Blue Heart:
War, Climate and the Battle for the Ocean that Keeps us Alive
“A powerful, deeply informed and urgent book that is both a timely warning and a call to conscience.”
— Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland
Blue Heart is more than a book about the ocean. The ocean is both its subject and its lens, revealing the relationships that shape our world — between humanity and nature, leadership and stewardship, security and sustainability, and the responsibility we bear to future generations.
Drawing on almost five decades of military service and leadership, alongside academic research and public service, his talks encourage audiences to see today’s challenges through a broader, more interconnected lens. Rather than treating climate change, biodiversity loss, governance, security and human wellbeing as separate issues, Blue Heart reveals how deeply interconnected they are.
At its heart, Blue Heart is a book of hope and agency. It argues that while humanity faces profound and accelerating challenges, we possess the foresight, responsibility and capacity to choose a different course. By changing how we understand our relationship with the ocean and the natural world, we can begin to rethink our relationship with one another — and the future we choose to leave to those who follow us.
Praise for Blue Heart
“A powerful, deeply informed and urgent book that is both a timely warning and a call to conscience.”
“Mark Mellett has written a powerful, deeply informed and urgent book that is both a timely warning and a call to conscience. Drawing on his extraordinary career at sea and his deep commitment to climate justice, he shows us that the ocean’s fate is our own.
Blue Heart reminds us that those who have contributed least to environmental degradation often suffer most from its consequences — and that protecting the ocean is inseparable from climate justice, human security and our responsibility to future generations.”
Mary Robinson
Former President of Ireland
“Anyone concerned with National Security would do well to read and reflect on the problems and recommendations that Mark Mellett presents in Blue Heart.”
“The oceans of the world literally provide us with the very essence of life. The oceans give us oxygen, provide massive amounts of food and water, are the lifeblood of global economic trade, and have always been the arena of global competition and conflict.
Humanity cannot exist without the oceans, and Mark Mellett’s Blue Heart provides a passionate, thoughtful and powerful argument in their defense based on a lifetime of Naval service. He has the educational and professional experience to give a warning of the uncertainty and dangers ahead.
As he notes, we are facing a “slow rolling catastrophe” and he alerts us to “stand by to brace” — a Naval term warning of rough seas ahead. Along with his warning, he also provides insight on potential solutions to the challenges now and in the future.
Additionally, this is a book full of firsthand stories about good and bad leadership under pressure, with example after example of decision making, character, and courage. Anyone concerned with National Security would do well to read and reflect on the problems and recommendations that Mark Mellett presents in Blue Heart.”
General Mark A. Milley, U.S. Army (Ret.)
20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
“I wrote Blue Heart because I believe the ocean is the beating heart of nature, yet too often we fail to see how profoundly it shapes our lives. Overcoming that sea blindness and renewing our relationship with the ocean is fundamental to our shared future.”
— Mark Mellett