Photo: Courtesy Beneath The Waves
You might have already been feeling some generalized existential dread about climate change even before the report inSciencewas published in late April saying thatour oceans face “a mass extinction event"unless humans work rapidly to counteract the damage that pollution and carbon emissions are doing.
Feeling like things are hopelessly bleak?Dr. Austin Gallagher, who you may recognize fromhis appearances on Discovery’s Shark Week, has some ideas on how you can be an individual contributor to helping stem this massive climate catastrophe. Gallagher, who with his Beneath the Waves foundation has launcheda partnership with Southern Tidethat gives back to his ocean conservancy mission, shares his top tips on helping the oceans and the life they sustain.
“While individuals can’t save the world, our individual actions do add up — and our consumer behavior can influence big changes in policy and business practices,” he says.
Courtsey Beneath The Waves
Below, in his own words, are some individual actions we can take to “restore the ocean to abundance.”
Though it can be tempting to be pessimistic when faced with the enormity of the problem, Gallagher advises “ocean optimism” and advocating for creative solutions.
“Ocean health and human health are intrinsically connected,” he says. “In many cases, the solutions for saving our oceans are in front of us, and new research is showing us which habitats and species should be protected with the maximum benefits.”
source: people.com
