Ahoy, Explorers!

Before we begin our expedition into the web of issues entangling the ocean, let’s answer these questions:

What is ocean pollution?

There is no exact definition of the term, however from my intense internet search, I found this video that summarises the problem pretty neatly:

What is causing this to happen and why?

From the video, the two main contributors seem to be plastics and untreated wastewater; part of the big four also include mercury and waste oil from motorcars and machinery. Why is this happening? I don’t want to jump to conclusions by saying humans have taken advantage of Earth’s natural resources and capabilities, without evidentiary support. So, stay tuned for other blog entries and maybe this question could be answered.

How severe is the situation?

Do you remember the warning “By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean”? This statement was from a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, partnered with the World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company back in 2016. And it may very well be true. (And this is just plastic pollution, what about the effects of the other sources of pollution?)

Continue reading the blog to find out 😉

What can we do moving forward? 

The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals actually has not just one but two goals created for this purpose. The sole purpose of SDG 14: Life below water is to protect the underwater world, to urge people of all nations to strive towards using resources from the ocean sustainably. Complementing SDG 14 nicely, is SDG 6: clean water and sanitation. If we concentrate our efforts with these two end goals in mind, I’m sure we can see clean thriving oceans in no time.