On the same day it was revealed that 41% of the world’s oceans have been ‘heavily-affected’ by human activity (see map here), actor/activist Ted Danson spoke to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. calling for better practices to protect the world’s oceans from overfishing and mercury contamination.

A founder and long-time board member for the organization Oceana, Danson passionately urged change saying, “This is not about saving fish from the goodness of our hearts or taking care of our oceans because we want to be thought of as environmental. It is economic. It is moral, and it is public health.”

As we’ve suspected, Danson touched upon the frustrations of public opinion focusing too much on global warming and not enough on the health of the ocean ecosystem. He said both equally deserve the spotlight. From the article,

“‘I guess it’s really tough to get people to focus on this great big, beautiful, gorgeous ocean,” said Danson when discussing media coverage of ocean contamination and the public’s awareness of the issue.”

Oceana recently became a partner in Discovery Channel’s Planet Green Network. Since 2001, they’ve won over fifteen major victories for the oceans — including the protection of one million square miles of ocean habitat. For more information on the org, or how you can help, check out their official site.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Stephen J. Boitano

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About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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