World Oceans Day 2022: How Are the Oceans Dying an Unnatural Death? Why Oceans Are Essential for Human Well-Being?
The human species owes all aspects of their well-being and livelihood to the oceans. The oceans play an indispensable role in our lives, not just by providing essential services, but by performing functions critical for the survival of the human species and other marine ecosystems.
English Historian Thomas Fuller once said, “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry”. Every year, June 8 is observed as World Oceans Day to raise awareness regarding the imperative role that oceans play in sustaining our ecosystems. The Day calls upon the world’s attention to the dire need to protect oceans from dying an unnatural death due to reckless human activities. World Ocean Day 2022 Date & Theme: Know History, Objective, Significance, Here's All You Need To Know About the International Event.
Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean
The day is commemorated, worldwide since 2008, when the United Nations (UN) declared World Oceans Day as an official occasion. Unique & meaningful themes are proposed by the UN, each year to observe World Oceans Day. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Revitalization: Collective action for the ocean”.
The ocean covers over 70% of the planet and is the basis of the sustenance of life. It produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, and absorbs carbon dioxide, is home to a variety of lifeforms, would support an estimated 40 million people through ocean-based industries by 2030. World Ocean Day 2022 Wishes & Images: Messages, Quotes To Raise Awareness About The Importance of the World's Largest Water Body.
However, the ocean is suffering the impact of climate change. As a result, 90% of big fish populations have depleted, and 50% of coral reefs have been destroyed. Thus, it is needed to create a balance and address the issues associated with it. To create a healthy ocean with abundant wildlife and to stabilize the climate, 30% of our planet’s lands, waters, and oceans must be protected.
Why Oceans Are Essential for Human Well-Being?
The human species owes all aspects of their well-being and livelihood to the oceans. The oceans play an indispensable role in our lives, not just by providing essential services, but by performing functions critical for the survival of the human species and other marine ecosystems.
– It regulates the climate, through the energy budget.
– Maintains the carbon cycle and nutrient cycle.
– Biodiversity hotspot: The ocean is the home of biodiversity ranging from microbes to marine mammals that form a wide variety of ecosystems in the open pelagic and coastal oceans.
How Are the Oceans Dying an Unnatural Death?
The current state of the oceans is not part of a natural phenomenon. It is a result of indiscriminate and mindless human activities. These activities have significantly affected the pristine state of our oceans and have led to
– Ocean warming
– Acidification of the oceans
– Oxygen loss
– Changes in nutrient cycling
All of this is a result of an influx of carbon emissions caused as a result of human activities. As per the IPCC report, the world oceans have warmed unabated since the year, 2005. And, if the trend continues, it will not take long, until all of the world’s precious oceans are lost. Further, our oceans becoming dump yards of plastic. Every minute, truckloads of plastic are immersed in our oceans. As per a UN report, in a year, 13 million metric tonnes of plastic are dumped into the oceans.
Indian Start-Ups To Save Our Oceans:
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it!”- Robert Swan
1.) G-Tech:
To solve the problem of plastic waste littered in the ocean, six students from the CV Raman College of Engineering, Bhubaneswar came up with an innovative solution.
They made a sequential float with a smart and flexible driving and monitoring unit. The float is capable of collecting both offshore plastic and spilled oil. The technology can be used for extracting plastic waste from any flowing water body.
– Other innovative start-ups like B-eco, Eco-Buddy, and Geeli Mitti are contributing efforts to tackling the problem of single-use plastics with their eco-friendly alternatives.
The onus of saving our planet lies on us, as it lies on the government and other stakeholders. Thus, we must contribute to safeguarding the water bodies that surround our blue planet.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2022 06:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).