Conversations with Whales: Wendy and Wayne’s Guide to a Warming World
Ossining, NY
2022, Senior, Creative Writing
Excerpt From “MMU Interview ‘Conversations with Whales’ Fuels Recent Controversy After Full Transcript Released” by Octavia Olsen for The Mariana Times
The Marine Mammals United (MMU) hosted its annual climate conference June 3-6, 2022. Despite the growing call for greater inclusivity in the MMU, which has remained a major power in the marine world despite its refusal to include non-mammals, the organization decided to push forward with the Pacific conference. “Conversations with Whales” was hosted on June 5th in the Rosie Memorial Auditorium in front of a live audience by Susan Sullivan with guests Wayne White and Wendy Ward. Originally, the conversation was only supposed to involve White but, with recent protests, Ward was chosen to represent a younger generation at the conference.
After running into broadcasting problems midway through the interview, the livestream was stopped. The allotted time for the interview was a half-hour; however, official footage released after the conference only accounted for a fraction of that time. There were very few reporters present at the conference, as most news outlets, including The Mariana Times, did not receive invitations. Suspicions of censorship were confirmed early today when the full transcript of the interview was released. At this time, none of the involved parties have issued statements on the matter; however, it is expected that Ward will break her silence soon. It is unclear how the MMU will handle this situation, though, as Ward so pointedly commented in the censored transcript that the MMU has a history of denial and coverups.
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Conversations With Whales: Wendy and Wayne’s Guide to a Warming World
UNEDITED transcript from the Marine Mammals Pacific Climate Conference, hosted by Marine Mammals United (MMU) at the Marine Institute of Science and Technology. Italicized writing was excluded from the official video.
Susan: I am joined today by Wayne White and Wendy Ward. Good afternoon! It is lovely to see you both.
Wayne: Thank you for having us.
Wendy: I am very glad to be here.
Susan: Now, how about we start with some introductions? Correct me if I’m wrong, but you two have never actually met before.
Wendy: That is true, but I really admire Wayne’s work.
Wayne: Thank you, Wendy. I’ve been following you these past few years, and I think you are a really talented young whale.
Wendy: Wow, thank you Wayne! That really means a lot coming from you. Sorry, I think I’m just a little starstruck.
Wayne: That is very kind of you, Wendy.
Susan: So obviously you two are aware of each other’s work, but let’s take a moment to have you introduce yourselves to the audience.
Wayne: Wendy, would you like to go first?
Wendy: Sure, thank you, Wayne. My name is Wendy Ward. I am a North Pacific right whale and a climate activist. As an endangered species native to the northern regions of the Pacific Ocean, I have always been very aware of climate change. I started going to protests when I was ten years old, so I have been fighting for just over a decade now.
Susan: That’s a long time for someone your age.
Wendy: It is! But I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.
Susan: Now Wayne, tell us a little about yourself.
Wayne: Hello, I am Wayne White. I am a blue whale, and I have lived in the Pacific Ocean my entire life. Much like Wendy, I started out in the climate movement at a young age, though not quite as young. I have dedicated the last 50 years of my life to the climate crisis, but in the last 15 years I have stopped actively protesting; instead, I’ve been focusing on writing.
Susan: Very nice, thank you. At the end there, you mentioned writing. You currently have three books published, but your fourth one comes out on the 10th. Could you speak about that?
Wayne: Yes, my latest book is called Fighting Blue: The Life of Wayne White. It comes out on June 10th. It is an autobiography about my life, focusing specifically on the early years of the climate movement. I elaborate on why I got involved and what drove me to keep going.
Susan: Can you talk a little bit about those early years?
Wayne: I can. When I was a calf, growing up in the Southeast Pacific, I spent a lot of time alone just roaming the ocean. There were so few of us [blue whales] at that point. Those were really hard times for our species. That was also when the first reports started coming in about the changing climate. Immediately, oil companies tried to cover it up with ad campaigns full of blatant lies. A lot of marine life wasn’t happy with it.
Wendy: A lot of those ad campaigns and blatant lies have continued to this day. Even the MMU has a history of climate denial, which has only stopped recently.
Susan: We’ll come back to that later. Now Wayne, what made you want to take part in the fight?
Wayne: My mother, actually. She was always pushing the boundaries. From a young age she fostered a fighting spirit in me. I’m sure Wendy feels this as well—when you are an endangered species, that is what you have to do.
Susan: Wow. Wendy, do you have a similar connection to your mother?
Wendy: Well, no. Even though I spent more time with my mother than most other whales do, I was never close with her. One day we just went our separate ways. After that, I became inspired by the movement.
Susan: Wonderful. Now Wayne, what do you think are the next steps in the climate movement?
Wayne: Well, I think that is probably more of a question for Wendy. I’ve taken a step back from everything. I think the best I can do now is to share my experience. Wendy is the one who is making a difference now.
Susan: OK, Wendy, what are your plans for the future? Do you have any marches or events lined up?
Wendy: First of all, that was not the same question. I will answer the one you asked Wayne. I think the first step is holding corporations, companies, and governments accountable. Marching will only get us so far. While it does demonstrate our unity, meaningful change cannot happen without changes in policy, enforced by the government. We need to elect politicians who will make these changes and challenge the organizations that have hold on the government.
Wayne: Like oil companies?
Wendy: And those who invest in them.
Susan: What are your thoughts on recyclー
Wendy: The MMU, for example, has invested billions of dollars in SalmonMobil since the
early twentieth century. Last year alone, they funded numerous drilling projects in my home, the Northern Pacific Ocean. Corporations need to stop pretending they are “on board with the climate emergency” when really, they have just switched to doing their deals under the table.
Susan: Well, I think we will stop there! It has been lovely talking to you both.
Wayne: Thank you for having us.
Wendy: So, you don’t want to hear my thoughts on recycling?
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A Letter to the Incredible Wendy Ward, Written by Wayne White
Dear Wendy,
I am so glad that I finally got to meet you, despite the circumstances. You are just as awe-inspiring and strong-willed as everyone says you are. Thank you for not being afraid to stand up for your rights and for the rights of others. You reminded me of what I am supposed to be doing: challenging those in power to fight for a better world. It is animals like you that keep the currents
strong. We look to you as a leader, as our hope, and as the future. Keep doing what you do, and I will keep doing what I do, because that is the best we can. I sincerely hope that we can work together in the future.
Yours Truly,
Wayne White
Reflection
Reflection
The purpose of this piece is to show that the climate crisis is embedded in our society and has been for years. I decided to tell this story through the lens of an underwater society that reflects our own because I felt that it would show how deep this problem goes. I have been interested in climate change and the arts for many years. A lot of my inspiration comes from my grandmother, who helped me design my first climate change protest sign back in 2015. While I've never had her natural gift for visual art, I have found other ways to express myself, primarily through creative writing. This piece especially brought me back to my early days in the climate movement when I was learning about all of the corruption and cover-ups that took place to deny climate change. It reminded me about why I joined the movement in the first place: I want a better world. If there is one thing I want readers to take away from this story, it is that you should never stop fighting for your future, even in the face of lies and corruption; you do what you can because that is all you can do. One of the main points made in the story is that individual actions, such as recycling and marching, can only get you so far. To truly tackle the climate crisis, we need to elect politicians who will make changes. We need new laws and policies to keep companies from exploiting our natural recourses. We need leaders who won't back down.