Why Should We Care?

The earth has become a beautiful “blue planet,” supporting life in many diverse forms. The development into a blue planet surrounded by life-giving conditions has been going on for billions of years. Only in the most recent time of the earth's history have humans become a part that also affects the planet. The earth system and society always evolve dynamically, and there is no turning back. Some hope to restore nature and the sea to an earlier historical period, but this will not be possible. Instead, the future of the ocean is closely linked to human development. Therefore, the idea that the ocean takes care of itself is fundamentally wrong. The effort to restore to the way it was before is impossible. Unlike our ancestors, however, today, we have access to much knowledge that allows us to change how we misuse the ocean and instead create the future we want. This is expressed in the UN Ocean Decade to safeguard the ocean we need for the future we want. It is, therefore, easy to understand why we should care.