Category: Philosophy

I’m going this to use this very appropriate week to spread awareness about oceanic pollution. I say appropriate because not only is today World Environment Day but this Thursday, June 8th, is World Oceans Day. So today I’ll be sharing information on the environmental problem of oceanic pollution and over the week I’ll go over some ways we can help locally.

I’ll share a bit of personal background about myself. I have studied biology, environmental science, and environmental policy in higher educational institutions. (I struggled with changes of heart in majors like so many of us do…) But I’m not only familiar with those things because of learning about them, it’s also based on a natural passion and real love for the world. Personal indeed because I absolutely thrive when surrounded by nature and natural elements. Some of my dreams and aspirations include helping create a sustainable planet for us and future generations to come. Personal indeed but it is my passion and what feels like my life force.

Moving forward.

National Geographic published this article Deepest Place on Earth Contains ‘Extraordinary’ Pollution Levels back in February 2017. Please take a moment to read if you can, if not, I’ve tried to summarize the info so you can continue reading. When I initially read the article, I was completely devastated by my own naive thinking. How could I honestly believe that the Mariana Trench would be untouched by human impact?

For starters, the Mariana Trench is the deepest known place of the ocean. It lies in the western Pacific Ocean, closer to the continent of Asia. With it being the deepest place in the ocean, it’s easy to get caught up thinking that it’s too remote for dangerous pollution to reach. But it’s quite the contrary and National Geographic has brought to light the extremely high levels of toxic pollutants built up in this area.

It’s needless to say that the source of this pollution is the industrialization in nearby countries over extended periods of time. It’s partly due to catastrophic weather that displaces chemicals that wouldn’t otherwise be in the ocean. But also, water flow is naturally slow there and it does not help the state of the Mariana Trench. There has been scientific evidence supporting high levels of toxins in animals living in those depths. But to fully grasp how this is an issue, you must understand the inter-connectedness of the ocean. The food “chain” or “web” that humans thrive on is connected to the ecosystems of the ocean and land alike.

This is an open-ended post because this could not possibly have an immediate resolution. The only “fixing” comes in creating awareness in conversations, preventing pollution, and changing our current behaviors to always consider where human impact will end up. Stay tuned for tomorrrow’s continued talk about oceanic pollution and how one woman in Costa Rica is trying to help via social media.

Stay green my friends!