Ocean appreciation
Every morning when I have my coffee, I am treated to a splendid view of the lake near my home. I live in the “land of 10,000 lakes” as Minnesota is often called, and living in close proximity to a lake is a dream come true.
But since I started taking an online course through edX entitled “One Planet, One Ocean”, I have come to think more about the bodies of water that are the various oceans. Oceans make up 71% of the Earth’s surface, and affect all of us in ways that perhaps we don’t even realize.
I enjoy eating seafood, but I’ll admit I don’t give a thought to how it was obtained or where it came from. Sadly there are many issues of overfishing as well as illegal fishing practices. I intend to pay more attention to the seafood I buy, reading labels and making an effort to support healthy fishing practices.
Then there is the crucial role that the oceans play in our climate, our weather systems, and in general working to maintain a healthy balance between atmosphere, land and water. The specifics of how the oceans operate in this way are complex and I won’t try to explain, I am a beginning learner in all of this myself. But one can find plenty of information out there in this regard, and I feel it really brings home the fact that oceans play a critical role in the health and well being of planet Earth.
And I’ve been made aware of how many cultures and nations are ocean dependent, from ways of economics to ways of life. A lack of respect for the oceans becomes a lack of respect for those ocean based peoples. Time to think outside of ourselves.
Plain and simple too, the oceans and the life within are magnificent! I was fortunate enough to travel to the Oregon coast a number of times when I lived in Portland, an easy hour and a half drive to marvel in all that massive water. The joy and beauty that we find in our oceans is also an important reason to think of those waters, and what can we do to help, even if we are hundreds of miles from the coast? Perhaps take some time dear reader, to search out ways to support that health and well being of our lovely oceans.
Words From the Moon 