The surprising thing I learned sailing solo around the world | Dame Ellen MacArthur

What do you learn when you sail around the world on your own? When solo sailor Ellen MacArthur circled the globe - carrying everything she needed with her - she came back with new insight into the way the world works, as a place of interlocking cycles and finite resources, where the decisions we make today affect what's left for tomorrow. She proposes a bold new way to see the world's economic systems: not as linear, but as circular, where everything comes around.
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[@bernardogradin5776]

Ellen’s testimony is a powerful invitation for all of us to rethink our business models and to establish a sustainable relationship with our planet.

[@ronkirk5099]

My own solo circumnavigation took place on a 33' sailboat in the high latitudes both north and south. I will never forget the five months I spent in the Southern Ocean with just me and the albatross (I had no long range communication gear). I saw no other boats, ships or aircraft during that time. Actually 3 months S. Africa to Tonga and 2 months rounding Cape Horn from San Diego to the Falklands. This was truly the experience of a lifetime for me.

[@timothyfolsom2305]

That's inspirational because I just bought a 33 ft and I want to circumnavigate!

[@behonestwithyourself3718]

Did you film any of it? That would be cool to see

[@bobcornwell403]

Not sure that exchanging an ownership economy to a renter one is really a good answer. Renteers tend to price gouge once they have the upper hand. Meeting the very real challenges of this still young century is going to require a likely up ending of many things that are now taken for granted. Very, very much of our way of life is just out and out waste. Throw away clothes, planned obsolete products, and urban automobiles are my favorite examples. I see carbon use rationing on the near horizon (with ration points, which everyone is allotted, but can be resold at a much higher price). Such would all but doom wasteful products and services by making them price non-compettitive.

[@oneverse111]

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, indeed. Very inspiring

[@petyrkowalski9887]

Brooks Broox and not an original line

[@chrishamilton4999]

@@petyrkowalski9887 a sad and irrelevant response.

[@stevie1463]

Dame Ellen MacArthur - Superb!

[@kimdewit8122]

This is fantastic!! I can't believe that this week is the first time I'm viewing this. I plan to use this with my English students who will have an action research project soon! I LOVE your platform, that sailing is what brought you closer to this, and that you are "balls to the walls" giving this your all. Thank you. It's definitely both ambitious and inspiring! I love your correlations to your great-grandfather's life. "24 cars in the world" at the time he was (was it born?) around is really amazing. Estimating that he passed in the mid-90's, and wow what a contrast, right? Thank you again!

[@OscarOliverah]

This talk and the idea she had arrived to is exactly what the Zeitgeist Movement are working towards. She call it Circular Economy, we call it Global Resource Based Managment System

[@benthosspearguns]

Amazing words by an amazing human!! Congratulations Ellen!!! You are an inspiration!!!

[@charliebone126]

She's a beautiful speaker and with unique experiences. 😊

[@varan22]

Sailng part of the story was absolutly amaizing.

[@shrekhead7498]

The second story was even better. She's a genius

[@pauldroop]

Shame she ventured into what economists view as “flat earth theory”.

[@titusorelius9458]

A strong, intelligent, driven, accomplished, and independent woman tells her amazing story and not a single mention of feminism. *That's more like it TED.*

[@carlosewm]

rhoyt15 Why, are you searching for soul mates?

[@bodhia]

Titus Orelius She doesn't need to mention it. She is feminism in action.

[@titusorelius9458]

Jo Stimpson All I see is powerful human being. I don't see feminism at all.

[@bodhia]

Titus Orelius She's a powerful human whose success has remained unfettered by her gender, race, sexuality, etc. That is feminism by definition.

[@titusorelius9458]

Jo Stimpson Nope Modern feminism would seek to cripple her and have her believe she is nothing but a victim that is surrounded by male rapists and abusers. If this woman came out today and said "I AM NOT A FEMINIST" Feminists everywhere would ruthlessly attack and harass her for daring to utter those words. Daring to stand on her own without bowing to the Feminist Cult. It has happened to successful women time and time again. Modern Western feminism has devolved into a Hate Movement.

[@nobodymoerser4270]

When I was a schoolboy I saw a documentary about your circumnavigation of the South Pole, it wasn't too dramatic, everything was iced over, the mast threatened to break, the onboard cam filmed everything. After 50 years, I still take my hat off to you because of this grandiose achievement, I have never forgotten that....

[@geoffreydowen5793]

I read you book a few years ago and today, in 2023 I decided to search tube to watch you sail; instead I landed here, I am an ex Navy Veteran and understand the power of our oceans, having served on something bigger than your craft,(R09) "Ark royal"Lady your are insperational. I would follow you to the ends of the Earth. Thank you. for opening our eyes a little bit wider; you presented yourself immaculately BRAVO; BZ Pip Pip!!

[@plushy9849]

Great talk! I wasn't expecting it to take the turn it did. Very inspiring. Great ideas effectively communicated.

[@kayevers3016]

Sehr tiefgründig, circular economy, beeindruckende Frau!

[@murrayelliott6828]

Inspirational Ellen, what a shame there are so many Plebs making useless comments below.

[@lucyfer6689]

I feel the same way. So glad we're talking about this

[@kayeman001]

I love the way you keep saying "we" and not "me"!

[@minemarketman]

One world, PASSION!

[@krisztian3909]

One of the very few inspiring woman nowdays

[@hilarious3327]

Lovely to have you as spokesperson/Ambassador we are blessed 💕 👁⛵🍀🌻🐬🦋

[@OffgridOceanLife]

Heyyy I love the channel,I just sold everything I owned to buy a sailboat to start sailing around the world :) thanks for the inspiration,just made my first KZbin video hahaha it’s actually doing pretty good

[@tonism-music]

Stumbled upon this video 'cause I just came from an island trip and wanted to learn about sailing. Then I was pleasantly surprised. 💚

[@Kennuscott]

YOU LIVED GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

[@stevenuk]

Ellen, Look into Central Bank based monetary systems and how they work, what is needed for them to work and who controls how they work. Explains the madness and inequality of this world we all live in.

[@Johnnyjawbone]

I was trying to think of who she reminded me of, then it dawned on me. If Clark Kent had a sister......!

[@philp4684]

Johnny Jawbone Ursa from Superman II

[@aidand.7911]

Ursa, superman II

[@Gribbo9999]

Johnny Jawbone Yeah Superman's big sister.

[@andyb.1026]

Ellen is REAL.. Not Fictional Charachters

[@RichardEricCollins]

Incredible woman.

[@kayeman001]

always interests me to read the comments, how people dont talk about the presenter not the topic, but talk about themselves

[@justin9268]

Manufactured obsolescence should be a crime. Well technically it is , just not in the books yet.

[@nikolai1714]

This was so simplistic, "recycle everything" as if no one has ever thought of that. "Now we have a plan". I agree though. If your bath tub is flooding you dont't go get a bucket you turn of the faucet. (Plastics)

[@petyrkowalski9887]

Passionate and driven. Very inspiring

[@ameliaspurway3631]

this women is amazing.

[@AlePreludioFinal]

Amazing talk, very moving.

[@srimansrini]

Adventurist Dame Ellen MacArthur gives an inspiring talk about her solo sailing around the globe. She also stresses the importance of circular economy where everything is recycled and minimized the wastage. This is an amazing and need-of-the-hour talk.

[@MrDswampymarsh]

such an amazing lady so so strong and brave

[@Episaudron]

great speak!

[@thegametesterman]

Am I the only one who doesn't remember anything from before I was around 13, I don't remember doing anything or having any dreams or realising anything. Here I am now at 17 looking at myself and only just starting to think about what I want to do but still with no idea.

[@NigelSavage]

"European Space Station"? missed that one :) . Amazing story!

[@scottbeaulieu13]

We need hemp based products... hemp could produce many things today that requires more raw materials and production than growing mass crops of hemp to create many many products from every part of the plant. Then it can regrow in just months, as long as you have soul, water, light and ability to clone and obtain good seeds you can sustain solid harvests for decades to come. This new transition to hemp based products would also establish an entire new economy and industry along with new jobs.

[@meiming1]

I wish that something I had done when I was young inspired me to: sail around the world, become a rocket scientist, write a book etc ...........how does this happen?

[@TheKillerpanda123]

Why does she keep saying we if she was alone on that boat? or does she mean herself and the boat?

[@aidanhodge7090]

Her self and the boat. As a sailor myself the boat is company, has its own personality, and abilities.

[@sonnymoon6465]

Thank you for that !

[@murrat]

Great presentation. We really need better design for reuse of the finite materials on this earth.Sure wish I could reuse all the packaging that I push to the curb every week. I own so many single use appliances, computers, tools, furniture, etc. Sure, some items get recycled, but if it was designed for multi use, perhaps it could some day power our homes and cars or fertilise our gardens.I like the terms linear and circular economy.Thanks for sharing TED.

[@saundrakielborn2201]

Quite amazing!

[@ineshaslett2712]

She is so inspiring.

[@SVAndromeda]

Love this

[@williamfreimuth]

Wow! This is a stunning talk. I am encouraged that such passion might guide us through the rough rough waters we all now face. Bucky Fuller's 'Operating Manual for Spaceship Eaarth' was just 'webinared' by his diligent Institute today........he considered himself principally 'a sailer' as well.

[@jaba48]

bruh we had to analyze this video for a school project

[@tombombadil9123]

wikipedia says this: "She saved her school dinner money for three years to buy her first boat" :)

[@andreipatrushev]

I want this woman to be the next President of the US and the UN Secretary General! Her dedication, personal courage, and the conversion to action is so inspiring. I want to be hired as her deckhand and apprentice! Amazing courage, integrity and wisdom. Have never been more impressed by anyone's talk on TED.

[@andreipatrushev]

Andrei patrushev This is actually Pyotr Patrushev, Andrei's father who is writing this...

[@aaron___6014]

Andrei patrushev presidents don't get much done.

[@rossolinger4477]

whoa there, let's just dial it back a little

[@Hhenryarero]

The Winds and the Storms

[@vuelolibre0]

What a woman...

[@Kennuscott]

hey ellen.. well done. i had similar experiences across the world which caused me to study and do alot of work in these fields.. well done. but now that im skint and a bit bust i think ill go into oil and gas or avaition. natural capilisism ect... well its happaning throughout industry and has been for quite a while. giving these talks in china, india and elsewhere would be my first pointer for you....

[@Zendo-v8k]

Peter Joseph (Zeitgeist Movement), Jacques Fresco (The Venus Project). The ideas are spreading/being rediscovered. Thankfully. Great talk!

[@rasgebremedhintafari3583]

Zendo YOUR A JOKE AND SO IS ZEITGEIST

[@Hhenryarero]

Sailing gets harder without the Wind

[@somadevo]

This is a very special video. The story itself is filled with meaningful ingredients that strongly hold your attention. After experiencing the video you continue to receive a great deal related to what you have just experienced. I feel economics are ignoring our Divine Source that we can be in Conscious Relationship with which relates directly to the economics of life. In living by giving and devoting all acts, service and accomplishments to Our Divine Source expecting nothing in return but Trusting in Source we will be provided for in the best way possible to fulfill our destiny life becomes miraculous and reveals the true purpose of life which is to truly discover your relationship with The Divine. I had my nine years on the ocean in wooden sailboats and had started this spiritual path 8 years before it manifest for me to live my calling to live on the ocean in a windship. I jumped into living by giving in 1970 and it has never stopped being a flow of miracles that have raised and created me wholisticly. Infinite Loving Blessings tp all opening to the new Light entering to abolish the deception, dishonesty, and folly on all levels so a High Harmony can reveal life's true potential.

[@apapouts]

wow this is amazing

[@joetaylor486]

Ellen Macarthur is a very impressive individual, no mistake. Her message however has an awful power and I had no idea various strategic resources were so terribly scarce! I am rethinking my life as I type this.

[@inner200k]

Sorry, but she is wrong. you first have to deal with humanity and greed you'll never make any meaningful head way anywhere until you fix that.

[@prof.m.ottozeeejcdecs9998]

I concur, but where does one start to get to that realization? She found a starting point...

[@sladeyoung1637]

Deal with humanity huh? Sounds a bit strange.

[@carmelpule6954]

Like her grandfather, I also fed pit ponies in a coal mine when I was at Newcastle upon Tyne. The pit ponies I saw were blind as a cause of the coal dust. One old and wise coal miner used to advise the other coal miners, "Do not ask for a pay rise as that will continue to escalate, it is much better to ask for a plot of land 200 feet long and 21 feet wide and we could plant it with the veggies and other food we need and we would ask the coal companies just to educate of children free of charge. As the lady said it so well, our forefather only asked for the basics and the families were stable for thousands of years. With the modern family demands, we are overusing the raw materials and we will soon not know what we are going to do with the refuse and the rubbish we are throwing away..........we shall sink in our own rubbish and refuse. Some packets I buy from the supermarket have even three wrappings around them before one comes to the item itself. Some countries do not know what to do with their rubbish and hidden behind Australia's modern living..... few people know that Australia is dumping its plastic in Malasia. How about that for selfishness and egoism! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqLVnXiphdSsgM0

[@Ree1981]

"You won't believe what I learned on my trip around the world! Click here and wait 15 minutes for this amazing story!"

[@germansestopal6167]

Perhaps is better to repair a car than to buy a new one but... The industry and the banks doesn't want that. Instead they say that that car is obsolete and that for circulate you need a new one... Credit, loan etc . thanks for the video

[@Zepherian]

"See ellen, they're looking at you now. Time to pay for the opportunity we gave you to do some global tourism. You're now a paladin of enviromentalism, see if you can convince the people to take some scarcity and some taxes. Make them humble. Make them submissive. Make them weak. You're a hero, where you go some will follow. Try and make them accept socialism, as it is now we can only take the milk. But we want the cow..." I sometimes wonder if these sort of conversations happen...

[@phedrob3735]

Being now on my third GRP boat and considering how much GRP there is in all the marinas around the world I find myself wondering if GRP can be recycled in any way

[@santiago321lat]

How is a sailboat propelled by the wind, and whose electronics are powered by the wind and/or sun an example of a finite system? Seems to me its exactly the opposite.

[@dougerrn]

That was almost as motivating as the movie Soylent green

[@albasecases6012]

Viva Yolo, mi capitán, te queremos!!

[@kithkin01]

About time

[@meencheehong4679]

Nobel Prize is awaiting you

[@richarddehn4552]

ever wonder about the metals in boat bottom paint......

[@MrDonkov]

Exploring the Limits

[@kennethcaloun5138]

nice video thanks friend

[@batchint]

I think that's about the time that satellite communications became available which made it that more exciting

[@MrDswampymarsh]

you have inspired me since you did this wow you some lady

[@snowdingo7283]

Gee she reminds me of me

[@pushkardey]

This is exactly the only issue with the human civilization right now, as soon as the global resources are managed and distributed evenly. There will not be many wars except of ego. However as long as humans celebrate collaboration and not competition, we should be safe.

[@Finalblossom]

The first thing an economics book will teach you about is finite resources. A cyclical economy is certainly part of the solution, but she overlooked another key factor, reducing demand, which is best achieved by reducing population.

[@sails3538]

This is why the US car manufacturers are loosing so much market share. JAPANESE cars last 3 times longer before any money is spent. America is being seriously miss managed. If American made products that lasted, the world will buy your products again.

[@kentst8956]

True, the economy is finite...but there would be plenty to go around if the 1% would put their stockpile into circulation!

[@kokofan50]

While I agree with the other idea that we need to go from a linear to cyclical system, some of the ways she proposes of doing that are never going to happen, like the idea of paying for light service.

[@SirNightmareFuel]

What incentives businesses to spend money taking these additional steps, such as reclaiming light fixtures, is my question

[@ForAnAngel]

Whos That Guy? They won't have to pay as much for materials.

[@albertrogers8537]

I like this woman, but I wish that she had mentioned that her sailboat experience shows what rubbish wind turbines are, or better still that finite resources mean that an expanding economy and "providing more employment" is a pyramid scheme.

[@ehcmier]

Good luck shoving greed out of the system, making it a small component of economy rather than a massive one. Eliminate planned obsolescence, and make the phrase: "They don't make things like they used to." -- a positive statement, not a memory of when things lasted longer, purchases were investments to carry one to the next life goal.

[@3-DtimeCosmology]

ehcmier this is a dark time

[@ciciliu6508]

What’s sort of text is it?

[@grahammewburn]

The discovery of oil peaked in 1964. Mankind cannot pump undiscovered oil. Rystad Energy has reported that the average annual discovery of oil has declined to 9 billion barrels PA. Mankind consumes 36 billion barrels PA so 9 billion is 27 billion barrels short of what's needed to maintain our high energy lifestyle

[@willshaw3561]

We do all this and it didn't work out so well

[@perleycarmichael5498]

Was so impressed by her accomplishments, but couldn’t stop there! Sooo unimpressed by those that can’t let us enjoy that, but have to get on a dam pedestal. Spend time appreciating the God that created it and enjoy it...sharing your experience .

[@chrishamilton4999]

an optimist at work .....

[@davidmay3504]

Ok, is it me or is a huge portion of what she's talking about just recycling? And aren't we already doing that a bunch and growing more every day? Consider iron, it gets scrapped and melted down just to be reprocessed and made into something new. Doesn't sound that finite. Also, what about fossil fuels? Consider methane. It comes from organic materials decomposing. Consider alcohol, made from organics and distilled to be used as fuel comparable to gasoline, plus a few parties for college students - not really what I was talking about, but deserves an honorable mention. Also, what about biodiesel? As abundant and renewable as they come. And all most of these need to become viable is for the price of crude oil to go up enough. No need to panic people, it's not time to panic yet.

[@mimoleclair9824]

Why does she say " we " when she was alone on the boat?

[@AnthonyBanaga]

That was done very well, and with teeth.

[@bxbank]

Did you look at money models? Circular is easy. But how are you going to do it with a money model that is destructive? Did you look at money? Are you?

[@downundertruckerusa4733]

So make cars cloth's homes etc etc etc with hemp. Henry ford worked this out decades ago.

[@MakeMeThinkAgain]

I have mixed feelings about the buying services rather than things concept, but I agree it's the only way to get less wasteful products. Computers are an obvious application of this idea. I should pay Google a monthly fee and never "buy" another computer the rest of my life.

[@nearlynativenursery8638]

Great speech and presentation. It is up to the younger generations to discover and invent new ways to change the way we live and developed a new NON GDP economy. I have heard that the GDP Base Economy Is The biggest Ponzi Scheme as its base on continual growth, the person said it so eloquently saying we can can not have infinite growth on a finite planet as it does not play out well for any living Flora or Fauna that includes us humans. I am of the belief and afraid we delayed in changing our way of existence for too long . People especially in the USA have been indoctrinated willingly and blindly by advertisements for the big businesses. Leading the populace to try to out do each other at living high on the hog, buy and then throwing away said items. Today the business model as changed to made everything disposable. forcing us to buy poorly made items to feel fulfilled and watch it fail in a short period so they can take more of our money. Reducing the number of people is the major ingredient to solving the problem. Jim Rodgers

[@tiberiu_nicolae]

Reading the comments here makes me sad. So much hate towards her. So much cynicism for our future. So much arrogant ignorance.

[@gotsail3996]

Dilly Dilly

[@MrSmithToday]

You forget about service life of engineered components and energy required. Energy is the number one requirement for everything. To build recycle and move. Without a new clean energy system its game over.

[@albertofourie3294]

Nothing like going around in "circles"!🙃 Suggest Dame Ellen stick to sailing great circles instead! Sailing part of talk was good though. 👍

[@mrk19901]

So what did she learn?

[@musFuzZ]

I want to sail the oceans too... my problem is that i want to do everything.

[@narrowkeel]

Holy %*#&^$@, what in the living ^*&$# was she talking about at the end? I was totally down for the TED talk about her being a badass and living her passion better than some of the rest of us ever will... No idea how or why that turned into some weird economic moralizing and philosophizing about the most boring looming technologies of the future we'll never see because equally crazy but more coherent methods will probably swallow every single one she is bothering to investigate and lecture us about. I'm so *$(T#ing confused how this happened and why no one else is as disappointed.

[@nangcaonguyen]

Big Big ideas

[@Roinn.]

Just a sailor story mixed with facts the entire world already knows and had nothing new, innovating or enlightening to add, this speech did not change the world