WORLD OCEANS DAY – 8 June
Zarthushtis, from the ancient Indo-Iranian times, respect and care for the elements of nature: air, water, earth, sky and fire. They revere the sun as a source of energy.
In keeping with the environmental emphasis of our faith tradition, FEZANA is sending a delegation to participate in the “Ocean Conference” at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5th to 9th June 2016.
For more information on the Ocean Conference, at the United Nations, please visit: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/oceanconference/
World Oceans Day is 8 June: http://www.worldoceansday.org/
Friends of FEZANA, who wish to engage with the FEZANA UN-NGO committee in celebrating our faith based traditions, as part of a larger fabric of civil society, can connect with:
Afreed Mistry mistry(dot)afreed (at) gmail (dot) com or Behram Pastakia bpastakia (at) aol (dot) com
“FEZANA supports Sustainable Goal Number 14 of the United Nations”
The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. How we manage this vital resource is essential for humanity as a whole, and to counter balance the effects of climate change.
Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, today we are seeing 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks overexploited, reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.
Oceans also absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by humans, and we are seeing a 26 percent rise in ocean acidification since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Marine pollution, an overwhelming majority of which comes from land-based sources, is reaching alarming levels, with an average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter to be found on every square kilometre of ocean.
The SDGs aim to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems from pollution, as well as address the impacts of ocean acidification. Enhancing conservation and the sustainable use of ocean-based resources through international law will also help mitigate some of the challenges facing our oceans.
