Remember That Ocean is Important

Everyone knows that water is a vital element of our daily lives. With more than 8,500 miles of shorelines, 2.1 million acres of estuaries and 30% of the state's land cover consisting of wetlands, Florida's relationship to water is vital to the prosperity of the state. Florida Southern College students are aware of the importance of clean water and they are looking for ways to share their knowledge with everyone else by raising awareness of ocean pollution. Currently the class of Free Enterprise students is participating in a project called O.B. Ocean Pollution to engage in projects that empower others by reducing, reusing, and recycling. The idea of the project comes from Enactus organization, which is a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to enable human progress. The message we want to bring across is that 80% of pollution to the marine environment comes from the land. Water pollution is the 2nd worst type of pollution after air pollution. Unsafe water causes 4 billion cases of diarrhea each year, and results in 2.2 deaths, mostly of children under five. People need to know that with small changes in their regular behaviors they can improve a whole lot. Here are just few of many things that individuals can do in order to help reducing ocean pollution: 1. Using a reusable tote or other bag at the grocery store; 2. Drinking water out of glass or other non-plastic container; 3. Recycling plastics whenever possible; 4. Never littering and always disposing of trash properly. Visit this website and sign up for the local beach cleanup days: http://www.oceanconservancy.org

This is The Beauty of a Clean Beach!

Survey

Click here to take survey

O.B Ocean Pollution Video

One of the group members of Enactus Organziation at FSC created a YouTube video. Check out these devastating scenes at the beaches created by the pollution...

How Does it Affect You?

What Causes Ocean Pollution

  1.    Land-based pollutants: Waste originating on land such as plastics and electronics account for 80 percent of all marine debris.

  2.    Toxic chemicals: Chemicals that have been implicated in cancer, developmental problems and other health issues end up in the ocean.

  3.    Energy consumption: The burning of coal, accounting for roughly 50 percent of U.S. energy use, releases toxic mercury that ends up in the ocean and the fish we eat.

  4.    Pharmaceuticals: The Associated Press reports that U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities alone flush millions of pounds of pharmaceuticals annually down the drain.

  5.    Oil spills: An estimated 706 million gallons of oil are leaked from ships or wash from land into the ocean each year.

  6.    Carbon emissions: The oceans have absorbed about 50 percent of carbon dioxide from our carbon emissions, resulting in a 30 percent increase in ocean acidity since the Industrial Revolution.

Clean World

No matter where you’re going, just remember to give some thought to our good friend Mother Nature.  Ocean pollution, more than most of us realize, is a very large and very preventable problem.  Too much of the world fails to understand, fails to care about, or simply oversees the dangers of pollution and the small and simple things we can do to help alleviate or even diminish pollution’s effects.  One of the keys to alleviating the damage of ocean pollution isn’t necessarily keeping our beaches and the ocean itself clean, but keeping our entire world clean.

Even Better, you can attend an International Coastal Cleanup Day which  is an amazing event that removes literally tons of plastic from coastlines and waterways around the world every year.

What You Can Do to Reduce Ocean Pollution

Be informed and aware of your impact on the environment. Everything you do and use has some bearing on your surroundings. Making intelligent choices and changes in the manner of your everyday living is perhaps the most effective solution for ocean pollution.

• Reduse plastic bags and recycle plastics. Don't throw them away.

• Cut down on the use of toxic household cleaners.

• Don't throw trash when you visit the beach, or when you go anywhere else, for that matter.

• Make sure your vehicles and boats do not leak oil on the road or on the water. When it rains, this oil will of course be washed away and eventually, via streams, rivers or drains, find its way into the ocean.

• For the same reason, do not flush medications and chemicals down the drain.

• Cut down on the use of chemicals and fertilizers in your garden or on your farm.

• Volunteer and participate in environment clean-up drives.