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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Our Dying Oceans

The world's oceans face irreparable damage from climate change and overfishing, with a five-year window for intervention, The Global Oceans Commission, an environmental group says in a report.

Environmental nonprofits and governmental bodies are starting to recognize the insufficient protections offered by systems like the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which aims to regulate portions of the ocean but cannot actually enforce any laws. 64 percent of the ocean  is currently outside of any national jurisdiction.

"A healthy ocean is a key to our well-being," said Jose Maria Figueres, co-chair and former president of Costa Rica. "Unless we turn the tide on ocean decline within five years, the international community should consider turning the high seas into an off-limits regeneration zone until its condition is restored."

Failure to reverse the decline of the ocean's ecosystems would be an "unforgivable betrayal of current and future generations," said David Miliband, co-chair and former British foreign secretary.

The health of the oceans is a serious concern, and unfortunately it is not the only environmental concern. Global capitalism, a blight that cannot be adequately reformed or regulated.

From here

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