Heather Robison
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Did you know that every second breath we take is actually provided by the ocean? Oxygen is just one of the many gifts oceans give to us; they also provide us with food and regulate temperature and climate. But what do we do for oceans? With 80 per cent of ocean pollution caused by human activity on land, our oceans are in crisis. According to the new documentary One Ocean, produced by Merit Motion Pictures and the CBC, there are five major threats to this critical life source: acidification, coral depletion, dead zones, overfishing and pollution.
Here’s the good news: we can turn the tides and restore the ocean to health! We can all pledge to do our part to maintain healthy marine ecosystems.
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a partner in the new and interactive One Ocean Pledge program encouraging the public to think resourcefully, reduce consumption and waste and protect aquatic ecosystems.
This is a unique and creative initiative, as well as a critical call to action. There are a variety of pledge actions to choose from and they all help lead us towards a sustainable ocean. You can pledge to reduce plastic consumption, to support conservation organizations, to celebrate Rivers to Oceans Week or to choose vacation spots that support coral protection. You can also pledge to collect garbage from beaches, lakeshores or riverbanks or to learn how we are all connected to the world’s oceans, even if we don’t live near them.
The pledge actions complement One Ocean, a new four-part documentary series that aired on CBC’s The Nature of Things this March. A teacher’s guide, DVD and virtual explorer experience through Google Earth's 3D satellite and sonar imagery are among the added features that will inspire audiences to help protect oceans for years to come.
While the One Ocean Online resources are only available in English, CWF’s Rivers to Ocean Week campaign is about to begin, featuring lesson plans and fact sheets in English and French, as well as water videos in Spanish.
Ocean education is one of CWF’s top priorities because marine ecosystems are critical to the well-being of every life form on this blue planet. No matter where we live, from the dampest shorelands and marshlands to the driest grasslands and timberlands, our everyday actions impact the oceans that give us life.
Pledge to make a difference. Your next breath may depend on it!