From a climate point of view, protecting the oceans is like building solar panels and taking cars off the road. 

Climate change conjures images of traffic-choked cities and power station chimneys, or bedraggled polar bears and oil spills.

But we often forget about the enormous power of natural systems like oceans that help keep the climate stable – and that means we don’t look after them as well as we should. 

Whether we choose to protect or plunder the oceans will go a long way to deciding how climate change plays out, so let’s dive in and find out how it’s all connected.

Many of us are motivated to protect the oceans because we care about whales, turtles, dolphins and other wildlife – and of course that’s a good enough reason by itself – but knowing how much the oceans do to keep our climate stable makes this work we’re doing together even more important.

Like nearly everything to do with the environment, the story of oceans and climate change is full of connections and overlaps but the moral of the story is clear. To protect the oceans, we need to tackle climate change. And to tackle climate change, we need to protect the oceans.

Read the full article here via Greenpeace.

This is how the oceans can be used to help fight climate change

Don’t overlook the power of the oceans to help combat climate change. That is the message of a group of scientists who believe that the world’s oceans are too often viewed as victims of climate change – for example, rising sea levels or damaged coral reefs – rather than recognized as part of the solution.

Here are four ways the scientists believe the ocean’s potential should be included in policies to tackle climate change, according to research they published in the journal Conservation Letters.

1. A focus on renewable energy

2. Sustainable transport

3. Food security

4. Restoring habitats