As we all know 70% of our planet is made up of water. Our oceans are the driving force of our environment as they circulate heat around the globe to regulate Earth’s climate. They provide the rainfall for our rivers, forests, and farms. They replenish the essential chemicals and nutrients that allow life to thrive. As mariners, we all know to respect the power of our oceans matched with mother nature as there is no stronger force on the planet than a storm at sea. It is now time for us to start respecting our oceans with more than just fear, to take the steps necessary to conserve her beauty. When we take a look at the current condition of our oceans we realize that there is much to be done. 80% of our water pollution comes from land, the chemicals , oils and gases we splill and pour down our drains. The good news is that we have a growing awareness and product alternatives providing us with the tools to make a change. We can now successfully clean and disinfect without using harsh chemicals that work their way into our waterways and soils. Technology has also allowed us to produce engine oils, lubricants and fuels made from plants to .nally initiate our exit strategy from our dependency on crude oil. An alarming statistic that gives us a way to quantify the e.ects of human impact on our oceans is stated by the United Nations Environmental Program. They report an estimated 46,000 pieces of plastic debris .oats on or near the surface of every square mile of ocean*. Humans toss an additional 2.5 million pieces into our oceans hourly. These facts open the door for us to change the way we live our everyday lives. Taking a step into a green lifestyle does not require doing with out, it simply requires making small changes in our behavior.
Here are five simple steps to "Go Green" on your boat.
1. Eliminate costly toxic cleaners, lubricants and hydraulic oils on your vessel. Ask your local marine retailer to recommend earth friendly products that are certi.ed environmentally preferable.
2. Run your vessel at 30-40% throttle, you will cut your fuel consumption in half and reduce the amount of Co2 emissions being emitted into our environment.
3. Replace that roll of disposable shop towels, with reusable micro .bers and terry cloth rags, simply take them home and wash them with a non petroleum based laundry soap.
4. Recycle your mono .lament line at your local marine retailer, also bring home those beer cans and bottles and toss them in the blue bin instead.
5. Educate yourself on what is really green. Many products are using misleading advertising called “green washing”, which means that they feature claims like “Biodegradable” and “All Natural” . Almost anything can be deemed biodegradable, and natural products like citrus can contain very toxic components. Did you know that the active ingredient in citrus is d-limonene and is harmful to marine life? Look for third party certi.cations to give the product validity to there environmental claims.
Captain Tom Barry
Green Ocean Products
www.greenoceanproducts.com
813-690-4480
