College undergraduates, professional mariners, scientists and professors from Sea Education Association (SEA), an off-campus study organization dedicated to ocean stewardship and education, will be far out on the Atlantic Ocean tomorrow taking action for 350. Here is how they describe their action…
On October 24th the ships and their crews, will both be nearly 1,000 nautical miles from shore. On this day, in the most remote parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, we will put our faith in the winds, the sails, and our hard earned navigational skills in order to sail a course spelling out 3_5_0. We will set aside an entire day and night from our scientific investigations in order to make our 3_5_0 course as large as possible. Our hope is to cover an area 10nm wide and 35nm long, thus creating a sign that is 350nm2! Throughout the day and night we will document the event with digital photos and video and upload everything to the 350 website when we reach port.
Though our action on October 24th will be experienced only by those onboard or witnessed via remote satellite tracking, our message hopes to symbolize the far reaching effects of increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. From the top of Mauna Loa, home to Keeling’s Curve, to the depths of the sea where ocean acidification threatens the delicate balance of marine food webs; all ecosystems and all peoples of our planet face the threat of anthropogenic global climate change. Though we will be as far removed from the rest of society as can be imagined, our action will demonstrate that we are literally all in the same boat; and whether we sink, swim, or fly in the years to come it is up to all of us to find a common way forward and take responsibility for the changes we need to make for our planet.