Have You Realized How Badly We Treat Our Oceans? - By: Bruce Tulio

Saltwater oceans cover about 71% of the Earth's surface. Because we don't consume this water, we often forget that this ocean water is a precious resource. We ignore the need to conserve this resource as much as the Earth's other natural environments, such as the trees, air, Amazon rainforest, glaciers and the desert. People don't think about the consequences of destroying the Earth's oceans.

“The rolling of the sea across the planet creates over half our oxygen, drives weather systems and natural flows of energy and nutrients around the world, transports water masses many times greater than all the rivers on land combined, and keeps the Earth habitable. Without the global ocean there would be no life on Earth.” ~Greenpeace

“Coral reefs are made predominately of stony corals and supported by the limestone skeleton they excrete. These rainforests of the sea are home to a quarter of all marine fish species. In addition to the variety of marine life they support, coral reefs are also immensely beneficial to humans, buffeting coastal regions from strong waves and storms, providing millions of people with food and jobs and promoting advances in modern medicine.” ~Jennifer Horton, HowStuffWorks.com

So oceans provide jobs and food, as well as influencing the planet's weather. But people, who populate less than 30% of the Earth's surface, negligently dispose of waste, gasoline and oil into the oceans and toxins inevitably leach into the soil.

Let's pause for a moment to reflect on this. We live on less than 30% of the planet and we're outnumbered by pretty much every other living thing on Earth-plants, fish, marine mammals, land animals, birds, insects, reptiles. Yet, we humans are doing a thorough job in destroying the natural homes and habitat of all these other creatures. It seems that the human race has a misguided conviction that we have some kind of divine and superior right to encompass the Earth's surface and use up resources that can never be replaced.

“[It is] immoral to damage needlessly a remote and largely unknown assemblage of organisms-even if they are out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and apparently of little importance to the general ecological processes in the ocean-through negligent and ignorant abuse of the oceans.” ~Martin Angel, “Ocean Trench Conservation”, 1982

By Destroying the Oceans, We're Not Just Destroying Ourselves. We're Destroying Innocent Lives Too. The Question Is, What Are We Going to Do About It?

Yes, we need to talk about ocean conservation and get the issue out there. But if talking worked to solve the problem, then lobbyists and politicians would have solved it already. Action is also needed. Action is what will make a positive difference to the future of the Earth's oceans.

Organizations like Greenpeace are making great strides in the conservation of our ocean, but they can't do it alone. They need people like you to step up, take responsibility for preserving our oceans and help them make it happen through:

1 Protest against waste and trash being dumped into the oceans. Oceans are self-managing ecosystems, but they can't do this with all the rubbish being poured into them each day.

2 Lend your support to areas of marine conservation and keep away from areas that have been protected for nesting birds.

3 Reduce pollution and use natural household products as much as possible. Keep in mind that anything that leaks into the soil will eventually end up in the water supply.

4 Air pollution also affects the marine environment. So ride a bike or car share as much as possible to get around.

5 Use paper instead of plastic.

6 Recycle.

Take responsibility to keep the oceans healthy. The next generation is counting on you.

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