Читать книгу Oceans For Dummies - Joseph Kraynak - Страница 30

IN THIS CHAPTER

Breathing easy with a healthy ocean

Getting to know the world’s largest weather machine

Discovering where billions of people get a good chunk of their protein

Gauging the impact of the ocean on the global economy

Dipping into the ocean for inspiration and innovation

The ocean covers 71 percent of the planet, contains 97 percent of the planet’s water, is home to 50 to 80 percent of all life on Earth (94 percent of life on Earth is aquatic), and supplies at least 50 percent of the world’s oxygen, (scientists estimate it’s anywhere from 50 to 80 percent, according to NOAA). It serves up about 200 billion pounds of seafood each year and supplies an important source of protein for billions of people around the world. It plays a big role in transportation, both travel and shipping, and a huge role in regulating climate and weather and making Earth habitable. It is drilled for crude oil, mined for minerals, tapped for development of new medications, and desalinated to provide drinking water. It is home to some of the most beautiful and amazing creatures on the planet and is an unfathomable source of wonder. We literally can’t live without it.

The ocean is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Every planet wants one, other planets and moons across the universe probably have them, but Earth is the only planet we know of that has such a healthy, vibrant ocean teeming with life.

In this chapter, we look at the many ways the ocean makes Earth habitable and such a wonderful place to live, not to mention all the valuable resources it provides to us. Think of this chapter as a celebration of Ocean Appreciation Day.

Actually, there is no Ocean Appreciation Day, but there is a World Oceans Day, when people around the world celebrate the ocean, commit to restoring and protecting it, and join in a number of conservation activities and events around the world. We encourage you to celebrate this day annually on June 8. (Visit worldoceansday.org for details.)