Sea Change
By Sylvia Earle
Why do we need the oceans?
• Drive planetary
chemistry
• Govern climate and
weather
• Provides cornerstone
of life support system
• Our future and state
of ocean are one.
(moon/mars)
An Intelligent Alien Might Notice
That…
• Planet dominated by
salt water
• Clouds of fresh water
come from the sea
History of life on Earth (human
time)
• Life began 3.5 billion
years ago in the sea
• Early primates 60
mya
• Early humans 5 mya
• Modern humans
10,000 years ago
• Exploding population
( over 6 Billion
people)
World Population
Human Impact
• Removal of life from oceans
Human Impact
• Addition of toxic
wastes
Human Impact
• “At night astronauts
witness:”
Human Impact
• Squandering fossil
wealth
Human Impact
• Highways form
barriers
Human Impact
• Single species agriculture
Human Impact
• Cement/asphalt
“We have the power to damage
the sea, but no sure way to
heal the harm”
Why have we not studied oceans
more?
• Culture- “look to the stars.”
Why have we not studied oceans
more?
• The view that the ocean is vast and resilient.
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• 40 mile long drift nets
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Mega Trawlers
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Acoustic Fish Finders
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Factory Ships
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Global Market Distribution Systems -Tokoyo market,
2000 tons of marine life sold each day.
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Nuclear Wastes
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Nerve Gas Disposal Sites
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Sewage Sludge
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Oil Spills
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Plastic Debris
Two Centuries Ago, There Were
No…
• Pesticides, Herbicides and Fertilizers
Earl’s Hope For the Future
• The greatest threat to
the sea and to the
future of mankind is
ignorance.
• Educate
• Educate
• Educate
Here is how you can help
• http://www.simplepureclean.com/save_the_ocean.html
• 10 things you can do to save the ocean.