Happy World Oceans Day! I love this day so much because it’s a time when everyone around that world, no matter where they are, has a chance to celebrate the beauty of our oceans and connect with others to work towards a better future.
We have the privilege of living on this beautiful planet called Earth and the ocean covers more than 70% of its surface. Our oceans have such a huge impact on our everyday lives. They are essentially the lungs of our planet and provide so much of the oxygen we need to breathe, it regulates our climate and weather, and is also home to so many beautiful creatures.
The focus for this year’s World Ocean’s Day is Preventing Plastic Pollution. This is such a HUGE issue right now and has progressively gotten worse as we’ve become more and more accustomed to disposal products and plastic. Current plastic pollution is epically portrayed in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between California and Hawaii (you can read my blog post on the floating pile of garbage here ).
Plastic pollution greatly affects our entire planet and is immensely affecting our oceans and marine life. For instance,
80% of pollution in the ocean is from people on land
Per year, 8 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans
Plastic pollution takes the lives of approximately 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals per year.
Fish eat plastic, then fish is consumed by people and other animals.
Pollution from plastic causes over $8 billion in damage to the marine ecosystems every year.
There are SO many opportunities for us to reduce plastic pollution and save our oceans and marine life. Refuse plastic straws, use reusable shopping bags, be mindful when purchasing anything plastic, there’s almost always an alternative.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
“The presence of the ocean touches every living thing no matter where it lives. The air we breathe and the water we consume are ultimately linked to the seas. The ocean drives our weather and stabilizes our climate. Nowhere is more powerful and unforgiving, yet more beautiful and endlessly fascinating.
Yet for too long we have taken the ocean for granted. Our actions have pushed species to the brink, and had an impact on every ocean habitat no matter how remote or how deep. The effects of climate change have been softened by the oceans, but now we are facing the consequences. The seas are warming, rising and becoming more acidic. It’s a sobering thought that coral reefs may be lost within the next century.
We all need a healthy ocean, so we must change our ways, together with the right management we can repopulate the seas. We can reduce marine pollution and minimize the impact of ocean acidification. The oceans’ power of regeneration is remarkable if we just offer it the chance. It’s not too late.”
~David Attenborough
Source: http://www.un.org/en/events/oceansday/
Comments