The Council for Creative Education (CCE) Finland is a worldwide association with its roots in Tampere, Finland, with a mission to redefine education via creativity.
World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on June 8th to raise awareness of the importance of our oceans and the many threats they face. They cover 71% of the planet's surface and contain over 97% of the Earth's water. As the largest ecosystem on our planet, the oceans are critical to our survival, providing us with food, oxygen, and are an important source of income and employment for millions of people around the world.
Unfortunately, our oceans face many threats, including plastic pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Plastic pollution kills millions of marine animals annually and threatens the health of entire ecosystems. Overfishing is causing fish populations to decline, leading to imbalances in the food chain, while climate change is causing sea levels to rise and making our oceans more acidic.
1. One of the biggest threats is pollution, particularly from plastic waste. Every year, millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans, harming marine life and ecosystems. Plastic waste can entangle or suffocate marine animals and can also be ingested, leading to injury or death.
2. Overfishing is also a significant threat to the health of our oceans. Many fish populations have declined in recent decades due to overfishing, threatening the food security of millions worldwide. Overfishing can also lead to imbalances in marine ecosystems, causing a cascade of effects throughout the food chain.
3. Climate change is another major threat to the health of our oceans. Rising temperatures and ocean acidification are causing coral reefs to die off at an alarming rate, threatening the many species that depend on them. Climate change is also causing sea levels to rise, leading to flooding and the loss of important coastal habitats.
World Oceans Day is an opportunity for us to come together to take action to protect our oceans. It's a day to celebrate the incredible diversity of life beneath the waves and commit to making changes in our lives to reduce our impact on the oceans.
1. Reducing plastic waste is important to protect our oceans. We can all take simple steps to reduce our plastic use, such as bringing our own reusable bags to the grocery store, avoiding single-use plastics like straws and water bottles, and properly disposing of plastic waste.
2. Sustainable fishing practices are also critical for the health of our oceans. This includes measures like reducing marine creatures, protecting marine habitats, and using fishing gear that minimizes damage to the marine environment. Eating sustainably-sourced seafood is another way to support sustainable fishing practices.
3. The promotion of laws to safeguard our oceans is equally crucial. Creating marine protected areas, promoting stronger laws against pollution and plastic waste, and promoting actions to combat climate change and ocean acidification are a few examples of what this can include.
-Davindra Prasad Tripathi, CCE Finland
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