Today World Oceans Day – the day to celebrate the magnificence of the world’s oceans and raise awareness about their preservation.
Why are they so important? The world’s oceans produce an expected 70% of the earth’s oxygen. They manage the globe’s weather and climate. They support marine life. They furnish us with food, and ingredients for many of our medicines.
In short, healthy oceans adds to a healthy earth. Yet, our oceans and marine life are under risk: from pollution and overfishing, to name only two of the challenges they face.
World Oceans Day means to address these difficulties. For the lowdown on the current year’s occasion, continue perusing.
What is World Oceans Day?
World Oceans Day is a celebration of the globe’s oceans. It is comprised of a progression of occasions everywhere throughout the world and every year is themed.
What is the World Oceans Day 2019 theme?
The protection focal point of the day is to move an overall battle against plastic pollution.
The United Nation’s World Oceans Day assigned theme this year is “Gender and Oceans”. This is to feature the significant role gender equality has to play in ensuring effective conservation of our oceans, seas and marine life.
The day will be utilized to expose the headway of gender equality in such ocean-related areas as marine scientific research, migration by sea and human trafficking, and policy-making.
World Oceans Day: Significance of the oceans
Until 2009, just World Ocean Day was advanced, yet the goals gone by the United Nation General Assembly in late 2008 made it World Oceans Day, including a ‘s’ after Ocean. It is because there are five distinct oceans on the earth: Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and the Southern Ocean.
Oceans hold 97% water on the Earth, producing half of the oxygen in the atmosphere, and absorbing the most carbon from it. In addition, oceans also a vast amount of greenhouse gas, helping humans in tackling the problem of global warming and climate change.
5 different ways to help protect our oceans
Concentrate on your plastic use
Although recycling processes are ever-developing, when it comes to plastic, it’s best not to use it at all.
Take a reusable cup to the coffee shop, use a reusable carrier bag at the supermarket, choose loose vegetables and fruit, say ‘no’ to plastic straws… There are many things you can (and should!) do.
Buy sustainable fish and seafood
We may love our cod and chips, and that tuna sarnie at the canteen. The awful news is we’re coming up short on their main ingredient. The good news is there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
Approach your fishmonger for right now sustainable choices, for example, hake, dab, mackerel or pollack. If you’re unsure if the fish you want to buy is sustainable, look it up in the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide.
Visit a beach to pick up waste
In London we are but a few hours away from the South and Eastern coasts. Plan a trip to the sea for an afternoon of picking up litter.
Or else, why not join a community beach clean event, which you can find via the National Trust website.
Support charities supporting the oceans
From The Marine Conservation Society to Plastic Oceans UK, there are various charities you can support to support the world’s seas and oceans.
You can likewise sponsor marine animals – why not a whale or dolphin through the Hebridean Dolphin and Whale Trust?
Talk about the oceans
Keep the conversation going. It’s great to be getting involved on World Oceans Day itself, but there are other 364 days in the year.
Keep thinking about ways to help, spread the word in your local community, and if you go to a beach this summer – anywhere in the world – keep an eye out that plastic, and if safe to do so, pick it up.