Conservation

Translation by Steve Kraybill

 

The Bahía Lomas wetland in Tierra del Fuego spent 16 years waiting to be protected under Chilean law, from 2004 when a part of it was named a wetland of international importance, until it was finally declared an official nature sanctuary on April 16th. Today, two wetlands of Chiloé are enduring a similar long, official wait to be protected under this legal designation.

 

 

Translation by Taylor Ffitch and George Chambers

 

The oceans play a vital role in the regulation of the atmosphere, the temperature, and the existence of live on our planet. It's no accident, given that the oceans cover 70% of the surface of the Earth. For us humans, the immensity of the marine universe has been a source of inspiration, theories, and above all, food, for millennia. Yet, we are indebted to our aquatic home. According to the United Nations, approximately 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, ravaging wildlife, fishing, and tourism. Contamination from plastics are costing the lives of a million marine birds and 100,000 marine mammals a year. Plastic costs 8 billion dollars a year in damages to the marine ecosystem every year. More than 70% of life on Earth is found in marine waters, but just 1 percent of the ocean's surface is protected. In the year 2025, there will be an estimated 1 kilo of plastic for every 3 kilos of fish in the ocean.