Unreported ocean: understanding our reliance on the sea
This is video was produced by the Maritime Foundation and highlights the lack of understanding amongst the British public about how we are totally dependent on the sea for most of the food, goods and energy that modern life depends upon. In future the UK will be even more reliant on imports arriving by sea as our food and energy needs will only increase with population growth and failure to recognise this is a grand strategic failure. Recent drastic cuts to the Royal Navy, whose primary purpose is to protect maritime trade, have made little impact in the media or public consciousness. The shipping industry (and indeed the Royal Navy) is a long-term business and this is at odds with our short-term political system.
It is ironic that while we are getting more dependent on the sea and more people spend their leisure time afloat, there is an increasing sea-blindness in the UK. The Maritime Foundation is working to raise awareness and is looking for a paradigm shift in the way policy makers consider our maritime issues. If politicians and the public were properly informed they would never have allowed the Royal Navy to fall into the terrible state in which we find it today.
Highs and Lows: The Royal Navy in 2011
Info-graphic reviewing the Royal Navy in 2011.
Dominated by the successful operations in support of the liberation of Libya and devastating impact of the 2010 Strategic Defence Review.
Click here for large JPEG version. Click here for high-resolution PDF version (3Mb).
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