thank you, ocean
thank you, ocean.
hello beautiful earthling, I wanted to talk about our ocean today; everything that it does for us, and how we can truly thank the oceans.
The vast blue water that stretches on for miles takes up 70% of our planet and is another 70% of our oxygen origin. Since the ocean takes up so much mass, it also absorbs most of the heat that is reflected onto Earth. The heat the ocean absorbs eventually evaporates back into the atmosphere of the earth through the form of water vapor, which used to provide us with just the right temperature for life.
Island communities and cities rely on the ocean for food and wealth, and the ocean helps visitors from around the whole world get to experience the perfect sunset-on-beach view.
Yet, are we really thanking and repaying the ocean for everything that it does?
We aren’t.
As we are emitting more and more greenhouse gases, our atmosphere gradually turn thicker, trapping the heat into our atmosphere. This causes our temperature to start to rise, and in the way, glaciers that have stood on this planet for centuries will start to melt, sea levels will rise centimeter by centimeter, and eventually, putting our whole species in danger.
Below is a diagram created by researchers that shows how many citizens in each country will be affected by water level rise by the year 2100.
Yet the melting of glaciers and rising of temperatures don’t just affect humans, it affects the survival of every living being on our planet, including sea organisms. Even if the ocean temperature only increases by 1-2 degrees, half of the whole coral population could be wiped out due to acidification. It’s nearly there. In fact, half of the Australian Barrier reef has already vanished, if we keep on polluting, it’s not just the corals that will be gone, it’s the whole ocean ecosystem that will be in danger.
Yet we are also polluting our ocean in so many other ways than just one.
The most common type of pollution that we are causing is chemical pollution. Chemical pollution is made up of two factors; agricultural and industrial water waste. When companies or large-scale agricultural farms allow unfiltered water to enter waterways that eventually flow into the ocean, the chemicals from this waste will ruin the health of marine animals, and also, perhaps also affect the health of those who rely on marine life for food.
Another type of pollution that is also highly endangering our ocean is physical pollution. Littering and bad waste management is one of the main cause of physical pollution. A marine animal is often unable to tell the difference between plastic and food. They can sometimes mistake swallowing plastic by accident, or even worse, get choked by the plastic whilst trying to eat. Another major problem is micro-plastic. Though these plastics are tiny and practically invisible from far away, they are easily swallowed by fish, birds, and those who eat these creatures. According to CNN, there are about 14 million tons of microplastic on the seafloor, and even worse, studies have found that there is ingested plastic among almost 555 fish species. Animals are dying because of our trash.
The ocean may seem far away, but every single one of our actions has an impact on the ocean and its ecosystem, directly and indirectly. Every one of the ocean’s changes has an effect on us too. Before our impacts on the ocean become irreversible, let’s use our own special ways to thank the ocean, prevent pollution, and save marine animals.
Try to reduce the number of greenhouse gases you emit into the atmosphere.
This includes riding bikes and choosing a more eco-friendly type of transportation. You can cut down the amount of meat you consume (the dairy and meat industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gases), unplug, and turn off the lights. For more tips, you can try taking suggestions from some of my last post.
Save water
At first, I had no idea why I needed to include a saving water section, as most of us don’t get our water from the ocean. Yet all our water treatment and filtering require energy, when we don’t waste unnecessary water, we are also saving energy, in turn preventing greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. We can turn off the tap when you brush your teeth, take shorter showers…. But what are some other ways? You can try to use water that you used to wash your vegetables to water your plants (reusing), or make sure that the washing machine is full before you turn it on. Most importantly, appreciate every single drop of water that mother nature has granted us.
Help marine animals
I could, and I will write a whole blog post about the meat industry, consuming meat, veganism, and animal cruelty, but for now, let’s not get in too deep.
Start by trying to eat less seafood. This might be changing your usual fish and chips into a vegan tortilla or a salad. In fact, we have no reason to be eating so many varieties of marine animals every day, how different can each one of them taste? In the end, the reason we are killing these animals is for a few seconds of fulfillment for our taste buds, nothing else. Try to find a healthier replacement that can also fulfill your tastebuds without killing them every day.
I want to note really quickly that I’m not trying to guilt you into stopping eating meat, I’m only trying to explain the facts. Don’t cut off seafood completely, only moderately.
4. Reduce your waste and sort your trash
This is finding the source, or, the cause of the problem. (or at least, that’s what I call it..) In order to prevent plastic from ending in our ocean, we have to start by reducing the number of things we buy first. Find the pattern in what you buy, think twice before purchasing, this can also help avoid unusable plastic from entering your home. Reducing the amount of things you buy can also reduce the packaging, bags, and all the trash involved in the process. Try to avoid single-use plastic and other types of waste that don’t easily decompose.
This is where we part, my good friend. I hope that from this long post, you have learned something about the importance of our ocean, and the effect we as normal human beings have on it. Go ahead and show your gratitude to our ocean, start small.