You don’t need to live near an ocean to make an impact. The truth is that beach litter is only part of the problem when it comes to protect our oceans. In today’s blog we’re going to look at all the different ways that you can make a difference to our oceans without heading on a beach clean. That being said, there are plenty of great beach clean events going on throughout the year and we highly recommend them. They’re great fun and obvious great for local wildlife.
Make an impact with local products
Shopping with small business is great for the economy but did you know it can also be great for the ocean? Many countries rely on products being shipped back and forth over seas, but as an island, Great Britain have more of an impact than most.
It may not be clear when you’re ordering items online, but try and discover how the item will reach your home. If it’s made in the UK it’ll be more sustainable than most. But shipping and air-freighted goods often have a negative impact on the ocean.
Not just the toxins released into the oceans as giant shipping containers are transported from on country to the next, but wildlife too. Last summer a sperm whale was killed on the Gibraltar straight by a vessel. Imagine how many other aquatic creatures and their homes are harmed by ships travelling across the world.
Order as much as you can from products made in the UK to help protect our oceans.
Removing harmful products from sewers
It may not be in your complete control to decide what water companies release into the environment. But you know what is in your control? The items that go in your drains. The more of us that prevent sanitary products, nappies, floss and other non-natural items from going in our drains, the better quality our wastewater will be.
Not only will this make it easier to filter and treat and put back into the water cycle. But where accidents happens and sewers burst, there will be fewer harmful items entering the natural environment.
While it’s possible for larger items to be filtered out at water treatment facilities. Microplastics will release into the water, and these aren’t filtered so easily. In fact, microplastics are everywhere these days. They’ve been found inside human tissue and at the summit of Mt Everest. It’s never been more important to safely dispose of plastic products and down your drains is not an option.
You can protect our oceans simply by using a bathroom bin for your waste.
Why the oceans are important
Large water bodies sequester carbon. That means all those emissions that we release into the atmosphere, can be removed with help from oceans and seas. Not that they should be relied on however. As a planet, we still product too many greenhouse gases for all of our oceans and trees to remove from the atmosphere. However, without them, the planet would simply not exist. So it’s important to treat them like the key player they are, and protect them.
It’s not just the water itself. But many aquatic animals sequester carbon too. If we don’t look after the habitat, wildlife suffers, which removes another animal that could help us in battling against greenhouse gases. You see the knock on affect? Protecting these habitats is crucial.
It really is our ocean to look after, because it’ll only be our future that’s impacted. What impact will you choose to have?
