ARCTIC PLASTIC

The choice to offer limited edition prints is to provide added value to the works and is a contract between me and the buyers: once I exceed the number of prints sold for the limited edition, I can no longer sell that print.
The paper used is C Type Fuji Matt, a long-lasting archival photographic paper with excellent color, light and shadow rendering.

Open the images to see them in full.

Upon shipment you will receive a tube containing the print, rolled in a cardboard sleeve to protect it, and two documents: CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY certifying the number of the limited edition print; Thank you letter or brief history of the photograph taken.
In addition, CARBON NEUTRAL ART PRINTS sticker attesting to the goal achieved by the supplier chosen to produce and ship prints.

It is just a few days until 2025, the year I will join In The Same Boat for a few months to photographically document and share their story, aiming to raise awareness about their vital mission. But first, what exactly does ITSB do?

ITSB is a Norwegian NGO committed to cleaning beaches along Norway’s extensive coastline. Why is this necessary, one might ask? Beyond the fact that marine plastic pollution is a global issue, Norway faces a unique challenge. Not only does the country contend with local pollution, but the Gulf Stream also carries marine litter from the Atlantic Ocean, depositing it along Norway’s shores. With its vast and remote coastline situated directly in the Gulf Stream’s path, these “untouched” landscapes paradoxically become reservoirs of marine debris, with plastic reigning supreme in this unfortunate dominion.

ITSB addresses this issue through hands-on operations, employing sailing and work boats, professional methods, and a dedicated corps of volunteers from around the world. But who are these volunteers? Interestingly, most of them are under 30 years old. At first glance, this might seem like a clichéd marketing trope. However, it reveals something deeper about generational differences in engagement and priorities. While older individuals often face practical barriers such as work commitments and time constraints, the prevalence of younger volunteers raises another question: could their participation reflect an intrinsic evolutionary response to today’s environmental crises?

When we study human and animal evolution, we uncover an innate instinct for conservation—a drive to ensure the survival of the species. Traditionally, this manifests in reproduction, enabling the passage of genetic material to future generations. Yet, in a world radically transformed over the past few decades, could this instinct have evolved into something broader? Historically, parents sought to leave a better world for their heirs. However, this ethos seems to have been overshadowed by the forces of capitalism and consumerism, which have reshaped—or perhaps devoured—societal priorities, leaving younger generations to grapple with the fallout. This is especially true due to the limited resources available on Earth—a problem once overlooked. For decades, capitalism drove unchecked societal growth, treating the planet as an infinite reservoir. But as the global population expanded and natural resources were overexploited, we reached a tipping point. Now, the annual “Earth Overshoot Day,” marking when humanity’s resource consumption exceeds what the planet can regenerate in a year, arrives earlier with each passing cycle, starkly illustrating the unsustainability of our trajectory.

A growing number of young people experience what has been termed “climate anxiety”. Typically, anxiety has been viewed as a problem, then as a natural response to threats, and lately as a mental health condition. But what if, in this instance, climate anxiety is a rational response to an enduring, existential threat? Historically, anxiety evolved as the body’s mechanism for identifying and reacting to danger. It becomes pathological when it dominates one’s life without a clear, immediate threat. However, the climate crisis is no ordinary threat. It is pervasive, persistent, and temporally expansive—a “slow”-motion emergency unfolding within the span of a single human lifetime.

Could it be that what we label as “climate anxiety” reflects a heightened sensitivity to a legitimate, long-term threat? If so, then the younger generation’s actions and attitudes might represent an evolved form of the conservation instinct—a determination to secure humanity’s future, even in the face of systemic barriers. While individual efforts alone cannot counteract the environmental impact of governmental and industrial inertia, these efforts symbolize a collective acknowledgment of the urgency to act.

This perspective reframes the narrative. The popular slogan “save the planet” might, in fact, be misleading. The planet, as a resilient entity, will persist. It is humanity—our ecosystems, societies, and futures—that stands at risk. By channeling their climate anxiety into tangible action, younger generations are not merely responding to a crisis but embodying a profound, adaptive drive to protect and preserve what truly matters: ourselves.

In The Same Boat is an NGO dedicated to combating marine pollution and preserving our oceans.

Our use of professional beach cleaning methods combined with our long-stay volunteer efforts make us one of the most effective beach cleaning operations in the world.

Our volunteers, armed with professional grade equipment custom-built to withstand arctic temperatures, are trained to help us clean more than 2X more effectively than other leading beach cleaning organizations.

They are dedicated to restoring a clean and thriving ocean, but they are dependent on support individuals and corporate sponsors alike to see their mission through. Every donation they receive makes a direct impact on our environment. 

• For every 500 euros they receive, they clean 1 KM of coastline
• They’ve removed over 1,700,000 KG of plastic pollution from our ecosystem
• They’ve cleared over 1,500,000 meters of coastline
• Their efforts have made an impact across 7 different countries

If you would like to help make a difference in restoring our environment, please consider donating to our mission.