World Wildlife Day was observed on March 3 as has been done since 2014. This was the day he day of the adoption of the #CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) was adopted and the day is observed to raise awareness of the variety and plight of wildlife - both flora and fauna - our planet's rich biodiversity.
With biodiversity loss being a grave environmental threat - "clear and present danger" as they say to life as we know it, awareness about wildlife and its conservation is more important than ever before.
The 2019 theme for celebrations was Life Below Water, which is also the 14th sustainable development goal (#SDG14).
As I had tweeted,
I write this blog post as the prevalence of Ocean Plastics is a major threat to Life Below Water - be it marine life or in plastic clogged rivers, lakes, ponds and water channels across the globe. Even though the Great Pacific Garbage Patch being the largest of the plastic clogged gyres of the ocean, the plastics flowing into the oceans from the Rivers of Asia are the main sources of plastic pollution landing up in the ocean. Indonesia being a major source of plastic pollution.
Ghost nets, plastic fragments, micro-plastics and the superstar villain plastic straws all have a severe effect on the quality of life below water. And humans on land are the source of this menace. And its humans who can check this challenge.
Lifestyle changes and systemic changes that change to our bent for overconsumption of plastics and all things and resources should be a priority. The plastic bans in many places since last Environment Day (theme of Beat Plastic Pollution) has helped but the existing marine and plastic pollution needs to be removed.
While the ambitious Ocean Cleanup in working to fix its failure a month after deployment of the plastic collection system in the Pacific Patch, a young boy from India has come up with a prototype for an ocean cleaning ship. Haziiq Kazi's prototype Ervis could potentially suck up and clean both oil spills and plastic pollution. Both major challenges to life below water.
Meanwhile a student in Ukraine has developed a robot that does a good job of bio-mimicry and helps clean up water bodies.
Others like American Girl Scout Shelby O'Neal have helped shape policy to check single-use plastics
Young people and technological innovations are coming to the rescue of life below water and tackling plastic and other pollution. They are truly beacons of hope.
With biodiversity loss being a grave environmental threat - "clear and present danger" as they say to life as we know it, awareness about wildlife and its conservation is more important than ever before.
The 2019 theme for celebrations was Life Below Water, which is also the 14th sustainable development goal (#SDG14).
As I had tweeted,
On#WorldWildlifeDay2019 homage is to#LifeBelowWater which is also#SDG14 THE existential threat is#HumanImpact - i.e.,#plastics,#climatechange impacts like reduced#oxygen,#acidification, rising marine temperatures;#oilspills &#MarinePollution This must#change#Now
I write this blog post as the prevalence of Ocean Plastics is a major threat to Life Below Water - be it marine life or in plastic clogged rivers, lakes, ponds and water channels across the globe. Even though the Great Pacific Garbage Patch being the largest of the plastic clogged gyres of the ocean, the plastics flowing into the oceans from the Rivers of Asia are the main sources of plastic pollution landing up in the ocean. Indonesia being a major source of plastic pollution.
Ghost nets, plastic fragments, micro-plastics and the superstar villain plastic straws all have a severe effect on the quality of life below water. And humans on land are the source of this menace. And its humans who can check this challenge.
Lifestyle changes and systemic changes that change to our bent for overconsumption of plastics and all things and resources should be a priority. The plastic bans in many places since last Environment Day (theme of Beat Plastic Pollution) has helped but the existing marine and plastic pollution needs to be removed.
While the ambitious Ocean Cleanup in working to fix its failure a month after deployment of the plastic collection system in the Pacific Patch, a young boy from India has come up with a prototype for an ocean cleaning ship. Haziiq Kazi's prototype Ervis could potentially suck up and clean both oil spills and plastic pollution. Both major challenges to life below water.
Meanwhile a student in Ukraine has developed a robot that does a good job of bio-mimicry and helps clean up water bodies.
Others like American Girl Scout Shelby O'Neal have helped shape policy to check single-use plastics
Young people and technological innovations are coming to the rescue of life below water and tackling plastic and other pollution. They are truly beacons of hope.
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