WORLD OCEANS DAY

World Oceans Day takes place every June 8. It has been celebrated unofficially since its original proposal in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit - UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Brundtland Commission, i.e. the World Commission on Environment and Development, provided the inspiration for a global oceans day. The 1987 Brundtland Report noted that the ocean sector lacked a strong voice compared to other sectors. At the first world Oceans Day in 1992, the objectives were to move the oceans from the sidelines to the centre of the intergovernmental and NGO discussions and policy and to strengthen the voice of ocean and coastal constituencies world wide.

World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the United Nations in late 2008. The Ocean Project, working in partnership with the World Ocean Network, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and many other partners in its network of 2,000 organizations, has been promoting World Oceans Day since 2002 and led a three-year global petition movement to secure official UN recognition. World Oceans Day events are celebrated on June 8, the closest weekend, the week, and the month of June. The day is marked in a variety of ways, including launching new campaigns and initiatives, special events at aquariums and zoos, outdoor explorations, aquatic and beach cleanups, educational and conservation action programs, art contests, film festivals, and sustainable seafood events. Youth have been playing an increasingly important role since 2015, including the development in 2016 of a World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council.

The 2017 World Oceans Day will coincide with the The United Nations Ocean Conference.

From feeding humans to regulating the climate, water and carbon cycles; housing more than 230,000 known species of marine life, and producing the very air we breathe, oceans are, without question, essential for life on Earth. 

But they are under more threat than ever. Fish are being caught for food faster than their populations can regenerate; seas are growing more acidic due to rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; and humans toss so much plastic waste into the ocean that the Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea by weight.

Should you be concerned about plastic and other human debris in your seafood?

Despite these threats, oceans are some of the most poorly protected ecosystems on earth. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimates that only 3.4 per cent of oceans are protected; fishing, tourism, and other commercial activities carry on with few checks globally.

In a bid to raise public awareness and encourage ocean protection efforts, the global community, led by the United Nations, has observed World Oceans Day every June 8 since 1992. 

This year’s World Oceans Day theme is “Our oceans, our future”, and focuses on preventing plastic pollution. In line with the message that we all have a role to play in protecting the ocean for generations to come, here are six sea-saving actions that everyone can take today.

1. Keep the oceans clean 

Plastic is the worst offender when it comes to marine litter, with scientists estimating that about eight million metric tonnes of plastic waste enter oceans annually. In addition to trash like plastic bags, straws, and takeaway containers, ‘microplastics’—bits of plastic that are less than five millimetres long and usually found in products such as toothpaste and exfoliating scrubs—also end up in the sea, where they are ingested by marine animals. 

The steps needed to address this are all too easy: Swap plastic bags and disposable containers for reusable alternatives such as cotton totes, reusable coffee cups, and sturdy food containers; stop using products with microbeads; and never, ever, litter. 

Individuals, community groups, and companies can also go beyond small lifestyle changes by forming groups to collect trash from beaches. As the before-and-after images of the world’s largest clean-up at a beach in Mumbai, India show, small contributions of time and effort can add up to a big impact.

2. Choose responsible seafood 

The ocean’s seafood resources are being depleted faster than they can regenerate. WWF, for instance, classifies 85 per cent of the world’s fisheries as “exploited, overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion”.  

Fishing methods such as using dynamite or cyanide to kill fish, or dragging tire-reinforced industrial trawling nets indiscriminately across the ocean floor also causes ecological destruction beyond shrinking fish populations. 

Marine Stewardship Council logo. Image: Marine Stewardship Council

One way to avoid supporting such practices is to look for the Marine Stewardship Council logo on supermarket shelves; the industry association certifies seafood that is harvested using environmentally responsible practices, and bans cyanide or dynamite fishing.

One fish species whose consumption has long been controversial is tuna; the fish is often caught by dropping nets resembling giant drawstring bags into the ocean, using gadgets known as fish aggregation devices to attract fish into the nets, and then quickly closing them.

This method, known as ‘purse seine’ fishing, is associated with problems including the unintentional death of immature fish, other fish species, and even dolphins.  

The world’s largest producer of tuna, Thai Union, knows the challenges of sustainable tuna sourcing all too well. The company in 2015 found itself in the crosshairs of Greenpeace, which accused Thai Union of labour rights abuses on board its fishing vessels, and unsustainable fishing practices. 

The company has spent the past few years implementing various measures to improve its sustainability.

Darian McBain, Thai Union’s global director of sustainable development, shares that the company’s efforts include a pledge to source all tuna from fisheries that are either MSC-certified or engaged in projects to help them obtain the certification; ensuring supply chain traceability so that customers can scan bar codes on supermarket products to see where the fish was caught; and providing all its fishermen with satellite communication technology to help them keep in touch with their communities while at sea. 

“If you have traceable seafood, you can understand other characteristics such as whether the fish is legally caught,” says McBain, adding that customers can do their part to consume sustainable seafood by choosing responsibly sourced seafood, avoiding endangered fish such as Bluefin tuna, and encouraging retailers and restaurants to switch to sustainable seafood. 

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“We all need to be working towards the same outcome,” says McBain.

3. Reduce your energy use

As oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they become more acidic. This phenomenon, known as ocean acidification, threatens marine ecosystems because it reduces concentrations of calcium carbonate, an essential mineral for shellfish, crustaceans, and corals to make their skeletons or shells. 

Not only does this destroy the balance of oceanic ecosystems, but shellfish and other marine animals are an essential source of food and livelihoods for billions. 

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that ocean acidity has increased by 30 per cent since the industrial revolution. To help slow this down, everyone can reduce their carbon footprint by slashing energy use, driving less, or even making the switch to renewable energy sources. 

4. Speak up for the ocean

For oil and gas companies, the ocean’s true value lies in the massive deposits of fossil fuels that lie beneath its surface. 

From oil giant Shell’s now-abandoned plans to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic to BP’s intention to drill in the Great Australian Bight—a tract of ocean off Australia’s southern coast—to Indian coal giant Adani’s planned coal mine near the Great Barrier Reef, it is clear that fossil fuel firms have no qualms about exploring in, or near oceans.

But as BP’s 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the destruction of vast tracts of coral in Indonesia due to a cruise ship grounding demonstrate, an accident or spill in the ocean can have long-lasting and catastrophic consequences. 

Yet another reason to halt fossil fuel extraction, including in oceans, is that they need to be left in the ground in order to mitigate climate change. Research published in Nature journal in 2015 shows that known reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas cannot be burnt if a global temperature rise is to be capped at two degrees Celsius. 

For virtually every set of ocean exploration plans by fossil fuel companies, there is a petition or campaign to oppose it. If you live in areas affected by such projects, educate yourself on the issues, evaluate the benefits and risks of the project, and if you feel like the activity would harm the ocean, lend your voice, time, or even financial support to ongoing activist efforts. 

5. Think about the animals 

Refusing to support the capture and exploitation of marine animals for entertainment or education is another way to protect oceans and the life they sustain. 

In Singapore, for instance, environmental group Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES) has been campaigning to ‘Save the World’s Saddest Dolphins‘ since 2011. These are a group of 25 dolphins caught off the Solomon Islands coast and held captive at local tourism hub Resort World Sentosa. Four dolphins have died since the campaign was launched. 

The same issue exists in marine parks and commercial aquariums all over the world, with distressing consequences for the animals and sometimes, their human handlers too.

Anbarasi Boopal, deputy chief executive, ACRES, tells Eco-Business that “wild animals belong in the wild, and should not be removed for entertainment and profiteering”. 

“By watching them in captivity, one is directly supporting the cruelty and suffering behind the industry,“ adds Boopal. “Individuals can instead choose to watch them in the wild, to appreciate them as they are and learn more about them.”

Ethical alternatives to learning about marine life include tours that take people to see dolphins and whales in the wild, and organisations that rehabilitate and release marine life rather than breeding or capturing it. 

6. Educate yourself—and others 

Ocean protection is no doubt a complex issue, intertwined with how we eat, live, and even commute. There are many documentaries available that provide a comprehensive education on the issues, and introduce solutions that can help.

The official World Oceans Day website recommends films such as A Plastic Ocean, Planet Ocean, and Acid Test; the latter two are free to view online. 

Let's rewind, with few more points in mind:

1. Mind Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Energy Consumption. ...

2. Make Safe, Sustainable Seafood Choices. ...

3. Use Fewer Plastic Products. ...

4. Help Take Care of the Beach. ...

5. Don't Purchase Items That Exploit Marine Life. ...

6. Be an Ocean-Friendly Pet Owner. ...

7. Support Organizations Working to Protect the Ocean. ...

8. Influence Change in Your Community.

 

http://www.eco-business.com/news/6-ways-to-save-the-worlds-oceans/ 
http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/take-action/10-things-you-can-do-to-save-the-ocean/

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on the 5th of June every year, and is the United Nation's principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. WED has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually. Each year, WED has a new theme that major corporations, NGOs, communities, governments and celebrities worldwide adopt to advocate environmental causes.

Saving the environment is not an issue anymore. It is a survival truth. Individuals, organizations and governments need to come together and join hands to protect what is left of our planet so that the future is not wiped out before it’s time for curtain call.

The pyramid of life is on very shaky ground. Experts say that proper handling of waste materials, such as reusing or disposing of them properly, should constitute an important part of the our efforts to preserve energy and protect the environment. Countries worldwide should use less coal and more reusable power like hydro or solar power.

Let us plan our cities according to water available and not avail water for too many homes that have been crammed into development. Saving energy reduces air pollution and greenhouse gases. The less we pollute our environment, the more we prevent global warming. Let us check the seas from rising and submerging our lands. 

Increasing number of organizations are being formed to prevent the planet from premature extinction. More and more corporates have joined the race to save the planet. We can simply begin by buying recycled products for your office, home or school. The greater the demand for recycled products, the more companies will be encouraged to add recycled material to their products.

And we can begin right at home. Let us reuse what we would easily throw away and conserve for a future. Recycle everything one can from newspapers, cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum foil, motor oil, to scrap metals. We should avoid using electrical appliances for things one can easily do by hand, such as opening cans. We should try and conserve electricity by turning off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when not in use. Use cold water in the washer whenever possible.

What we can recycle let us do so. What we cannot let us not use them. Buy less disposable products. Buy paper products as they break down better in the environment and don't deplete the ozone layer as much. Ban plastic. Buy recycled goods. It’s trendy! Re-use brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic bags. Store food in re-usable containers, instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Keep cars tuned up. Buy a more fuel-efficient model (such as a hybrid or electric) and recycle your engine oil. Use public transit whenever possible. Let us walk more and drive less to conserve fuel and prevent auto-emission.

We should avoid littering our roads and highways. And prevent others from doing so. Always dispose of your litter properly by saving trash and dispose of it at a rest stop. Littering is not just bad for the environment, it is also an offence carrying heavy fines.

We use more organic fertilizers. Compost and reduce waste which would otherwise get buried and produces greenhouse gases as materials decompose. Avoid burning dead leaves as burning creates air pollution, and putting them out with the trash wastes landfill space. Instead we can compost the leaves and yard debris, or take them to a yard debris recycler. It is simple to pull weeds instead of using herbicides. Our farms need less pesticides and more organic methods.

Finally, let’s teach our children to respect nature and the environment, and learn in the process how we can hold on to the one planet which has a miracle called life.

Save the environment. Save Life.

http://www.uccee.org/Saving_The_Environment.html