by AmyZ-16, 19 May 2009

Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated with the ocean. It seemed like such a mystifying realm; what I saw from the surface was only a glimmer of the enormous range of life within. I have been snorkeling in the waters of Thailand and Malaysia since I was 8 years old, and the pleasures of seeing strange, vividly colored creatures in the underwater world made me believe that the ocean was truly something spectacular. The colors and designs of the creatures down there were so intricate, like each fish or coral was a work of art.

But for as long as I can remember, I have believed that the ocean is some sort of supernatural place. I’ve believed that it will always stay the way it is: beautiful, intact, brimming full of life. However, a TED talk that I watched in class a few weeks ago changed that belief.

Here’s the URL if you want to take a look:
Sylvia Earle's TED Prize wish to protect our oceans

The ocean is the foundation of life on Earth, yet we are destroying it bit by bit. Every breath we take is owed to the ocean, because it balances the chemistry of the air. Most of our oxygen comes from the plants underneath; and the ocean forms clouds which completes the rainfall which so many ecosystems depend on to survive. The jobs that the ocean does for us naturally is can not be replaced, or done by anyone else. We’re getting all this work for free, but take a look at what we’re doing to this vital resource:

Your browser may not support display of this image.

Scientists dub it the “trash island” or the “Pacific plastic soup.” How nice.

We are all responsible for this picture. Currents which carry leftover trash from the beaches and harbors we visit frequently make it to this “dead zone” in the Pacific Ocean, and the trash merges with the currents from Europe and the United States. So whenever you see a piece of trash lying there on the beach, think about where it will end up. (And that’s when you should pick it up) ?

I really hope that we learn to respect the ocean more, because as Sylvia Earle said, no blue means no green. I want to be able to see our ocean’s beautiful creatures without any worry that it might not be there in the future. I worry that if we keep destroying the very thing that is keeping the Earth alive, future generations will look at us as irresponsible people who ruined the opportunity for them to glimpse this nature.

CLICK HERE: Do your part, contact this Hong Kong based Plastic Recycler to pick up collected plastic waste in bulk [recommend the "Plastic Process" and "Education" pages] ...