You don’t need to live near the beach to be connected to the ocean. Oceans and coasts affect people’s lives every day, around the world. The air we breathe. Oceans are a critical player in the basic elements we need to survive. Ocean plants produce half of the world’s oxygen, then these amazing waters absorb nearly one-third of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions. Oceans also regulate our weather and form the clouds that bring us fresh water. The food on your plate. Besides seafood, oceans are connected to what you eat in many more ways. Ocean ingredients, like algae and kelp, are used in making peanut butter beer, soymilk and frozen foods. Plus, 36 percent of the world’s total fisheries catch each year is ground up into fishmeal and oil to feed farmed fish, chickens and pigs. The items in your medicine cabinet. You’ll find ocean ingredients flowing out of your medicine cabinet in everything from shampoos and cosmetics to medicines that help fight cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, viruses and other diseases. Jobs and the economy. One in six jobs in the United States is marine-related and more than $128 billion in GDP annually results from ocean tourism, recreation and living resources. Healthy marine habitats like reefs, barrier islands, mangroves and wetlands help protect coastal communities from the results of hurricanes and storm surges. A shared resource. While many of us enjoy the spectacular recreational activities that oceans offer, for some people oceans are a lifeline for survival. Keeping oceans healthy keeps people healthy, and we each have a personal responsibility to protect our oceans. Find out how your life is connected to oceans in the graphic above. Learn more about how the Conservancy is working to protect and restore oceans and coasts and what you can do. Webmountainbike is opposed to any new offshore deep water oil drilling in light of the BP Gulf of Mexico disaster. We believe that no new offshore drilling should be approved and existing wells closed as alternative energy and conservation measures come on-line in the future. The incredible disaster to both people and wildlife caused by the oil in this region may spread along the gulf stream current and affect distant coastlines as well. This epic disaster will take decades to mitigate, and perhaps even lifetimes. Our wonderful coastlines and communities are suffering irreparable damage which are affected by the BP spill. |
