The ocean is our planet’s life support system. With every breath we take, every drop we drink, we are connected to the ocean. Our oceans flow over nearly three quarters of our planet, hold 97% of the planet’s water and produce more than half of the oxygen in the atmosphere. It does not matter how far any of us live from the sea, from every ten breaths you take seven come from the ocean.
Our planet depends on the vitality of the ocean to support and sustain it, but it faces major threats from pollution, climate change, overfishing and habitat destruction. These threats are so extensive that no area of our oceans has been left untouched. It’s important that we all work together to help restore health and productivity to the ocean by inspiring individuals, brands, companies and organisations to act, care and reduce their impact on the oceans.
One of the biggest issues we face is plastic pollution. It is estimated that around 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year. The amount of plastic substances entering our seas is increasing at such a rapid rate that, reportedly, in less than 10 years there will be 250 million tonnes in the ocean. By 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.
There are numerous organisations that are working to help reduce the level of plastics in our ocean and it’s clear we all have to work together to ditch the plastic. Just some of the innovative initiatives include Ocean Saviour, a self-powered vessel that is engineered to find and recycle plastic from the ocean, and The Ocean Cleanup, an organisation that has created floating barriers that act like an artificial coastline, enabling the winds and waves to passively catch and concentrate the plastic.
If you would like to help create real change for our seas and oceans, get in touch.
