For centuries the ocean has seemingly received and assimilated our waste of every kind: sewage, garbage, chemical effluent, lost ships, etc. We've given little thought to our power plants and our tailpipes—that these emissions would dissolve into the air instead of the water where it turns into acid concentrated enough to change its pH. Because the ocean is so vast, how could these seemingly little bits of human activity amount to much, and what could dissuade us from the benefits of the industrial revolution, technological advancement, and improved quality of life? In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will discuss the invisible impacts of our actions, will argue against the exploitation of Nature and its existence to meet our needs, and will challenge our assumptions about the ocean as a self-healing place.
Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.
Photo: The Delray Beach ocean outfall discharges 13 million gallons per day of treated sewage up-current of a coral reef.
Photo Credit: Steve Spring | Marine Photobank.
Global Ocean Commission
Global Ocean Commission:
A Rescue Package for the Ocean
CLICK HERE to read more about the GOC and the final ocean report entitled, "From Decline to Recovery: A Rescue Package for the Global Ocean"
Ocean Health Index
A weekly feature to highlight, by country, the goals and components of the Ocean Health Index which measures and scores ocean health from 0-100.
Did You Know?
This goal measures the carbon stored in natural coastal ecosystem—seagrasses, tidal marshes and mangroves—that sequester and store large amounts of carbon in both the plants and in the sediment below them. When preserved, carbon is stored in these ecosystems. When destroyed, carbon is emitted back into the atmosphere, becoming new sources of greenhouse gas emissions. (source: OHI)