Humanity is witnessing a brutal war between its habits — and its habitat
The Global Ocean Commission said in a report that there is a five-year window for the health of our oceans before the damage is irreversible. The massive rise in the use of discarded plastic products like water bottles plus huge commercial fishing and oil and gas exploration operations have created a high noon situation. Humanity is witnessing a duel between its habits and its habitat.
The oceans do a lot for us–but the easiest place to start is with this: “The ocean provides 50 percent of our oxygen,” according to the commission co-chair and former Costa Rican president Jose Maria Figueres. The report, called From Decline to Recovery: A Rescue Package for the Global Ocean, has prescriptions for beating the five-year ticking time bomb of disaster. “The high seas are like a failed state. Poor governance and the absence of policing and management mean valuable resources are unprotected or being squandered,” said David Miliband, co-chair of the commission. Miliband is a former British Foreign Secretary and new CEO of the International Rescue Committee. Saving the global ocean will take a concerted effort, as the Commission knows: The report is downloadable in English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Russian.
