Have You Looked to See What We’re Doing to Our Oceans?
About 71% of our planet is covered by saltwater oceans. An invaluable resource. Because it doesn’t provide us with a viable water resource, we too often dismiss oceans as inconsequential when we’re talking about conservation efforts. We talk about the trees. We talk about the air. We talk about the Amazon and the desert and the glaciers. But what’s going to happen if we manage to destroy our oceans?
“The rolling of the sea across the planet creates over half our oxygen, drives weather systems and natural flows of energy and nutrients around the world, transports water masses many times greater than all the rivers on land combined, and keeps the Earth habitable. Without the global ocean there would be no life on Earth.” ~Greenpeace
“Coral reefs are made predominately of stony corals and supported by the limestone skeleton they excrete. These rainforests of the sea are home to a quarter of all marine fish species. In addition to the variety of marine life they support, coral reefs are also immensely beneficial to humans, buffeting coastal regions from strong waves and storms, providing millions of people with food and jobs and promoting advances in modern medicine.” ~Jennifer Horton, HowStuffWorks.com
So oceans provide jobs and food, as well as influencing the planet’s weather. But people, who populate less than 30% of the Earth’s surface, negligently dispose of waste, gasoline and oil into the oceans and toxins inevitably leach into the soil.
So, people occupy less than 30% of the Earth’s surface. Other creatures-land animals, fish and marine mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, plants-all outnumber us. But because of some misguided belief in divine right, we humans are pitilessly destroying all these other creatures’ natural habitats. Just because people are particularly good at spreading themselves across the world we think we are somehow superior to other animals and can use up irreplaceable resources without regard.
“[It is] immoral to damage needlessly a remote and largely unknown assemblage of organisms-even if they are out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and apparently of little importance to the general ecological processes in the ocean-through negligent and ignorant abuse of the oceans.” ~Martin Angel, “Ocean Trench Conservation”, 1982
If People Destroy the Oceans, We Destroy Not Only Ourselves But Other Innocent Lives. What Can We Do To Stop This?
Yes, we need to talk about ocean conservation and get the issue out there. But if talking worked to solve the problem, then lobbyists and politicians would have solved it already. Action is also needed. Action is what will make a positive difference to the future of the Earth’s oceans.
Greenpeace and organizations like them are taking great steps to promote ocean conservation, but they can’t do this alone. Ordinary people like you and me also need to take responsibility for preserving our oceans. Here are some steps we can take:
1) Protest the dumping of trash and wastes into the ocean. The ocean is designed to manage itself, but it can’t do that if we’re pumping it full of junk. 2) Support marine conservation areas and steer clear of protected nesting areas. 3) Reduce household pollutants, and use natural products where you can. Remember: What leaks into the soil eventually finds its way to our water supply. 4) Carpool where you can. Ride a bike. What you pump into the air isn’t doing our marine life any favors either. 5) Use paper instead of plastic. 6) Recycle.
We all need to do as much as we can to keep the Earth’s oceans healthy. The next generation is counting on us.
For those who were interested in the above post, you can go take a look at more related posts at Bruce Tulio or this Bruce Tulio Blog Post.






