Clean Waters

Pictured is the Blue Whale, once on the endangered species list but brought back to fruition due to the  undying efforts of many individuals and organizations since the 1970s, including General Whale, Greenpeace and  World Wildlife Fund. When the ocean is healthy, the ecosystem is healthy and whales, sea creatures and fish thrive. And then we thrive.

Today is Happy World Oceans Day! We have made some progress in cleaning up our waters, but our commitment must be greater here on land. Now. Join the global #WorldOceansDay community to take action for our ocean!

Why celebrate our oceans?

• Oceans cover 71% of Earth’s surface and hold 97% of our planet’s water.
• The oceans help feed us and provide most of the oxygen that we breathe.
• Oceans also play a key role in regulating the weather and climate. Water evaporating from the oceans falls inland as rain, which we then use to drink and grow crops.
• A variety of life-saving medicinal compounds including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drugs have been discovered in the oceans.
• The oceans provide us with abundant opportunities for recreation and inspiration (worldoceansday.org)
• Did you know there are more than 250 species of water turtles in our oceans? And 61% of them are near extinction? (worldwildlife.org)

Deanna Conners, writer for Earth Magazine suggests that on World Oceans Day  you “…plan or find an event. Participate on social media. Or … just go to the beach!” And while at the beach or other waterway, pick up the plastic trash that others leave behind. Reducing plastic use is the number one need and promise to move this effort forward. Remember the huge Great Pacific Garbage Patch? And recent studies showed there is even more plastic pollution in the deep see than in the garbage patch.

Threats to the oceans include pollution, overfishing, invasive species, and rising ocean acidity due to the extensive use of fossil fuels. And we are all aware of the threat to the ocean due to plastic waste. Find your own way to help protect your oceans. .More from the Climate Action Summit.

A few ways you can celebrate Happy Oceans Day. 

• Pack a picnic & take some bags for capturing trash and head to your fav waterway or bay or beach. Be inspired by the water and pick up any trash.
• Make a promise to Climate Action. At SF on the Bay, we did. We committed to cutting back our plastic use by 75% last year. And now we want to cut out plastic bottle use  entirely except when necessary when traveling. You can make your promise now and let us know. Samantha Mackiewicz, above, did her part by kayak in March 2019.
• Recycle and use reusable water bottles and grocery bags to help reduce plastic pollution
• Reduce your carbon footprint by turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use and purchasing energy efficient products in the future.
• Make sustainable seafood choices to protect marine life, and there are now sustainable seafood guides available for many countries around the world.

About World Oceans Day

Canada first proposed the concept for World Oceans Day in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. In December 2008, a United Nations resolution designated June 8 of each year as World Oceans Day.

NOTES:
More information about what you can do to reveres the climate change effects – coming soon  Join our community and let’s pick up that plastic we see laying around.