HANDS CALL Hands Call Edition 2 | Page 11

D. Reduce Carbon Emissions According to NOAA, carbon emissions lead to ocean acidification which harms some types of marine life. Reduce your carbon footprint by:  Carpooling, walking, or riding a bike and using high-efficiency appliances  Carrying a reusable shopping bag instead of plastic bags  Storing food in reusable containers instead of those you throw away  Avoiding products that come with excess packaging  Not littering  Reducing, reusing, and recycling E. Protect Beaches and Marine Life These steps can help keep coastal areas clean and friendly to marine life:  Cut apart each plastic ring of a six-pack holder to prevent marine life and other wildlife from becoming trapped and strangled.  Eat local sustainable seafood and avoid imported seafood.  Don't buy jewelry or other items made from coral, tortoise shells, or other marine life.  Volunteer to clean-up an area of beach if you live nearby.  Visit the beach; tourism improves coastal communities.  Lobby your politicians on environmental issues.  Donate to an organization that protects the ocean. F. Organizations That Protect the Oceans Another way to get involved is to donate your time or money to an organization that protects the ocean. There are many organizations dedicated to preventing ocean pollution and cleaning up pollution that has already occurred. Don't just watch television and tear-up over images of oil-slicked birds and trash-covered beaches. Get involved, learn more about pollution solutions, and consider donating your money and your time. G. Blue Ocean Society The Blue Ocean Society's mission is to protect marine life in the Gulf of Maine, in particular the Humpback and minke whales. The organization educates communities about how human lifestyle choices impact marine life. It also maintains a hale database and sponsors beach clean-ups, underwater lobster trap clean-ups, school programs, and whale watches. H. Greenpeace Greenpeace is dedicated to conserving oceans and marine life across the globe. Its grassroots efforts have resulted in the ban of destructive fishing practices, companies changing their fishing policies, and the creation of whale sanctuaries. It's currently spearheading an effort to zone approximately 40 percent of the ocean as protected areas. I. Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA