{"id":8360,"date":"2019-04-11T12:19:17","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T16:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/?p=8360"},"modified":"2019-11-06T03:27:52","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:27:52","slug":"what-if-we-treated-our-oceans-like-they-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/story\/8360\/what-if-we-treated-our-oceans-like-they-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"What if we treated our oceans like they matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_1392\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1392\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2018\/06\/GP0STPYWJ.jpg\" alt=\"Turtle and Plastic in the Ocean. \u00a9 Troy Mayne \/ Oceanic Imagery Publications\" width=\"1200\" height=\"803\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2018\/06\/GP0STPYWJ.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2018\/06\/GP0STPYWJ-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2018\/06\/GP0STPYWJ-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2018\/06\/GP0STPYWJ-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2018\/06\/GP0STPYWJ-508x340.jpg 508w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1392\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Underwater image of a turtle with plastic.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The seas provide half of our oxygen, and food for a billion people. Let\u2019s give them the protection they deserve.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Under the restless surface of our seas, hundreds of miles from land, there\u2019s a world of giants and hunters; ancient lifeforms and lost cities. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">These waters beyond national borders are home to creatures even more varied than in the tropical rainforests. They contain the highest and <a href=\"https:\/\/oceanservice.noaa.gov\/facts\/midoceanridge.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">longest mountain range<\/a> anywhere on our planet, and trenches <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y2tm40uMhDI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">deep enough to hold Mount Everest<\/a>. They\u2019re the highways for whales, turtles, albatross and tuna on their cross-planet migrations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Protecting these natural wonders is simply the right thing to do. But this isn\u2019t just about conscience. It\u2019s about survival.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The oceans produce <a href=\"https:\/\/ocean.si.edu\/ocean-life\/plankton\/every-breath-you-take-thank-ocean\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">half of our oxygen<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/oceans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">food for a billion people<\/a>. And because they soak up huge amounts of carbon dioxide, they\u2019re also one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/ocean-carbon-dioxide-climate-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best defences against climate change<\/a>. \u00a0Our fate is bound to the fate of our oceans. If they don\u2019t make it, we don\u2019t either.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">A rescue plan for our oceans<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Now though, there\u2019s a ray of hope. Scientists have drawn up a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2019\/apr\/04\/campaign-to-save-oceans-maps-out-global-network-of-sanctuaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rescue plan for our oceans<\/a> &#8211; and we\u2019re going to throw everything we\u2019ve got at making it happen. <a href=\"https:\/\/act.greenpeace.org\/page\/41102\/petition\/1?locale=en-US\">Are you in?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The ocean rescue plan is bold, and brilliantly simple: we cover the planet in ocean sanctuaries, putting a third of the oceans off-limits to fishing, mining and other destructive industries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">If the rescue plan goes ahead, it\u2019ll be one of the biggest conservation efforts in human history, creating millions of square kilometres of new protected areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Here\u2019s the problem: at the moment, there\u2019s no way to create new sanctuaries outside countries\u2019 national waters. We can\u2019t protect these huge areas of the ocean without an international agreement on how this protection would work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Governments have started work on a UN Ocean Treaty, and if they get it right it\u2019ll give us the tools we need to make these sanctuaries happen.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Join us on an epic voyage<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The open oceans are some of the least studied &#8211; and least regulated places on Earth, and to properly protect them we need to know more about what\u2019s happening out there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">So this week, a team of scientists, photographers and campaigners is setting out on an epic journey from the North Pole to the South Pole to document a year in the life of our oceans, and build the best possible case for a strong UN treaty. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Sailing on Greenpeace\u2019s swiftest and largest ship, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/explore\/ships\/esperanza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the Esperanza<\/a>, they\u2019ll be conducting crucial ocean research and protection &#8211; exposing the threats, peacefully confronting the villains, and championing the solutions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The team at sea needs as many people as possible on land to make sure their findings can\u2019t be ignored. <a href=\"https:\/\/act.greenpeace.org\/page\/41102\/petition\/1?locale=en-US\">Will you join the campaign?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Ocean sanctuaries work<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">All over the world, wherever a proper ocean sanctuary is created, the results are dramatic. Habitats recover. The fish come back. Life finds a way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">But because sanctuaries work so well, the people who profit from dumping and plundering our seas are working hard to water down the treaty. It\u2019s up to us to make sure nature and ordinary people have a voice in this too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">When we work together we can change the world. From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iOZnQpJwIg4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stopping Shell\u2019s oil drilling in the Arctic<\/a>, to getting the world\u2019s largest tuna company to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/press-release\/7207\/thai-union-commits-to-more-sustainable-socially-responsible-seafood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">clean up its act for people and the planet<\/a>, we know how to stand up for our seas &#8211; and win.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">But now it\u2019s time to go even bigger. Over the next year, this mission will need all the courage, cunning and creativity we can find. But today, it just needs your name.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/act.greenpeace.org\/page\/41102\/petition\/1?locale=en-US\"><span class=\"s1\">Sign the petition to get started.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The seas provide half of our oxygen, and food for a billion people. Let\u2019s give them the protection they deserve. Under the restless surface of our seas, hundreds of miles&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":1392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[31],"p4-page-type":[16],"class_list":["post-8360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","tag-oceans","p4-page-type-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8360"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8380,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360\/revisions\/8380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8360"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=8360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}