Day 16 - In Appreciation of Oceans

Happy World Oceans Day, everyone! We seem to be having a lot of "World

Whatever Days" at the moment, with World Oceans Day following hot on the

heels of World Environment Day, but I actually think that these do serve

a purpose. Like Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day, it's good to have a

special day to focus on something we too often take for granted, and to

show a bit of appreciation.

Did you know that 74% of the Earth's surface is ocean? It?s where all

life on this planet began, and it's what regulates our biosphere,

including the climate and weather.

The global ocean, our most precious resource, is in serious trouble

right now, so in honor of the first UN-sanctioned World Oceans Day, I

want to ask for your help in protecting it.

The three main ocean problems that need our immediate attention are

overfishing, plastics pollution, and ocean acidification. Today

provides the perfect opportunity to raise awareness for these

challenges, and to explain how we can immediately take action to make

it right.

Overfishing: The UN reports that 75% of seafood species are maxed out

or overexploited. Catches of nearly a third of these species are less

than 10% of what they once were. 90% of the big fish like sharks,

tuna, swordfish are already gone. How can you contribute to a

solution? Start by checking out this video on how to choose sustainable

seafood. You can also carry a pocket guide with you to restaurants and

the grocery store so you can do a quick check to make sure you make

smart choices. I have a great app on my iPhone - look for Seafood

Watch Guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Plastics pollution: For those of you who followed my row from San

Francisco to Hawaii last year, you already know what an insidious

threat plastics pollution is for the ocean. Plastics are not

biodegradable - they take hundreds of years to break down into smaller

pieces, which never really go away. Plastics wreak havoc by leaching

toxins into the water and into the marine life that consumes the

pieces - eventually making its way back up the food chain and onto our

dinner plates. How do we fix this? The best way is to immediately

reduce the amount of plastic you use. Simple ways to do this include

bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, using your own drinking

bottles and mugs rather than disposables, and making more conscious

purchases?support brands that use biodegradable packaging rather than

Styrofoam. And for the plastic that you do consume - please recycle

it. Right now, less than 5% of the plastic we use is ever recycled.

Ocean acidification. Our actions, primarily our use of fossil fuels,

are rapidly changing the chemistry of the global ocean. How? The ocean

is absorbing 11 billion metric tons of CO2 a year, acidifying the

waters and threatening the foundation of sea life. Experts say that if

we don't sharply reduce our CO2 emissions right now, within the next

few decades, it will be impossible for coral reefs, the most beautiful

and diverse marine habitats, to grow. Ocean acidification affects

every marine animal with a shell - oysters, lobsters, clams, starfish,

crabs and urchins. If these animals can't survive, then the entire

ecosystem that relies upon them is impacted. This includes us. What do

we do? For starters, you can join me in my Pull Together effort to

walk more and drive less. Carpool with friends, colleagues or

schoolmates. Plant trees! They absorb harmful CO2 and reduce runoff.

And again, make more conscious purchasing decisions and support

businesses that are switching to renewable sources of energy.

If you want to learn about more ways to protect our global ocean, you

can visit the store on my website to purchase David Helvarg's

wonderful book, 50 Ways to Save the Ocean.

These simple actions DO make a difference and will soon become part of

your routine. Take it to the next level and spread the word. Encourage

your friends and family to do the same. And as always, make it fun!

[photo: me celebrating World Oceans Day. No, that's not a cut on my

chin - it's chocolate sauce. Sorry - bit scruffy... but no mirror on

board, and didn't notice the choccy dribble until too dark to re-take

photo....]

Other Stuff:

This blog was today's "Blog of Note" on Blogger. So for any newcomers to

my modest little ocean-rowing blog, welcome!!! Hope you enjoy it, and

that you?ll keep coming back! You might also want to check out my main

site at www.rozsavage.com. The RozTracker there shows my blog postings,

and also Twitter updates, videos, podcasts, and Evocations. Enjoy!

My iPhone application is now live! If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch,

you can download it for free from the iTunes Store. I saw an early

version before I left shore, and it looked very cool. I'm waiting for

confirmation from Nicole, but I think it's called 'RozTracker'. Many

thanks to Brian at Archinoetics for his good work. (Editor's note: iPhone app link)

To buy 50 Ways To Save The Ocean, go to the Store from my website home

page at www.rozsavage.com. There are other goodies on there as well,

like the solar powered pedometer (personally tested by me!) and our

super-eco-friendly grocery bags. I love the fun t-shirts as well, with a

cartoon specially designed by Dave Iddon and Barney Farmer. I just hope

the cartoon doesn't come true - that would be a bit of a surprise!

(Special Fathers' Day Sale on the Store!!! 20% off usual price!!!)

Many thanks to Carina Riordan at eBay for setting up the store, and for

donating her employee Gift Match to match the store revenue. She has now

used up her Gift Match allowance, so if there is anyone else from eBay

who would like to contribute their allowance too, please let us know!

Thanks for all the great comments on my last blog post. Keep 'em coming!

Especially lovely to hear from people in unusual places.

Thanks, Mariya, for the reminder about Lucho's Terraza in Huaraz, Peru, in

2003. A very special place and time. You definitely get the prize for the

most eloquent graffiti on his wall! Remember PMS - Perfect Moment

Syndrome? I get a touch of that when I think of my departure from Hawaii,

and think of you in your one-man canoe paddling alongside. Thanks for

being there. A very special memory, to be filed alongside your visit to

our camp on the way to Alpaymayo, and our weary footsore plod up that last

uphill path back into camp after summiting on Pisco. Let's hope there will

be many more magical moments for Las Ninas in the future!

Weather report:

Position at 2100 HST: 17 39.873N, 161 54.823W

Wind: 15-20kts from E/ESE

Sea: 6ft

Weather: sunny, nice breeze kept temperature tolerable, very occasional

little clouds

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

Consistent easterly trade winds will be the norm now that the high

pressure

center in north eastern Pacific has settled down. Fresh breeze in the

15-20kts range with seas moderating to 6-8ft. A few waves could be

higher.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.

Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)

08/1800-14/0000 E-ENE 15-20 6-8

Sky conditions are partly cloudy with very isolated trade wind rain

showers.