How to save the ocean while you eat dinner and do your laundry
 Soft Coral - Maldives (my best underwater pic!) |
Yesterday was World Ocean Day. I'd have taken part in whatever community thing that was planned here but sadly nothing happened (and don't give me that "you should have organised it yourself" crap - I have organised beach clean ups in the past and this year I was hoping someone else would do something). I checked out Greenpeace to see what they had going on. They've done a funny football movie against bottom trawling that is simply genius and also have a list of 10 things you can do for the oceans. The Nature Conservancy also did a cool page dedicated to the special day but I couldn't find many other Ocean Day things online.
I didn't know that this day is not yet officially recognised by the UN even though it was created in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. So... I asked the United Nations to officially designate World Ocean Day as June 8th each year through a simple petition that only took a few seconds.
Once I'd done all the online actions and sent a bunch of e-cards to my mates I got on with the rest of my day. I did my laundry using ECOver powder (non-toxic) and then hung my clothes out on the line (instead of using the dryer) when I got back from work. In the evening I went to a party and refused the tray of shrimp while telling friends about bycatch and mangrove destruction (although trying to lecture friends after 4 gin and tonic's wasn't easy!). At dinner I ordered Pacific salmon, a fish not under threat like Atlantic salmon.
At the end of the day I realised it's not community events that are going to have the biggest effect on the oceans it's how we live our lives on a daily basis. We don't need to adopt a whale, or clean up an entire beach once a year...we can also save our seas simply by conserving energy, eating the right seafood and taking actions online! Pretty easy really... now just imagine if EVERYONE did this!
HAPPY WORLD OCEAN DAY (sorry I'm late!).
Lisa.
...one thing is certain: we have the power to undermine the healthy functioning of the sea that supports us and all of the rest of life on Earth, but no sure way to heal the harm. For ages, the sea has taken care of us. For ourselves and all who follow, the time has clearly come for us to take care of the sea.Sylvia Earle
Comments
Outstanding pic, Lisa. A time tunnel, a life spiral: I've seen a lot of underwater pics, this is right up there with the best of Gavin Newman's stuff.
Posted by: Brianfit | June 10, 2006 06:10 AM
Well actually I was thinking more David Doubilet but I'll settle with Gavin - he he :-D
Posted by: Wavemaker | June 10, 2006 09:45 AM
Hi Lisa,
I can't get the petition link to work, tried Safari, Firefox and Navigator. :o(
Great photo, more people should take B&W shots; which whip coral is it?
Posted by: Lamna nasus | June 12, 2006 08:24 PM
CRAP! - Sorry Lamna - the link should work now.
I had missed out the equals sign in the html for the hyperlink.
Thanks for letting me know ;-)
Posted by: Wavemaker | June 12, 2006 09:24 PM