Now the Pope is warning about the health of our oceans. (photo: Shutterstock.com)
It's Not Just Climate - Pope Francis Is Also Warning About the Health of Our Oceans
21 June 15
ith the release of his encyclical “Laudato Si” on Thursday, Pope Francis made headlines for recognizing the threat of human-caused climate change.
But the encyclical also called attention to the
world’s oceans, affirming just how vital they are to “our common home.”
In Laudato Si, Francis talked about the unique threats marine
environments face in a planet changed by humanity.
Below are six warnings from the Pope about the health
of our oceans. Quotes from the encyclical are shown in italics, along
with their corresponding passage number.
The polar plight
“The melting in the polar ice caps and in high
altitude plains can lead to the dangerous release of methane gas, while
the decomposition of frozen organic material can further increase the
emission of carbon dioxide.” [24]
Global warming is happening at a greater degree at
Earth’s poles in a dangerous positive feedback cycle advanced by the
high reflectivity of ice. As white, energy-reflecting snow and ice
melts, it becomes darker, energy-absorbing water and land. If left
uncurbed, warming will melt polar permafrost, unlocking frozen, ancient
carbon and accelerating climate change.
Sea level rise
“A rise in the sea level…can create extremely
serious situations, if we consider that a quarter of the world’s
population lives on the coast or nearby, and that the majority of our
megacities are situated in coastal areas.” [24]
Scientists say sea level rise could reach as much as six feet by the end of the century. Rising sea levels have already encroached
upon island communities like Kiribati, leaving little land to live on
and leaving citizens faced with the likelihood of becoming the world’s
first climate refugees. And here in the U.S., sea level rise also leads
to more frequent flooding and more severe coastal storm damage.
Ocean acidification
“Carbon dioxide pollution increases the
acidification of the oceans and compromises the marine food chain. If
present trends continue, this century may well witness…an unprecedented
destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us.” [24]
The ocean absorbs at least one quarter of emitted
carbon dioxide, which increases the acidity of seawater through chemical
reactions. Many marine species are highly sensitive
to these changes, as they can only tolerate narrow ranges of pH.
Oysters, clams and other shellfish are especially vulnerable because
acidification make it more difficult for them to form the calcium
carbonate that comprises their shells. Corals also struggle
to build their skeletons in acidified water, to the detriment of the
highly diverse array of species that depend on coral reefs.
Ocean-bound water pollution
“Underground water sources in many places are
threatened by the pollution produced in certain mining, farming and
industrial activities, especially in countries lacking adequate
regulation or controls. It is not only a question of industrial waste.
Detergents and chemical products, commonly used in many places of the
world, continue to pour into our rivers, lakes and seas.” [29]
The eight million tons of plastic waste entering our
oceans each year can entangle, starve or poison marine life, while
agricultural pollution has led to downstream nutrient and bacterial
contamination at levels unsafe for human exposure, also causing massive
dead zones in coastal waters around the globe in which sea life cannot
exist. Chemical and heavy metal pollution from household or industrial
products, mining, and emissions from burning fossil fuels threaten human
and marine health, too.
Overfishing and seafood bycatch
“Marine life in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans,
which feeds a great part of the world’s population, is affected by
uncontrolled fishing, leading to a drastic depletion of certain species.
Selective forms of fishing which discard much of what they collect
continue unabated. Particularly threatened are marine organisms which we
tend to overlook, like some forms of plankton; they represent a
significant element in the ocean food chain, and species used for our
food ultimately depend on them.” [40]
According to the World Wildlife Foundation,
roughly three billion people depend on seafood as their primary source
of protein, particularly in developing countries. That’s why fishing
practices like overfishing, dynamite fishing, and bycatch — the
incidental catch of non-target species — are so destructive. Pope
Francis’ effort to call attention to this problem reflects his
understanding that sustainable fishing is, at its root, a food security
issue as much as an environmental one.
Loss of marine biodiversity
“In tropical and subtropical seas, we find coral
reefs comparable to the great forests on dry land, for they shelter
approximately a million species, including fish, crabs, mollusks,
sponges and algae. Many of the world’s coral reefs are already barren or
in a state of constant decline.” [41]
“Wetlands converted into cultivated land lose the
enormous biodiversity which they formerly hosted. In some coastal areas
the disappearance of ecosystems sustained by mangrove swamps is a source
of serious concern.” [39]
Biodiversity is a mark of a healthy, productive, and
balanced ecosystem. Coral reefs and coastal mangrove ecosystems are
among the most biodiverse environments on the planet, but as pollution,
acidification, warming, and habitat destruction take their toll, the
resources these special ecosystems provide deteriorate too. Healthy
mangroves, for example, protect against storm surges, serve as habitat
for commercially important seafood, and fight climate change by storing
carbon.
With a reminder that “the oceans not only contain most
of the planet, but also most of the wide variety of living things,”
Pope Francis’s encyclical is a wake up call for all humanity to serve as
responsible stewards not just of our lands and atmosphere, but of our
vast blue realm as well.
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