Today is World Oceans Day, which has been celebrated on June 8th since its original proposal in 1992 by Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This year’s theme is “Youth: the Next Wave for Change”.
Here are some nifty facts about our world’s oceans:
-50 to 70 percent of the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean. That’s more than every one of the world’s rain forests combined.
-The ocean is the #1 source of protein for more than a billion people. Sea life provides one fifth of the average person’s animal protein intake.
-The ocean regulates our climate, absorbs carbon dioxide, holds 97% of Earth’s water, and supports the greatest abundance of life on our planet.
But there are some serious problems, for example:
-discarded plastic bags and other trash have formed a toxic “plastic soup” that is gathering in five massive ocean gyres around the world. As the plastic breaks down, it is eaten by sea animals, birds, and fish, causing illness and death. It eventually enters our diets, too.
-our oceans account for 71% of the planet, but less than 2% of our oceans are protected. We have protections in place for nearly 12% of all land (through areas like national parks).
For information on cool events and ideas about how you can help protect our oceans, visit:
http://worldoceansday.org/
http://www.un.org/en/events/oceansday
http://www.nature.org/World-Oceans-Day
http://www.oneworldoneocean.org/pages/why-the-ocean
http://www.care2.com/causes/june-8-is-world-oceans-day-video.html#ixzz1xD6DZr3h
“Sea” you later!
Energetically, Diane Tegarden
