Despite the importance of marine ecosystems in the fight against climate change, human activities keep endangering their health. Let’s stop and change direction!
Seas and oceans cover about 71% of the Earth’s surface and are responsible for the absorption of around one-quarter of the total amount of CO2 emissions annually absorbed by natural ecosystems.
Every year, 4 to 12 million tons of plastic end up in the seas causing about 80% of marine pollution. Plastic waste creates several problems:
- it endangers the life of the fauna living in our seas;
- it releases several pollutants into the water;
- it directly impacts marine ecosystems and therefore the lives of people living in close contact with them;
- it releases microplastics that, through the food chain, end up directly on our tables;
- it reduces biodiversity and the ability of the sea to absorb CO2.
Unless we change our attitude, estimates suggest that by 2050 the weight of plastic at sea will exceed that of fish.
The oceans can absorb a substantial portion of CO2 because of two natural mechanisms: the diffusion of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the cycle of photosynthesis of plankton and algae.
All in all, marine plants are estimated to absorb 10 to 20 billion tons of CO2 every year.
However, the worsening health of the sea caused by human activities, coupled with the effects of climate change, have severe repercussions on the life of these ecosystems, contributing to their deterioration and reducing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
Sea the Change aims to reverse these negative trends and protect the health of the sea and the organisms it hosts, enabling them to be our allies in the fight against climate change.
Through the investments proposed by Sea the Change, single tourists and individuals will have an opportunity not only to reduce the environmental impact of their vacation but also to help ensure that the places they visit can be preserved for future generations.
By investing in Sea the Change you can be an active part of the shift we need to counter the effects of climate change and ensure a healthy and sustainable future for our society.
Through your support of the activities proposed by Sea the Change you can trigger several benefits both for us and the environment:
- protection and preservation of marine ecosystems;
- reduction of plastic waste at sea;
- offsetting of CO2 emissions;
- support to the establishment of sustainable work activities in the communities involved;
- mitigation of the effects of climate change.
