Written by Anya Malek
"Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become our global garbage cans."- Jacques Cousteau.
Our world has been neglected for far too long to the point where our precious land and water are filled with pollution and litter. Unfortunately, our generation has had to inherit a mistreated (and, for lack of a better word) trashy place that we have to fight to save.
Plastic
It is currently unavoidable to go to the beach and not see plastic, whether in the ocean or sand. It has become so normalized that you might not even give it a second glance. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN), "around 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year and makeup 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments." In case you aren't aware of how massive 8 million tons is, 80 million blue whales (the largest known animal on planet earth) are around the same weight. Moreover, this plastic does not decompose, it stays there and ends up floating around, and more often than not, it ends up being eaten by sea creatures.
Reversing the problematic behavior can lead to the solution. For starters, throw your trash away… it's that simple; that's the first step to doing better. Switching to reusable water bottles and grocery bags is also a great way of reducing plastic pollution. Understandably, it's not possible to completely eradicate plastics, but it's not difficult to make a conscious effort to reduce its use.
Rising Temperature
Another significant issue is the rise in ocean temperature. Just a 0.5 degree Celsius change in water temperature can lead to a coral reef's demise. Warmer waters can result in coral bleaching, which is when the algae (zooxanthellae) on the coral abandon it and leave the coral susceptible to disease and sickness. Oceana mentions that such biomes are nicknamed the "rainforests of the sea," and it is probable that millions of different species coexist there.
Coral reefs help protect us as well. They prevent dangerous waves from crashing on the shore, stop massive floods, buffer tropical storms, and slow down erosion processes. Within the next 30 years, we could lose 32% of our coral reefs.
How did the ocean's temperature start rising? The ocean absorbs most of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions. One of the best ways to reduce these emissions is to begin using renewable resources such as installing solar panels and solar-powered lighting. Another great way to help is to switch to a plant-based diet. Food production accounts for approximately 26% of all GHG emissions. Eating a plant-based diet (completely or even for short periods) can benefit your health and the environment.
Our planet is not doing well, and we should all do our part in trying to fix the problem we created. Carpool places, go to beach cleanups, tell people what is happening in our oceans before it is too late. Though all our efforts might not solve global warming and ocean acidification right away, we need to try before we do become the sixth mass extinction.
SOURCES
plastics, Marine. “Marine Plastics.” IUCN, 24 May 2018, www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics#:~:text=At%20least%208%20million%20tons,causes%20severe%20injuries%20and%20deaths. Accessed 28 Nov. 2020.
“How You Can Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Home - Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service).” Nps.Gov, 2016, www.nps.gov/pore/learn/nature/climatechange_action_home.htm. Accessed 28 Nov. 2020.
Reef, Coral. “Coral Reef.” Oceana, 2020, oceana.org/marine-life/marine-science-and-ecosystems/coral-reef#:~:text=Often%20nicknamed%20the%20%E2%80%9Crainforests%20of,world%20live%20on%20coral%20reefs. Accessed 28 Nov. 2020.
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “How Do Coral Reefs Protect Lives and Property?” Noaa.Gov, 2020, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_protect.html#:~:text=Coral%20reefs%20provide%20a%20buffer,%2C%20property%20damage%2C%20and%20erosion. Accessed 5 Sept. 2020.
“Mapping the Decline of Coral Reefs.” Nasa.Gov, NASA Earth Observatory, 12 Mar. 2001, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Coral#:~:text=From%20dynamite%20fishing%20to%20global,within%20the%20next%2032%20years. Accessed 5 Sept. 2020.
“Food Production Is Responsible for One-Quarter of the World’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” Our World in Data, 2019, ourworldindata.org/food-ghg-emissions. Accessed 5 Sept. 2020.
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