Law Audience Journal (e-ISSN: 2581-6705)

Authored By: Karan Solanki BA.LL.B, Law College Dehradun, Uttaranchal University, & Co-Authored By: Kamal Nayan, BA.LL.B, Law College Dehradun, Uttaranchal University

ABSTRACT: –

In this article author has discussed about the serious challenges that our mother earth is facing right now and solution that can prevent and control it.

We all are aware of the fact that more than 70% or 140 million square miles of the surface are occupied by the oceans, but very few are aware that the oceans of the world are facing several significant problems. The non-serious attitude towards the world ocean is impacting Maritime ecosystems, and biodiversity and is causing acidification and resulting in rising sea levels. Only declaring something sustainable development goal doesn’t solve the problem.

Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought it is the process of making something better, as earlier we used older echo-sounding techniques and now they have been replaced by radar-sounding and electrical echo devices this shows how innovation helps when are done after analysing results impacts and benefits for the good maintenance of ecosystem and the same is called INNOSUSTAIN. The study is focused on determining the required innovation to solve the problems that are hurdles for our better future and to provide a good life below water. Today oceans are facing serious threats due to our activities and innovation in this area is needed for the solution of problems and for the maintenance of balance between marine ecosystem and human activities, by which both the living organisms can reside together without the inferior one getting destroyed.

KEYWORDS: Coral reefs, Mismanagement, Exploitation, Extinction, Acidification.

• INTRODUCTION

70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water and 97% of this is salt water, found in oceans which is home to more than 226,000 ocean species. This large amount of ocean water is also responsible for weather, temperature, and food supply for humans. Ocean water is not used directly but is a great source of minerals, medicines, and renewable resources and should be treated with great care. A marine ecosystem is found here which contains an array of organisms.

Despite having advanced technology humans have not yet explored, mapped, or even seen the gigantic trenches of the ocean; 80% of the ocean is still unexplored. The marine ecosystem is home to the largest mammal found on earth the tiny krill which forms the bottom of the food chain.

With increased advancement in human technology and rapid growth in the invention for making the earth a better place to live for humans, we have started to exploit the resources for our benefit which has eventually led to the degradation of natural resources. It takes millions of years for the re-generation of these resources and this is one of the prime reasons to protect, conserve and rejuvenate our planet. To tackle all these global problems, the governments of various countries come together to form an organization called the United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals is one such initiative taken by the UN which deals with 17 goals with the agenda of achieving them by 2030. Although the SDGs are not legally binding, countries are expected to make a blueprint and work towards achieving such goals.

• MARINE POLLUTION

A common custom practiced through ancient times is to throw garbage in running water and this water eventually gets mixed with the ocean. Ocean is something that humans have taken for granted and used as a container for disposing of waste. However recent studies have shown that the ocean is changing its characteristics and is not what it used to be. Data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that the temperature of the upper few meters of the ocean – has increased by approximately 0.13°C per decade over the past 100 years.

The main reason for this is the observation of CO2 from the atmosphere, making the water more acidic and destroying the marine ecosystem. Other reason includes overfishing, disposal of chemicals through farms that end up in the sea, untreated and partially treated sewage, untreated plastic waste, and industrial waste. Ocean pollution is the result of both land-based activities and marine transportation. Almost 90% of world transportation activities take place through ocean routes. If global shipping were a country, it would be the sixth largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. Marine pollution also affects the local fishermen and marine tourism.

Marine pollution destroys the coral reefs, which are considered very important for marine ecosystems as they serve center of activity for marine life. The coral reef is a diverse collection of species and includes a class of colonial animals that is related to hydroids, jellyfish, and sea anemones. They are found all over the ocean water and are among the most biologically diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. An estimated 25 per cent of all marine life, including over 4,000 species of fish, are dependent on coral reefs at some point in their life cycle. Coral reefs are the source of food for people living near the sea and small islands and are also responsible for the protection of coastal infrastructure and prevention of loss of life from storms, tsunamis, floods, and erosion.

Pollution is one of the significant threats to coral reefs. When some pollutants enter the water, nutrient levels can increase, promoting the rapid growth of algae and other organisms that can smother corals. Coral reefs also are affected by leaking fuels, anti-fouling paints and coatings, and other chemicals that enter the water. Petroleum spills do not always appear to affect corals directly because the oil usually stays near the surface of the water, and much of it evaporates into the atmosphere within days. However, if an oil spill occurs while corals are spawning, the eggs and sperm can be damaged as they float near the surface before they fertilize and settle. So, in addition to compromising water quality, oil pollution can disrupt the reproductive success of corals, making them vulnerable to other types of disturbances. Increased greenhouse gases from activities like deforestation, and the burning of fossil fuels for heat and energy, cause ocean temperatures to rise, change storm patterns, and contribute to sea level rise. These changes lead to more coral bleaching events, increased storm destruction, and more.

Measure to protect coral reefs:

• Contact-free diving in the ocean with reef
• Minimize the use of fertilizers
• Proper treatment of waste before discharge
• Use environment-friendly substances underwater
• Promoting awareness among people

 

• STARTING FROM BASIC AND IMPACT TO HIGHEST

Starting from basic impact to highest the line clearly states that to improve the life under water first we should identify the basic from where the life under water is getting damaged. To answer this question first we have to answer how garbage reaches the ocean., oceans are not present in the streets, then how? we will find that plastic didn’t begin its life in the ocean it had to travel a long way to reach oceans. Plastic is the biggest threat faced by states today, plastic is so attached to our lives that if we look at our surroundings, we will find thousands of things made up of plastic and there is no doubt that plastic is very helpful to us but the improper management of plastic creates a threat to society and water bodies. Most of the time due to wind and storm the plastic goes to the sewages then sewages to rivers then rivers to oceans so it is required to control the mismanagement at a basic level that is why the heading suggested starting from basic impact to highest.

Now plastic usage and waste management differ all over the world depending upon the population &area of the country, society’s attitude towards waste management and government actions. According to the United Nations Environment Programme despite current efforts, it is estimated that 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic is currently found in our oceans, it is estimated that 1000 rivers are accountable for nearly 80% of global annual riverine plastic emissions in the ocean. Today we produce about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. The data help us to evaluate the situation and we can see the situation is getting intense day by day. The field of innovation has given various ways to use plastics that cannot be conventionally recycled best example is – MacRebur also known as the plastic road company they have built roads in over 30 countries by using plastic products that cannot be conventionally recycled that are destined for landfill or incineration and uses them as binder extenders and modifiers inroads. Innovations have helped in reducing the percentage of plastic involvement in day-to-day life Products Examples are – Reswirl toothbrush and janger.

According to the report, which has been prepared in association with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Praxis Global Alliance, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu together contribute 38 per cent to the total plastic waste that is generated in India. Plastic consumption in India has grown at a significant pace over the past five years, and so has its waste output. India produces 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste in a year, and only 30 per cent of it is recycled,” it said.

Now lets us understand with why it is said that you have to analyse the impact and results of your innovation, in India at the ghats of Banaras thousands of corpse are burned every day and due to this river gets polluted now to control it Indian government introduced a machine for burning corpses but it didn’t get success as the machines are not getting used because when machine burns the corpses nothing is left behind but in Hinduism, the remains of a corpse are put in water so as the innovation has not considered its impact and results, the innovation failed.

Similarly, if we today say that we will use paper as the alternative to plastic it will not be fruitful as the holding strength of paper is low and everything can’t be made of paper as the paper gets torn in contact with liquid. So, for finding an alternative to plastic we have to look at the properties of Plastics which are mentioned below – They are light in weight and are chemically stable, easily moulded into different shapes and sizes, good insulation and low thermal conductivity, good impact resistance and they do not rust, good transparency and wear resistance, poor dimensional stability and can be easily deformed, low processing cost. Now various countries are trying their best to find plastic alternatives which means they are working on biodegradable plastics and natural fibres.

We are aware of how innovations have helped us in decreasing the burden of producing energy from non-renewable sources of energy to renewable sources of energy, now these innovative ideas have allowed us to use the sun, wind, water, and organic material that comes from plants and animals and the heat of the earth to produce electricity and this innovation is also helping in the production of eco-friendly electricity by using plastic waste the technique is called Pyrocycling the plastic waste are burned in vacuum chamber in anaerobic condition to produce the steam which will help to generate the electrical energy effectively.     

Punishment or fine or both can be used as a tool to create fear in the minds of people regarding proper waste management and Innovation could help in it by putting surveillance on beaches, streets, roads, or any public places. Innovation shall be used to develop an app mandatory to be downloaded by everyone as many times it happens that we want to put plastic in a dustbin but as we can’t find it nearby, we throw it at any place but the app will mark the nearby dustbins so the person could dump it there. Inspiration shall be taken from the story of Indore how Indore changed its situation and now for the last 6 years, Indore continues to retain its cleanest city tag.

So plastic waste management requires people’s action and innovation shall be used to aware people of waste management that how a single plastic thrown at a road reaches the middle of oceans and how this causes internal injuries, malnutrition and blockages to marine animals and also ruins the beauty of oceans and beaches.

Innovation shall be used to develop an app by which people can directly complain to the responsible officer regarding the mismanagement of waste. Most people don’t complain due to the unavailability of an officer and it seems a complex procedure, but an app could make it easy for a person to directly complain by clicking a picture of that garbage and mentioning the area and the app will share the information to the responsible authority.

 Some cost-effective innovations shall be used to maintain the cleanliness of beaches

• Organizing cleanup competitions
• Educate local schools about waste management
• Putting clear sign boards that clearly explain waste management’s importance

 We can see clearly how the plastic problem that is starting from our houses is impacting life underwater by finally ending up in oceans so clean locality and proper management of the waste will reduce the number of plastics found underwater and this ultimately will improve life underwater.

 

Use of Modern Technology to curb the exploitation of Marine exploration by Human Beings.

There are various forms by which human beings have been abusing the water bodies for their greed, to overcome these marine exploitations many modern technologies have been developed in the world to control the reasons due to which life underwater is threatened like Global Warming, overfishing, plastic dumping, ocean acidification, oil spiling and drilling or mining and many more.

Modern technology plays a very crucial role in rejuvenating the ocean life. Now one by one we will discuss the issues and their solutions.

1. Global Warming: – It’s not a hidden fact that we are moving towards mass extinction i.e., the sixth mass extinction and as stated by E.O Wilson Harvard Biologist 30,000 species or driven to extinction per year or species per hour or the Holocene extinction and due to global warming, the marine life also facing grave danger as global warming has resulted in sea level rise, Ocean acidification and temperature increase.

Solution: –

1. a) Using Renewable Sources like Wind power, hydropower, and solar power.
2. b) Choosing Sustainable development over-exploiting nature.

2. Plastic Dumping: – It is one of the most grievous things committed by a society where plastic waste is being dumped in the ocean by a mindset that water washes everything which is an abuse of water bodies by humans. As the National Geographic report states millions of animals are killed by plastics every year from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Thousands of sea birds sea turtles, seals and others ingesting plastic are getting entangled in it. Endangered wildlife like Hawaii monk seals and Pacific loggerhead sea turtles are among 700 species that ate and became victims of plastic litter by us humans.

Solution: –

Ocean clean-up – It is also known as Artificial coastlines and is the best technology for collecting plastic from the sea.

 U-shaped barriers- main object are to gather garbage.

Mr. Trash Wheel – It can effectively capture plastic before entering the ocean. It has captured more than 1400 tons of debris from Baltimore Harbor in the US state of Mary Lands.

 Nanotechnology- For smart packaging using materials like eco-friendly paper boards.

3. Drilling or Mining: – It is an important activity that contributes to resource extraction and economic growth but there are significant negative effects on the environment such as –

• Destruction of natural landforms and wildlife they host.
• Compaction of the sea floor
• Creation of sediment plumes that disrupt aquatic life.
• Impacting species that use bioluminescence to hunt or find mates.

Potential effects respiratory distress, reduced feeding, reduced vital communication, toxicity, and buoyancy issues in aquatic animals.

Solution: – a) Using AI – By using artificial intelligence mining can be done with less harm to marine life.

4. Overfishing – The over fishing activities lead to exploitation of marine life; it is result of economic greed.

Solution: –

1. a) REM – Remote Electronic Monitoring helps in monitoring the activities of fishers and controlling illegal activities.
2. b) Global fishing watch – This technology is used to bring transparency to all the activities done by the fishers at sea.

5. Oil Spill: – It is the release of oil, petroleum, and hydrocarbon into aquatic ecosystems caused by accident.

Solution: –

There are many ways to control oil spills: –

1. a) Floating booms – Temporary floating barriers to prevent oil spills from spreading further.
2. b) Skimming – Use of various tools and equipment to physically separate oil from water and place oil into collection tanks. Skimmers are designed to float across the spill and sweep the oil into tanks. This method is used in calm waters and not in high wind.
3. c) Biological Agents – introducing bacteria to the spill to start the process of biodegradation. Fertilizing agents such as phosphorus and nitrogen are added to the coastline to encourage bacteria to grow. Bacteria break down the oil into natural compounds absorbed into the ground.

6.Ocean Acidification – Oceans are responsible for absorbing nearly 30% of CO2 produced. Hence this results in acidification of water bodies. Ocean acidification has largely resulted in the dissolution of diatomaceous earth, shells which are made of CaCO3. Ocean acidification is not just harming underwater life it is also harming organisms higher in the food chain that feed on these organisms.

Solution: –

1. a) Ebb Carbon – It is a technology that is used to remove carbon from the ocean. It combined with electrochemistry accelerates the natural process of carbon removal.
2. b) Using renewable sources of energy hence cutting down carbon production.

CONCLUSION

Given the facts provided above and the reason stated for the ocean pollution, it is evident that the measure provided in this paper should be implemented at a greater level, to achieve the SDG goals as quickly as possible. The ocean is an important component of our ecosystem and it is our responsibility to protect, conserve and restore our biodiversity. The ocean is an undiscovered reserve that has immense potential to fulfil our multidimensional requirements when used in an organized manner. Also, the overall development of human civilization can only be achieved when there is an ecological balance between the biotic and abiotic components of our environment. Awareness among individuals shall be promoted regarding the need for care and protection of nature this will help in their understanding of why nature shall be treated with great caution. Also, concerned authorities should take appropriate actions to cut down the pollution and rejuvenate the world’s oceans. We all need to take steps on an individual level and become more responsible towards the environment so that we can live in peace and harmony with nature. This is our responsibility to protect mother earth.

Cite this article as:

Karan Solanki & Kamal Nayan, “Rejuvenating The World Oceans – Strategies And Solution”, Vol.5 & Issue 5, Law Audience Journal (e-ISSN: 2581-6705), Pages 382 to 390 (20^th April 2024), available at https://www.lawaudience.com/rejuvenating-the-world-oceans-strategies-and-solution.