8/7/2020 How can you make a difference There are many ways you can make a difference. One amazing way is by donating to reputable sources, however finding some of these great sources that you may strongly support can be difficult (which is why we’re here to help). Some amazing, well-known organizations are incredibly passionate about the reefs; however, their plans for saving the coral reefs aren't always sustainable. One solution that some of these organizations use include planting coral that isn't modified to survive extensive heat. This isn’t sustainable since they won’t survive or thrive in the rising temperatures. On top of this, ocean acidification is still occurring and the symbiotic algae isn’t built to survive it. The coral being planted isn’t ready for success which is why, part of our project, CRCP included looking into multiple organizations and picking some nonprofits that we know will make a long-lasting difference. It's not always easy to differentiate between which websites are involved with sustainable profits, so we took a look into the science behind their organizations. We have hand-selected nonprofit organizations to donate to and have kept in close contact with them. If you haven't looked into donating towards the coral reefs already, we would highly encourage you to read about the reefs and look towards contributing on the donate page.
If you don't want to donate, that's completely fine! Here are a couple of other ways you can make a difference. Raising awareness may seem like a small and easy task, but it can do wonders. You can do this by just bringing up coral bleaching in everyday conversations with family and friends. This will allow more people to think about the crisis, and it'll increase passion for initiating a change. Another easy way to raise awareness is by sending this website to your friends. It takes less than 30 seconds, almost no time out of your day. As long as people are aware of the situation, the change will start to occur. It's our responsibility to demand change; without public demand, we can't expect people in power to do anything about the this terrible catastrophe. Believe it or not, not many people know what's happening with the coral reefs. Many people acknowledge that something is happening but don't exactly understand what. Allow yourself and others to grow and learn about this terrible crisis and together, let's make a difference. Another way you can make a difference is by being mindful of how your everyday life can be playing a role in the bleaching crisis. High CO2 emissions cause heat to be trapped in our atmosphere. This heat increases ocean warming, which causes corals to become stressed, resulting in bleaching. When CO2 dissolves in the ocean, it increases the acidity levels, preventing enough calcium carbonate from being built. Corals need calcium carbonate to live as it is crucial for their skeletons. Do your part in reducing your CO2 emissions. When possible, use electric or non gas-powered vehicles such as bikes (or even your feet). Plastic is another significant factor as it has numerous toxic chemicals. Make sure to reduce the use of plastic in your household. If you continue to use large amounts of plastic, do not throw it away in compost or the trash. Plastic is recyclable and should always be recycled. If you see littered plastic outside, clean it up. Any mess outside becomes your mess if you choose to leave it. Hold yourself accountable, and don't litter. Every time you are near areas with water current such as rivers, streams, oceans, and even drains, pick up any littered plastic so that it doesn't end up flowing into the ocean. Use a couple of these methods to make a difference, even if it's a small one. Comments are closed.
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