Save the Whale!
Whales are so crucial to the environment.
“The carbon capture potential of whales is truly startling,” said the report.
Whales accumulate carbon in their bodies during their long lives, some up to 200 years. When they pass, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, taking the carbon with them. According to the study, each great whale sequesters around 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide on average. A tree during the same period only contributes to 3 percent of the carbon absorption of the whale.
Where there are whales, there are phytoplankton. These tiny creatures produce every second breath we take by contributing to at least 50 percent of all the oxygen in our atmosphere. They also capture about 37 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, or four Amazon forests’ worth. Whale poop has a multiplier effect on phytoplankton as it contains iron and nitrogen, the elements phytoplankton need to grow; so, the more whales, the more oxygen.
“The findings of the International Monetary Fund report clearly show the amazing connections between some of the smallest and largest examples of life on our planet—and the importance of understanding these complex relationships not only for their intrinsic value but for the vital role nature plays in keeping us alive too,” said Doreen Robinson, a wildlife expert at the UN Environment Programme.
Whale populations are today a smidgen of what they once were. Some species, like the blue whale, are only 3 percent of what they used to be. Biologists estimate that there are slightly more than 1.3 million whales in the ocean, a quarter of their pre-whaling number of 4 to 5 million. We must reduce the many dangers to whales in our seas to preserve and protect whale populations.
Here at Equicork, we are committed to helping the environment wherever possible. Each year we will be donating to different well, deserving charities.
One well-deserving charity is Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Their goals are to stop whaling, end the cruelty of whales and dolphins in captivity, and stop them from being killed by plastic pollution and entanglement in fishing gear which makes up 48% of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Find out more about this wonderful charity here. https://uk.whales.org/