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Knowing where to begin and how to help the ocean can seem overwhelming. We can also fall into the trap of thinking that someone else will solve the problem - but they won't, it's up to each one of us, as individuals and as a collective, to try to make a difference.
Thanks to burning fossil fuels, increased shipping, oil spills, overfishing, rising levels of noise in the ocean, overconsumption and rising tempratures, ocean animals from whales to turtles, penguins, sharks, coral, anenomes, octopuses, sea stars, crabs, fish and more are under threat.
There are small actions we can all take to protect the sea. By taking a little step and then another, we can walk the road to a healthier ocean together.
Thanks to burning fossil fuels, increased shipping, oil spills, overfishing, rising levels of noise in the ocean, overconsumption and rising tempratures, ocean animals from whales to turtles, penguins, sharks, coral, anenomes, octopuses, sea stars, crabs, fish and more are under threat.
There are small actions we can all take to protect the sea. By taking a little step and then another, we can walk the road to a healthier ocean together.
AT HOME
AT SCHOOL
ON YOUR PLATE
TRANSPORT
AT WORK
AT THE BEACH
Do you have more tips on the best ways to protect the ocean? Please send an email.
- Turn off the lights in rooms you're not using, switch off appliances when not in use, turn off the geyser when hot water won't be needed for hours.
- Buy in bulk and use your own canvas bags for shopping.
- Support stores with limited or no packaging.
- Buy eco-friendly products for the home - from dishwashing liquids to laundry detergent,, shampoo, body wash, soaps, face wash, toothpaste, tile cleaner, marine sunscreen, toilet cleaner, bin bags and more, most of the big supermarket chains now stock products that don't harm the environment.
- Need help with a recommendation? Faithful to Nature is just one of the online shops that delivers a very wide variety of products all over South Africa.
- Set up recycling bins and separate plastic, glass, metal, paper and compostibiles.
- Don't buy single-use plastics, from plastic bags to styrofoam and bottles of water. Do use refillable bottles for water, cleaning products and more.
- If you have the space, start a compost heap - your garden and the ecosystem will show great returns.
- Only run the washing machine and the dishwasher when they have a full load.
- Switch off the tap while you're brushing your teeth.
- Fix leaky taps, shower instead of bathing, set up tanks to catch rainwater from your roof and use it for the garden or as grey water in the toilets.
- Don't flush the toilet every time if it's not necessary.
- Opt not to have a pool - they waste water and electricity - and if you have one, cover it and switch it off over winter.
- Intsall solar power if you're able.
AT SCHOOL
- Encourage your schools, if they don’t already, to have recycling cages for tins and plastic bottles.
- Challenge your friends to see who can make the most environmentally friendly changes in their lives in a month and in a year.
- Turn off any running taps that you come across.
- Don't litter and if you see litter, put it in a bin.
ON YOUR PLATE
- Cut back on meat and animal products. You can read up on why and how from the WWF.
- If you eat fish, ask about how and where it's caught and what species it is. You can use the SASSI app to help you make the best choices.
- Don't waste food - be realistic about the amount of fresh products your housheld gets through in a week.
- Grow some of your own food if you can.
TRANSPORT
- Consider getting a hybrid car.
- Walk or cycle instead of using a car when possible.
- Use public transport if it's available.
- Work from home if it's possible.
- Travel locally rather than flying and if you must fly, consider a carbon offset programme.
- Need a recommendation? Here's a list of offset programmes for individuals and businesses.
AT WORK
- Ensure there's a recycling system that makes it easy for everyone to throw items in the right bins.
- Switch the lights and air conditioners off overnight and on weekends.
- Use energy efficient lighting, devices and appliances.
- Don't print out documents.
- Use eco-fiendly cleaning and bathroom products.
- Here's a link to the International Labour Organisation's Green Business Guide.
- There are also guidelines and publications available on the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life Below Water.
AT THE BEACH
- Don't litter and take a spare bag with you to pick up litter that you find that you can then dispose of responsibly.
- Wear marine-friendly sunscreen. There are a number of brands available. Slnko would be one recommendation.
- Don't pick up, approach or interact with sea animals. If there's an animal in distress, look up and call the correct animal agency.
- Take your own refillable and reusable bottles of water and other drinks and take any rubbish home with you.
- Don't support outlets selling take-aways that come in styrofoam containers.
Do you have more tips on the best ways to protect the ocean? Please send an email.
``The Earth does not belong to us—we belong to the Earth. Let's celebrate our connection to life by not enslaving animals and exploiting the Earth, and attain freedom and happiness for ourselves in the process. For surely, the best way to uplift our own lives is to do all we can to uplift the lives of others.'' Sharon Gannon, animal rights advocate, author and co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga.