International Year of Coasts and Oceans
- by: Sustainable Seas Trust
- recipient: The United Nations
The year 2011 was declared the International Year of Forests, the lungs of the Earth, by the United Nations. What many people don't realize is that the major lungs of the earth are the oceans.
Oceans are able to absorb more carbon dioxide than all the worlds forests. The oceans also produce most of the oxygen on the planet. Indeed, no matter where you are in this world, most of every breath that you breathe comes from the oceans. Most of the worlds major fisheries are unsustainable, and over 90% of all top marine predators have disappeared from the oceans. There are millions of people around the world who depend completely on the oceans for their livelihood. Given the enormous importance of the worlds oceans in providing oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide, providing food, recreation and global transportation, it is imperative that we care for these life support systems by focusing on the coast and oceans through an International Year of Coasts and Oceans.
The last United Nations-designated International Year of the Ocean was in 1998 - the year after internationally renowned ecologist and oceanographic technician Jacques-Yves Cousteau died. In the 13 years since then, the threats to our planet's oceans - climate change, acidification, overfishing, the extinction of species, oil spills, pollution & garbage accumulation, and many other dire problems - have never been more urgent than now. Please support Sustainable Seas Trust in their bid to declare an International Year of Coasts and Oceans. This petition will be presented to the United Nations during COP 17 in Durban, South Africa.
We the undersigned petition the United Nations to declare an International year of Coasts and Oceans:
We the undersigned ask the United Nations to declare an International Year of Coasts and Oceans.
The year 2011 was declared the International Year of Forests, the lungs of the Earth, by the United Nations. What many people don't realize is that the major lungs of the earth are the oceans.
Oceans are able to absorb more carbon dioxide than all the worlds forests. The oceans also produce most of the oxygen on the planet. Indeed, no matter where you are in this world, most of every breath that you breathe comes from the oceans. Most of the worlds major fisheries are unsustainable, and over 90% of all top marine predators have disappeared from the oceans. There are millions of people around the world who depend completely on the oceans for their livelihood. Given the enormous importance of the worlds oceans in providing oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide, providing food, recreation and global transportation, it is imperative that we care for these life support systems by focusing on the coast and oceans through an International Year of Coasts and Oceans.
The last United Nations-designated International Year of the Ocean was in 1998 - the year after internationally renowned ecologist and oceanographic technician Jacques-Yves Cousteau died. In the 13 years since then, the threats to our planet's oceans - climate change, acidification, overfishing, the extinction of species, oil spills, pollution & garbage accumulation, and many other dire problems - have never been more urgent than now.
Thank you for your time,
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