The massive oceans that make up so much of our planet’s surface receive such little notice on a daily basis. Centuries ago, the wild power of the open seas was a topic of great lore and even fear; these were days when a short journey might put your life at peril. However, the great strength and power of the oceans are once again at the forefront of our consciousness.
Many of the issues facing our world center on the interconnected waters that surround our lives on dry land. Rising water levels have been threatening coastal communities for decades. Tsunamis in recent years have returned the focus to the deadly nature of waterborne disasters. There are even fears that the acidity levels in the world’s oceans have been rising and will continue to do so, killing off many native species of animal life.
All of these are reasons many experts believe that the oceans will return to prominence in national and international discussions, according to this article published by National Geographic News Watch. This piece argues that the issues facing our global community because of our oceans will reach a tipping point in this year, forcing us to have difficult conversations we’ve been putting off for a long time.
The World Ocean Summit 2014, taking place this February in San Francisco, will be a place where corporate, political and social leaders from around the globe come together to discuss possible solutions to these problems. Luckily, there has been a lot of progress scientifically to develop affordable technologies that can address these issues.
Many research firms and scientific organizations have been offering incentives to those who can come up with novel answers to oceanic problems. For example, the XPRIZE Foundation is holding a contest that will award prizes to research teams who come up with affordable answers to ocean acidification.
Windjammer Arts is well aware that the beautiful nature of our oceans deserves the utmost protection. Hopefully, 2014 can bring the changes that our globe needs to ensure the sustainability of our ocean usage.