Today is World Oceans Day, so let’s just come right out and say it: Our oceans are incredible.
They cover two-thirds of the planet’s surface, provide habitat for about half of the world’s species, and contain 97% of all water on Earth.
The oceans are also crucial to human survival and happiness. They absorb greenhouse gases like carbon, provide us with food and livelihoods, regulate the weather, help us transport materials across the world, inspire some of our greatest art, and offer recreation to billions of people around the world each year.
The oceans are vast, too. How vast? If you took all of the land mass in the world, it would fit comfortably into the Pacific Ocean – with the Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern oceans left over. The oceans’ average depth is about 3,700 meters (about 12,000 feet) – four times as deep as the average height above sea level on land. If the base of Mount Everest were at the ocean’s deepest point, in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, there’d still be more than a mile of water above Everest’s peak.
You wouldn’t think humans could affect a place like that. Yet we can. Although the oil spill is a visible and high-profile reminder of that ability, it’s important to realize that our oceans are actually in trouble around the world. We, humans, could be in trouble, too, because we rely on the oceans more than most people realize.
That’s not just some Team Earth blogger saying it. Check out what our parent organization, Conservation International, has to say about the issue. (And trust me when I say these guys know what they’re talking about. I run into more scientists here than I did in college.)
Sure, the situation is tough. But don’t get mad. Get moving.
If you want to help fight climate change, which is also one of the best ways to help the oceans, we’re here to help. Our scientists have come up with everyday actions you can take that will have a real, meaningful impact on your carbon footprint – without breaking your bank or taking hours out of your day. Are you ready to join Team Earth? Come on down.
