF                                       3 CONSUMPTION PNG
4 WASTE PDF                                                        4 WASTE PNG

ALL SUBJECTS ON ONE A3 INFOGRAPHIC – DIFFERENT COLOURS W/FOOTNOTES

A3 PORTRAIT TRANSPARENT PDF               A3 PORTRAIT TRANSPARENT PNG
A3 PORTRAIT SKY BLUE PDF                          A3 PORTRAIT SKY BLUE PNG
A3 PORTRAIT BLUE PDF                                    A3 PORTRAIT BLUE PNG
A3 PORTRAIT GREEN PDF                                 A3 PORTRAIT GREEN PNG
A3 PORTRAIT ORANGE PDF                              A3 PORTRAIT ORANGE PNG

ALL SUBJECTS ON ONE SCROLLING INFOGRAPHIC 

LANDSCAPE SCROLLING PDF                           LANDSCAPE SCROLLING PNG
PORTRAIT SCROLLING PDF                               PORTRAIT SCROLLING PNG

 

Untangling the Net of ‘Bycatch’ in Commercial Shark Fisheries

Untangling the Net of ‘Bycatch’ in Commercial Shark Fisheries:
The Interplay between International Fisheries Law and CITES

Download the report here

Executive Summary – English

Executive Summary – French

Executive Summary – Spanish

Previous Projects

Tyre Particles

Following on from the Gallifrey sponsored Primary Microplastics in the Oceans report for the IUCN, the project is to reduce microplastic particles in the environment by establishing tyre abrasion standards.

Sea Fever – E Book

The greatest danger to the oceans is not pollution, acidification or overfishing but the ignorance and apathy that allows these incidents to occur in the first place. To promote a better understanding of the oceans’ importance, the Foundation commissioned Sea Fever – People and their Ocean Planet.

Written by the Foundation’s Advisor on Marine Programs, Dr. Luc Cuyvers, Sea Fever – People and their Ocean Planet examines how we have used (and sometimes abused) the ocean throughout the centuries.

Plastics Pollution – AZORLIT

The Gallifrey Foundation funded the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) research project. Establishing a Baseline on Marine Litter in the Azores – AZORLIT in collaboration with IMAR Center of the University of the Azores, the Observatory of the Azores (OMA and the Regional Directorate for Maritime Affairs (DGRAM).  Completed in 2016 a follow-up report was produced in 2018.

Plastics Pollution – Maldives

The Gallifrey Foundation has collaborated with IUCN Maldives to carry out a local Reef Guardian project, a community-oriented project to encourage sustainable reef behaviour. Working with the Maldivian Ministry of Education, changes to the national curriculum are being proposed in order to better institutionalize education on this topic and encourage youth-led action.

Plastics Pollution – Jordan

The Gallifrey Foundation worked with Experience Jordan to develop plastic free hikes on the Jordan Trail. This has required rethinking how meals and water are sourced and delivered along this multi-day hike. Hikers have been encouraged to collect trash along the way.

As much as this may seem counter-intuitive, limiting plastic waste, even in the desert, makes sense because over the centuries as these materials break down into smaller and smaller pieces they will be flushed from the wadis and streams eventually into the sea. “Pick up a piece of litter in the desert and save a fish”.

04

Education

Gallifrey Scholarships

The Gallifrey Foundation provides scholarships to students at the following institutions

London Business School

Harvard University

Alexandria Public Schools

05

Team

  • Antoinette Vermilye - Co-Founder
  • John Vermilye - Co-Founder
  • Laurianne Trimoulla - Communications and Project Manager
  • Olga Navarro - Administrator Plastic Free and Carbon Free Campus
  • Deborah Rowan Wright - Specialist in Ocean Conservation and Law
  • Josephine Vermilye - Creative and Communications Coordinator

Antoinette Vermilye - Co-Founder

Antoinette is passionate about the complex interrelationships of the ocean, plastics, gender, and overfishing on social injustice, human health and the environment. She seeks either coalitions to find action-oriented solutions that will have far reaching impacts downstream or to take action on identified gaps where little or no attention is being paid.

  • In this connection she has worked with migrant refugees from Africa to understand the impacts of EU subsidies for EU fisheries on migration from Africa;
  • Helped created a twitter campaign to empower citizens to tweet airlines on their policies of carrying shark fins as cargo;
  • Co-created SheChangesClimate to get the UK, Egyptian and UAE COP leadership team to include equal gender representation at the top so that balanced and inclusive policies trickle down to all COP policies;
  • Created WTF Wheres The Fish?! campaign to empower citizens to add their voice to civil action against overfishing and unsustainable fishing methods on national and international waters;
  • Curated Voices from the Ocean – an educational podcast series interviewing creatures of the ocean from their perspective
  • Created awareness campaigns on the impacts of chemicals and plasticizers on human health, the environment and social injustice;
  • Co-created Plastic Free Campus – a series of online modules to help schools and individuals to critically audit plastics and waste and reduce their plastic footprint in school, home and community;
  • Watching brief on microplastics in tyres to create a tyre abrasion standard in order to measure the microplastics from tyres entering the atmosphere and ocean (30% of all microplastics come from tyrewear) which is vital as air pollution risks switching from tailpipe to tyre as governments mandate switches to EVs.

John Vermilye - Co-Founder

A graduate of Harvard University and alumnus of the London Business School, John’s career has been built around the airline industry. He is the Founder of Travel Sentry which sets standards for the luggage and airline industry and provides solutions which benefit passengers, airlines, airports, security agencies and customs. John has been active in marine conservation issues since co-founding the Mare Nostrum Foundation in the 1980s and served as  Co-Chair for Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue.  He is Co-Founder and Sponsor of Fair Carbon.  He serves on the Board of GIST Impact.

Laurianne Trimoulla - Communications and Project Manager

Laurianne holds a Master’s degree in communications. She began her career in the luxury goods industry in Geneva, and then moved to international organisations and scientific environments, such as ICRC, CERN, WIPO, EPFL, and GESDA. Being also a diver and a part-time Communications Manager for Oceaneye (a Swiss association that studies and maps marine microplastic pollution worldwide), she is deeply committed to the issues of sustainability, the environment, and marine conservation.

Olga Navarro - Administrator Plastic Free and Carbon Free Campus

Graduated as a Civil and Environmental Engineer, Olga’s strong passion for the environment led her to earn a Master’s degree, gaining extensive experience in Water Project Management in Europe. Driven by sustainability – particularly for plastic pollution issues – she was instrumental in co-creating the Drop It, Re-think Plastic Campaign in the Middle East in 2016. She now manages the Drop it Youth Campaign from Switzerland, empowering students to raise awareness and take action on single-use plastics. As a Coordinator for The Plastic Free Campus Programme Olga is delighted to combine her sustainability expertise and her current goals to make global impact.

Deborah Rowan Wright - Specialist in Ocean Conservation and Law

Based in Bristol in the UK, Deborah Rowan Wright has worked in marine conservation for 20 years, specialising in ocean conservation policy. Her work on marine renewable energy, ocean governance, and conservation law has been published by among others, the International Whaling Commission, the Marine Biological Association, the Ecologist, Ecocide International, and the University of Chicago Press.

In her book Future Sea, she presents the case for protecting the whole global ocean from harmful use by enforcing existing international law.

Josephine Vermilye - Creative and Communications Coordinator

Whether travelling, photoshoots, nature conservation work, freelance illustration / art / graphic design, running her Etsy shop, Josephine loves to explore new paths and avenues and ideas. She has a love affair with the outside world: from hiking, skiing, rock climbing, skateboarding, surfing, or learning new sports. This manifests itself as well in the work she does fighting daily for things in which she believes in; like protecting our planet and changing behaviours.

John Vermilye
06

Partners

We work with others to foster collaboration and achieve our mutual goals more effectively

Mission Blue

The Sargasso Sea Commission

IUCN

 

IPEN.org