Sustainable Living

Happy World Oceans Day!

Did you know that yesterday was World Oceans Day? Well, now you do, and here’s how you can still celebrate.

Yesterday on World Oceans Day, today, this week, and indeed always: we should celebrate the waters of our Earth. The ocean produces over half of the world’s oxygen and absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere, helping to regulate our climate and keep us alive and happy! In return, we should protect it as much as we can. We owe it to ourselves, as well as the environment.

The ocean is additionally an important source of food. If the ocean is polluted, our food will be polluted. Polluted food could also damage the livelihoods of fishermen, and the ocean drying up would result in a massive loss of jobs. To say the least! At the end of the day, without the ocean, we miss out on a whole load of benefits. Food, fuel, renewable energy, sand, minerals, employment opportunities, travel and tourism, the list goes on.

Where did World Oceans Day begin?

Back in 1992, Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) proposed the concept of World Oceans Day. It was intended to be a way to celebrate our world’s shared ocean and our own connections to the sea. Alongside this, to raise awareness about the ‘crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help protect it.’

Now, each year on June 8th, the world celebrates World Oceans Day. In a variety of different ways, mind, but there is a certain unity about the day and days following. A time when we can all recognise the beauty of the ocean, the magnitude of how we benefit from it, and the tiny yet impactful things we can do to help to preserve it.

How can I Get Involved?

Easy! Whether you sign up for an Oceans Day event or simply skip the seafood specials for a while, there are a plethora of ways to get involved. Here are just a few we can think of:

• Find a World Oceans Day event. There are some that last all week! You can find educational talks, beach cleanups, documentary screenings and more. The National Maritime Museum is celebrating this Saturday, find out more here.
• Host your own documentary screening! Invite some friends, get a pizza in the oven and some popcorn on the go and enjoy some educational downtime. Even staying informed is helping in its own way. Even better to share that awareness with others!
• Ban single-use plastics from your home. Plastic cups, cutlery and straws, all end up in landfills and polluting our planet and ocean.
• Ruminate your own personal connection to the ocean. It’s what yesterday was for, but that doesn’t mean there’s no time for it today. It may bring you closer to the sea, which may inspire your passion to protect it further.
• Attend a beach clean up! It’s always fantastic to get physically involved with a cause.

Another way to show your appreciation is to visit the ocean yourself. Start your search for a dreamy beachside getaway with Clooper.