8 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Keep Our Oceans Clean
Did you make some New Year’s Resolutions last month? If so, you may not have thought about making a resolution to help keep the oceans clean, but it’s not too late! Here are a few helpful tips.
Whether or not you love the beach (but come on, who doesn’t?), if you’re at all concerned about the environment you’ve probably heard some pretty nasty things are happening to our oceans lately. Between pesticide and animal factory farm runoff, climate change, and plastic waste, our oceans and marine life are suffering these days.
Fortunately, there is something you can do about it! That’s right, your own daily habits do have an impact on the health of our planet and our oceans, even if you live a long ways from the coast.
Whether you want to call these “resolutions,” or simply choices, here are 8 things you can do this year to help keep the oceans clean:
Resolution #1: Say NO to plastic by avoiding single-use plastics. Up to 80% of debris in our ocean is made of plastic. Carry your own refillable water bottle and bring reusable bags to the store to keep plastics from entering our waterways.
Resolution #2: Don’t waste water indoors! How does water conservation connect with our ocean, waves, and beaches?… Saving water inside minimizes water supply impacts and reduces the amount of wastewater we send into the ocean.
Turn off the tap while you shave, brush your teeth or wash dishes. Take a shorter shower (5 minutes or less) and fix any leaky pipes….
Resolution #3: Plant an Ocean-Friendly Garden. The number one source of ocean pollution is urban runoff. An Ocean Friendly Garden reduces flooding and keeps polluted runoff from reaching the ocean….
5 Simple Ways to Create an Ocean Friendly Garden: Direct rainwater to soil. Apply mulch. Use native plants. Switch to drip. Garden organically.
Resolution #4: …Switching out any remaining incandescent bulbs in your house to energy-efficient light bulbs and other energy-saving activities helps to slow climate change, which is having a dramatic impact on our coastlines.
Resolution #5: Become a coastal defender in your town to protect local beaches….
Resolution #6: …Please don’t litter your cigarette butts. They are the most common piece of trash found at beach clean-ups. They aren’t biodegradable, leak chemicals that kill fish and they pollute our beaches and ocean.
Resolution #7: Switch up your commute…. You can help by taking public transportation, car-pooling and riding your bike to reduce your carbon footprint and help curb climate change.
Resolution #8: Scoop the poop!… Pet waste impacts water quality and can make it unsafe to swim or surf….
Want to learn more? Check out the full article at HuffingtonPost.com…
