by Catherine Novelli
The ocean is the life blood of our planet. Covering almost three-quarters of the globe, the ocean provides food for billions of people, drives economic growth, promotes human health, spurs scientific advancement, regulates our climate and weather and provides a home to most species on our planet. We depend on it for our very lives and well-being.
We know that this remarkable resource is in trouble. Harmful fishing practices, marine pollution, rising carbon dioxide levels and a host of other threats imperil our ocean and the rich and vibrant communities of marine life within it. These threats also jeopardize the way of life for people everywhere.
Wherever you live, you can take action to help address these threats. Join people around the world in answering the Call to Action to protect our ocean by committing to take simple, concrete steps in your own life. From eating sustainable seafood to recycling your trash, your collective commitments will help determine the fate of our ocean. Show your support – join the Thunderclap and add your voice to show the world that you are ready to do your part to help protect our ocean – and we will ask your leaders to do the same.
On June 16 and 17, Secretary Kerry will host the Our Ocean conference at the Department of State. We will bring together scientists, representatives from governments around the world, the environmental community, industry and other stakeholders to discuss ways we can work together to address the threats of unsustainable fishing, marine pollution, and ocean acidification to our ocean and identify potential solutions.
You can join us for the conference. We will bring the discussion to you using social media and a live stream of the conference. I invite you to tweet and follow the #OurOcean2014 hashtag. Together, we can change our current course and chart a sustainable future – for our ocean and ourselves. The Call to Action is an important piece of this effort – we can each make a difference. You can see from his video that Secretary Kerry is ready to take action. So am I. Join us!
Secretary of State John Kerry’s video message on protecting our ocean is available on the State Department website.
This blog post by Catherine Novelli originally appeared on the State Department website on June 2. Novelli serves as the under secretary for economic growth, energy, and the environment at the U.S. Department of State.
