Take Action: Start A Sea Change
Picking up trash at the International Coastal Cleanup on one day each year is not the whole answer, because trash in our ocean and waterways is an on-going, year-round problem. Working together, we can change behaviors that lead to trash in our ocean, we can change laws to better govern litter and ocean dumping, and we can change to more ocean-friendly products through new technologies.
Action begins with each of us.
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Reduce your carbon "finprint." Our ocean is on the front lines of climate change — absorbing half the carbon dioxide we’ve pumped into the atmosphere. Use mass transit, carpool, and find other ways to reduce your carbon footprint. |
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Take only pictures. Choose vacation spots working to protect endangered sea animals. When snorkeling or diving, take pictures and tell stories but never stand on coral reefs or touch the marine life. |
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Be a green boater. Protect the boating experience along with the ocean. A little spill makes a big difference; be especially careful with oil, gasoline, solvents, and sewage. Bring your trash back to shore. Join Ocean Conservancy’s green boating program Good Mate. |
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Ask for sustainable seafood. Let chefs, wait-staff, and the folks behind your fish counter know that sustainable seafood is important to you. |
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Sign up for Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Volunteers remove trash from beaches and shorelines, and data collected by these citizen-scientists help inform solutions that keep trash out of our ocean in the first place. |
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Reduce. Since packaging materials account for much of the trash we generate, they provide a good opportunity for reducing waste consider items with less, reusable, or recyclable packaging. |
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Reuse. More than 60 percent of the litter collected during the 2009 International Coastal Cleanup consisted of disposable items. Choose reusable shopping bags, coffee mugs, and food containers. |
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Recycle. If you can’t reuse it, recycle it. Check online with your local government to see what you can and can’t give back, and recycle everything possible. |
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Prevent contaminated runoff. No matter where you live, the ocean is downstream. Don’t use chemical fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn. On the driveway, avoid harmful cleaning products, and take proper care of spilled oil. |
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Vote Blue. Urge your elected representatives to support ocean-friendly policies that protect our ocean. Stay informed through e-alerts from Ocean Conservancy and share your passion at facebook.com/oceanconservancy and twitter.com/OurOcean |
Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the hands of volunteers like you. Help beautify and improve your neighborhood along with local parks and other public places during the nation's largest community improvement program. Millions of volunteers in 32,000 locations across the country have discovered the satisfaction and fun of Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, which takes place every year from March 1 through May 31.
Join the action in a variety of ways: Clean up litter at parks, seashores, and waterways, or work on recycling collection projects. Plant decorative trees and flowers, remove invasive plants, or maybe establish an edible community garden. Help with educational programs and litter-free events. The Great American Cleanup offers opportunities for everyone to make a difference, so sign up today.
Volunteer Through Earth Day Network
Environmental service is a cornerstone of annual Earth Day activities. Ocean Conservancy's partner, Earth Day Network, has recently launched a new action-oriented Web Site, Earthday.net that will help individuals find nearby Earth Day events or service projects that support the Billion Acts of Green™ initiative and advocacy efforts.
Ocean Conservancy activates the world’s largest volunteer network for our ocean, lakes and rivers through the annual International Coastal Cleanup. On September 19th 2009, volunteers removed 10.2 million pieces of trash from coastlines in 108 countries and territories around the world and recorded data on everything they found using standardized data cards. On behalf of its 500,000 dedicated volunteers, Ocean Conservancy is donating 10.2 million "Acts of Green" to Earth Day Network's Billion Acts of Green™. Mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day by taking special action yourself.
Good Mate: Waterway Conservation for Boaters
As a boater, you're in a unique position to be a true steward of our oceans, lakes, and waterways.
Recreational boating means enjoying the beauty of the water - but stop and think for a minute, and you'll realize that the very nature of boating makes it a potential source for the most damaging types of water pollution: oil and fuel, sewage, chemicals, solid waste, and debris. Boaters can all-too-easily introduce these harmful pollutants into the environment through their everyday activities.
The good news is that even small changes in the way we maintain and operate our boats can make a big difference for aquatic environments and the amazing variety of animals and plants making their homes in the water. To help keep waterways and the ocean clean, Ocean Conservancy's Good Mate program raises awareness, and promotes environmentally responsible boating as well as responsible marina operations.
Read more about the Good Mate program and what you can do to help keep the ocean and waterways clean »
Pier Walkers
If you are in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, come out and join Ocean Conservancy's pier walkers, volunteers who help educate fishermen about the dangers of discarded monofiliment fishing line and collect line for recycling.
