In the last 50 years, we have stripped the seas barren, polluted the oceans, killed coral reefs and drove half of marine species to extinction.
We are responsible for the dismal state of affairs of the oceans. From overfishing, to overkilling and making anoxic large swaths of the coastal seas and even the middle of the Pacific with the plastic garbage island – we are responsible. From the constant agricultural runoff of pesticides and chemical petroleum fertilizers, to industrial pollution to ever present and undissolved plastics and even the constant use of military ”noise” sonars that deafen and destroy marine mammals and many fish making them unable to seek their food and thus die off — we are responsible. We are the death merchants of the seas.
Shocking new scientific reports of the self-destructive abuse of our blue planet’s oceans are enough to make anyone feel sad. Without healthy oceans — the fertile womb of our world — we land lubbers are lost.
It’s a simple equation where Oceans are our life support and without their life giving clean waters we are finished.
Still blindly we are harvesting the seeds we’ve sown and all the while we are killing the oceans. Faster and faster…
Our bodies, like our planet, are mostly made up of water. So whether you’re living in a land-locked mountain landscape, or are a coastal resident or even a climate skeptic or, conservative or democrat, whatever your faith, belief or creed, and whatever your age, young or old — every last one of us literally lives by water.
Yet because we are so focused on our terrestrial life, the marine world is often our dumping ground, battlefield, or playground. In the 21st century we are at last turning our attention to the fact that our oceans are so degraded, we face “the next mass extinction” – and it’s man-made.
If we humans created this disaster, then we can take action to help stop it. We cannot leave saving our seas to scientists or governments. Nor do we have time for the denial of compassion fatigue or despair. The only antidote is engagement, education, and action.
Yours,
Pano
PS:
Join us in Nepal this October 18th for the Wise-Up international conference. in Kathmandu.
We might – just might – come up with the elegant solutions to save the oceans.
Then again we probably have the solutions all along just need to reaffirm our commitments and the scientific method to use…
