Today is World Oceans Day: A day to remind everyone of the important role that the oceans play in our daily lives. They are the lungs of our planet and provide most of the oxygen we breathe. The UN World Oceans Day celebration this year will take place as a virtual event produced in partnership with Oceanic Global. The purpose of the day is to inform the public about the impact of human activity on the oceans, to develop a global movement of citizens for the oceans, and to mobilize and unite the world’s population for a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.
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Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean, a theme at the centre of a big online event
As the challenges to the ocean continue to grow, so does the need for novel solutions and the people driving them. To that end, the theme of UN World Oceans Day 2020 is “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.” Innovation—relating to the introduction of new methods, ideas, or products—is a dynamic term, and one that is fundamentally filled with hope. The UN World Oceans Day celebration this year will take place as a virtual event produced in partnership with Oceanic Global.
The event will shed light on innovations from around the globe in areas of need that are both promising and proven, ones that instill optimism, and ones that have demonstrated the ability to scale effectively. It will also provide a platform to thought leaders of varied backgrounds, who are paving new paths forward for the health of our ocean and our planet.
The programming of the day and subsequent events taking place throughout World Ocean Week (week of 8 June 2020) will explore innovations across categories including technology, systems infrastructure, resource management, consumer products, finance and scientific exploration — and will outline how these innovations can be applied, their potential impact, and the resources needed to transform them into long-lasting solutions.
This year’s theme is especially relevant in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021 to 2030. The Decade will strengthen international cooperation to develop the scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society.
To participate, make a pledge and find more information on the International Day, visit the UN World Oceans Day website.
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Text Credits: https://www.un.org/en/observances/oceans-day
What will happen with the marine environment, if we keep on polluting the oceans with plastic? Famous sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor wanted to draw our attention to marine pollution with his provocative art installation. In front of the National Theatre on London’s Southbank Jason placed a dystopian vision of a family picnic on a beach plagued by plastic pollution. Part of his artwork is constructed with microplastics, which were collected along the shores of Lanzarote. The installation should request consumers, policymaker and packaging producers to cut back on the use of plastics.
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Jason deCaires Taylor about his installation
“Through my work I’ve seen first-hand the deluge of plastic on our coastlines and swirling around our seas. The build-up of a man-made material like plastic in the vast expanse of our seemly untouched oceans is a visceral reminder of humankind’s devastating impact on our environment. Through Plasticide I want to bring this message back to home: our oceans, and the marine life which inhabits them, literally can’t stomach any more plastic.”
Claim for plastic reduction
Greenpeace Ocean Campaigner Louise Edge found out in her research, that 90 percent of seabirds now have plastic in their stomachs. Predictions forecast, that plastic will outweigh fish in the oceans by 2050. She stated: „The problem highlighted in this sculpture would have seemed surreal fifty years ago, but it’s now a grim reality. All plastic is made on land and it’s here we need to see action to reduce the flow of plastic into our oceans.”
Duration of the installation: 23rd March – 6th April
Location: National Theatre, London, UK
