TED Talk: Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Earle: My Wish: Protect our oceans

What would the world be without the ocean? Would it even exist? Sylvia Earle, oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer believes “our fate and the ocean are one.” As a result of fishing and unstable oceanic conditions (due to plastics and other chemicals), in 50 years we have lost 90% of all the big fish. Along with many species of fish, a large population of whales, krill, and much more have been killed off. “We're clogging the oceans; poisoning the ocean's circulatory system,” claims Earle. At this rate, we may soon no longer have creatures in our oceans, leaving us with an unbalanced ecosystem and deprivation of a major food source. Because we are killing so many fish at a time, they do not have enough time to catch up to our daily needs. Because we are dumping chemicals and plastics into the ocean; we are killing the inhabitants that allow the ocean to exist.

In the Arctic, the ice is melting at a rapid pace and it may become ice free sometime in this century. This is neither good for the polar bears, nor us. Earle describes the detriments that are occurring with the melting of ice. She explains, “Excess carbon dioxide is not only driving global warming, it's also changing ocean chemistry making the sea more acidic. That's bad news for coral reefs and oxygen-producing plankton. That's also bad news for us.” Is there something we can do? The answer is yes. First and foremost, we must spread awareness. “With knowing comes caring, and with caring there's hope that we can find an enduring place for ourselves, within the natural systems that support us.”

I personally agree with what Earle is saying. It is shocking to see how we are destroying such a vital part of our ecosystem. I think what needs to be realized is that we must start this process of healing right now. Earle explains we have little time, and I hope that we can get at this as soon as possible. I have realized from this, that we cannot survive without this key part of our world, and all of us need to contribute to the mending of our oceans. This awareness and action is not only necessary for the survival of the ocean creatures, but for the survival of the human race.