By Sahana Senthilkumar
By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Each year, more than a million seabirds and a hundred thousand marine mammals die as a result of plastic pollution. “Dead zones”, parts of the ocean with dangerously low levels of oxygen, now take up as much space on the planet as the United Kingdom.
Recall that about 70 percent of the world is covered by water. With this in mind, one cannot help but wonder how humans — residing on lands that take up a mere 30 percent of the planet — have managed to pose a threat to such a deep and vast area.
But these observations also allow for a vital deduction: if humans are capable of threatening the existence of the ocean’s inhabitants, then they must also be capable of guiding it out of its dire situation. Following this principle, it is important to know that just as mankind’s collective impact harms the ocean, a collective effort will be needed to reverse the negative impact. That is where you come in. Despite the enormity of the issue at hand, the power to instigate change resides within each of us. Keeping that in mind, consider the actions you can take to make a positive impact on our planet’s beloved ocean:
1. Speak up; be an advocate for change
Sign petitions. There are so many you can find on renowned conservation websites like oceanconservancy.org and worldwildlife.org.
This helps with taking legal action, but you can also speak up on a more local level by encouraging friends and family to make right choices about issues such as plastic usage and recycling.
2. Offer your support to the right people
Join a volunteer organization that raises funds for ocean conservation programs. Support businesses that produce sustainably sourced seafood. Contact your local elected representatives and let them know how you feel about legislation that poses a threat to the ocean.
3. Refrain from using single-use plastics whenever possible
The ocean’s biggest enemy is plastic. Whenever you can, instead of using non-reusable items made of plastic such as water bottles, straws, and bags, opt to use the reusable versions.
4. Reduce carbon emissions
Carbon emissions have played a significant role in the current climate crisis, and as you can imagine, the ocean is being negatively impacted as well. Most of the excess heat produced as a result of burning fossil fuels is absorbed by the ocean. The repercussions of this unnatural event are already making themselves evident in the form of bleached coral reefs, rapidly rising sea levels, and abnormal weather. In order to slow these effects, you can reduce your carbon footprint at home by turning off lights and unplugging electronics when not in use, keeping non-renewable energy usage to a minimum, and disposing of recyclable waste and non-recyclable waste in an organized manner.
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