It's World Oceans Day!
from mnn.com:
World Oceans Day is a day set aside to raise awareness about the importance of oceans. Why celebrate oceans? Well, for starters, they generate most of our oxygen, they feed us, they clean our water, they help regulate the world's climate, and they act as a source for current and future pharmaceutical medicines.
They are also in trouble.
Climate change is already linked to the killing of coral reefs, and destructive fishing practices have caused a dramatic decline in many types of the fish we depend on for food. Pollution is also taking its toll on the world's oceans as evidenced by the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
So what can you do to celebrate World Oceans Day and help protect our oceans? The Ocean Project is asking folks to "Wear Blue-Tell Two," to mark the day. They want people around the world to wear blue, and let people know why by telling folks two things they likely don't know about our oceans and how they can help. Here are a few ideas:
- The oceans cover about 140 million square miles, or nearly 71 percent of the Earth's surface.
- The top 10 feet of the ocean hold as much heat as our entire atmosphere.
- Oceans absorb between 30 percent and 50 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels.
- Atlantic sea water is heavier than Pacific sea water because it has a higher salt content.
Choosing seafood that is abundant in supply and sustainably harvested can help protect the world's oceans. (Download a guide to sustainable seafood here.)
It's up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations. World Oceans Day allows us to:
- Change perspective - encourage individuals to think about what the ocean means to them and what it has to offer all of us with hopes of conserving it for present and the future generations.
- Learn - discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.
- Change our ways - we are all connected to the ocean! By taking care of your backyard, you are acting as a caretaker of our ocean. Making small modifications to your everyday habits will greatly benefit our blue planet.
- Celebrate - whether you live inland or on the coast we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to think about how the ocean affects you, and how you affect the ocean, and then organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.
- Change perspective - encourage individuals to think about what the ocean means to them and what it has to offer all of us with hopes of conserving it for present and the future generations.
To learn more, visit The Ocean Project.
Some videos to inspire you : Plastic Soup for the Soul; A Sea Change
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