[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 87 (Thursday, June 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1066]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            WORLD OCEAN DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 9, 2010

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, World Ocean Day has been 
acknowledged annually around the world since 1992. Officially 
celebrated by the United Nations for the first time in 2009, World 
Ocean Day this year falls on June 8. This serves as an opportunity to 
recognize all that the oceans have given us, to acknowledge the crucial 
role the oceans play in our survival as a species and society, and to 
affirm our intent to ensure the oceans themselves survive.
  A source for food, recreation, scientific and educational 
opportunities, the oceans are a fundamental building block of our 
society. Human beings have depended upon the waters for their 
livelihoods since the earliest days. Our forefathers crossed and fished 
them in generally the same manner that we do today. It's a testament to 
the fortitude of the oceans that they can persist when our technology 
and cultures have changed so much. That resiliency, however, is far 
from infinite. Should the oceans become no longer able to sustain life, 
we would very quickly feel the consequences.
  The oceans are also often the beginning and end of discussions on 
``the environment.'' Home to so many natural wonders and inherent 
beauty, the world's oceans are justifiably precious. And as such an 
integral element in global climate change, the oceans are a primary 
concern for environmentalists and nature-lovers alike. They deserve and 
need our absolute devotion.
  Because of all we have taken from them and because we are the only 
ones with the capacity to do so, human beings are the de facto 
caretakers of the oceans. With that responsibility, we must protect 
them and ensure their viability. The oceans have been subjected to so 
much--acidification, global warming, pollution. We must make sure the 
oceans can contribute to our grandchildren's grandchildren as they've 
done for us and our ancestors.
  We have been shown by recent events how fragile and delicate our 
oceans truly are and how quickly devastation can set in. We can see how 
much we still don't know about these bodies that make up the vast 
majority of our planet. Let us take World Ocean Day to enjoy the beauty 
of the innumerable mysteries hidden only in the deeps and make sure we 
do our part to look after them. By so doing, we act on behalf of the 
future of Earth.

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