Imagine this – you’re taking a long walk on the beach, and shortly after, settle down in the soft sand to watch the sunset as the cool, salty ocean breeze breathes a new life into you. There’s something about the mighty oceans that can rejuvenate people, isn’t there? But the oceans of the world are having a tough time as human activities interfere with their ecosystem. Experts predict that if the rate of marine pollution continues increasing, it will come and bite us sooner than we expect. Is there a way we can repair the damage? Well, we could invent the time machine, go back in time and never start ocean pollution, but that’s a far-fetched dream. We can, however, make simple amends in our day-to-day lives to reduce the stress the oceans bear. How? Read on to know!
Simple Tips & Ways To Save The Oceans
It is estimated that about 95% of the wildlife found on our planet lives in the oceans. This makes the oceans an important source of food for us. When the oceans are polluted, the animals suffer as well. If all of us try these simple ways to save our oceans, we could be able to make them healthy so the marine life can thrive safely, and so can we!
1. No Plastic; No Plastic Pollution
Plastic waste eliminated in the oceans has been a constant worry as sea animals think of it as food and are poisoned after consuming it. If we can reduce or stop the use of plastic in our daily lives, we could be able to drop the rate of plastic pollution in oceans considerably.
Here’s what you can start doing right away:
- Use cloth bags
- Use eco-friendly items, like steel bottles, steel or bamboo straws, etc.
- Refill your bottles
- Carry reusable shopping bags
- Recycle
2. Avoid Contributing Towards Ocean Acidification
When the oceans absorb the CO2 from the atmosphere, the pH level of the water decreases. This is called ocean acidification. If the CO2 in the atmosphere keeps increasing and the pH level keeps decreasing, it will harm the sea animals and ultimately harm us too.
Try these to do your bit:
- Become a smart driver; drive only when necessary
- Use a bicycle
- Use public transport
- Walk
3. Are You Using Too Much Water?
Saving water eventually leads to reducing wastewater, which is ultimately drained into the oceans.
Follow these tips to conserve water:
- Take bucket baths or short showers
- Close all the taps when not in use
- Fix those leaking pipelines
4. Reduce Your Energy Consumption
When you reduce your energy consumption, you help decrease the toxic power plant emissions.
These ways can help you save energy starting today:
- Turn off the lights when not in use
- Use natural light
- Utilise solar power
- Seek eco-friendly options to keep yourself warm or cool depending on the weather
- Wash a large pile of laundry every week instead of many smaller ones
- Hang dry your laundry
5. Mind The Ocean
If you love boating or often go fishing in the ocean, you can do your bit by sailing safely and fishing responsibly.
Try these:
- Use eco-friendly products
- Use water consciously
- Do not throw trash in the ocean
- Try to use the sail instead of the motor
- Know the fishing rules in the area
- Use the right hooks for fishing
- Keep only the fish you want to eat and release the rest
- Minimise harm to the fish when releasing them
It is famously said that if the oceans die, we die. The ecosystems are interrelated. We cannot treat the oceans like universal sewers and expect them to never return the favour. Do we all agree? Let’s do our bit to save the oceans and seas!