It is called Earth but its surface is made of water. If we were astronauts and looked towards the Earth we would see an almost perfect blue globe with green inlays. The outer part of our planet it is covered for over 70% by seas and oceans, a sort of connective tissue that connects the continents to each other, an image that shows how fundamental water is for terrestrial life.
Oceans and seas are an essential heritage for man's life on Earth, they host an enormous quantity of life forms, they influence the climate, they have fundamental sources of food and they produce economic wealth and well-being. To draw the attention of public opinion on the importance of safeguarding their state of health, World Oceans Day was established. To propose the World Oceans Day was the Canadian government in 1992 at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. In 2008 the anniversary was recognized by the United Nations.
To talk about this circumstance and the state of our seas we meet Rosalba Giugni, the president of Marevivo, a non-profit organization that has been dealing with the marine environment since 1985. Their headquarters is on a boat anchored on the Tiber near the historic center of Rome, the meeting gives us the opportunity to see the river up close and glimpses of the city from an unusual and suggestive perspective. The quays of the Tiber are a little-lived place, almost extraneous to daily life, and when you happen to go there you feel the sensation of being in an out of the ordinary place.
We cross the boat and reach the president. She and her collaborators are busy, they are organizing World Oceans Day “Blue in the Plural. Conversations above and below the sea, a live stream of over three hours to talk about the importance of the sea and the conservation of its ecosystems with representatives of institutions, scientists, stakeholders and influential personalities sensitive to environmental issues. 150 minutes of live coverage with over twenty guests to talk about the sea and climate change, protection of biodiversity and pollution. The full programme on the site. But here's the interview.
President, why a day dedicated to the oceans?
“Because the oceans are the blue lung of the Earth and therefore dedicating a day to it seems to me that it is only right. I like to say that the great sea, the oceans are mother sea. If we look at our planet, 71% of the surface is covered by water. If we think of the mists of time. Where was life born? Right in the sea. So the first cell was born there, divided, multiplied and invaded the entire planet, becoming plants, flowers, birds, insects, men. All life is born from this wonderful amniotic fluid. A bit like from a mother's womb. On other planets we look for water, it is the first thing we look for, if there is no water there is no life. Now this wonderful gift that we have had, because we were born on Earth and thanks to water, we are destroying it among waste of all kinds, from oil to chemicals, to plastics. We are plundering this mother and we are not allowing the sea to exercise its fundamental role which is that of producing more than 50% of oxygen, of absorbing a third of the carbon dioxide and let us remember, this is a crazy figure that is not taken into consideration 98% of the areas inhabited by life are in the sea, an extraordinary thing. So Oceans Day is important because it must remind us that this amniotic fluid, this living being, is essential to be in good health for man to be able to live on this planet".
What are the biggest problems related to the sea?
“Climate change certainly takes first place because it is totally altering a fragile balance of temperatures, currents and ice. Besides all the sea absorbs carbon dioxide. Since the industrial revolution, this carbon dioxide has been absorbed by the sea which has become acidified. The oceans have changed the pH with unimaginable consequences. In second place is overfishing. We are robbing the sea of all its living beings which are indispensable for the sea to play its role. From large animals, sharks which are at the apex of the trophic chain, to shrimps, poseidonia and even tiny beings that we still don't know because we have not yet cataloged all the beings that live in the sea. Third point is pollution. We have pollution that comes mainly from rivers. We have to think that rivers are the arteries of our planet, before they transported life now they collect the waste of our consumer society, they collect pollution, plastics, they collect anything that we throw into the river, then the river takes it away and we see things like what is happening today in Rome. Our arteries that were strong and full of wonderful resources now carry all of this. Marevivo has been campaigning for rivers for years, to reclaim them, not to cement them, to make them as natural as possible and above all to put barriers at the mouth to collect plastics before they reach the sea because then taking them back to the sea is a utopia because plastics they sink. What we see is only 15%, 85% is under the sea”.
Which are then swallowed by the fish and then by the men who eat the fish.
“But the scary thing is that we have found them in salt which is a food that we all use. We are part of an ecosystem. Pope Francis said very well, we thought we could be healthy in a sick world but we are the ones who have made the world sick. We have to resort to remedies”.
Lhe recovery envisages huge investments, but also cuts: with what effects on the environment?
“This is the great danger. When I heard that the Messina bridge is one of the emergencies, we didn't realize that we still didn't understand. With the environmental emergencies that we have and that we have to face… The point is that we have to find a balance between the various things, but the environment takes first place in terms of sustainability. There is the environment, then social relations and then the economy, but if the environment doesn't work, everything collapses. We talk a lot about sustainability and the environment, now we will see the document that will come out (for the phase 2 relaunch) on how to invest the money, let's try to invest it in the right way to really make a 360° change. Italy could become totally independent from an energy point of view because we have the sun, the sea, the wind, the rivers, the volcanoes, we are immersed in energy. If there was an extra push we could make a great transformation. It is a question of having enlightened politicians who are not watching the chair. We have to carry our country forward, our people, we can also be an example in the world because we are creative and full of inventiveness”.
Yours is a privileged point of view for many years, a great experience. Have you noticed a growing awareness of environmental issues among ordinary people and politicians?
“There is definitely more consciousness and awareness among the people. Marevivo has carried out many activities in schools, a lot of dissemination, we have carried out international campaigns, all of this has created greater awareness. We were the first to go clean the beaches in Italy. On the other hand, from a regulatory and political point of view, with the coronavirus we have taken a step back ten years. We are moving towards a frenzied use of disposable plastic items and this is causing a wave of plastic waste. See masks, gloves, containers, etc. By now plastic free seems like an ancient thing. See that metal Marevivo water bottle? (indicates a water bottle kept in a display case, ed) was blessed by Pope Francis two years ago. By now they look like archaeological objects”.
We are moving towards the conclusion. Tourism in Italy is also a large portion of GDP, about 14%, enormous figures. The sea is one of the most popular destinations and with the most presences. Now with the post coronavirus it is one of the sectors that will be most affected.
In your opinion, what should be done to keep the economic recovery of tourism and environmental protection together?
“I am of the opinion that we have a very delicate country and we must push towards tourism that is increasingly quality rather than quantity. Excessive tourism destroys heritage. We should make the limited number in Venice, Florence, Rome and have the continuity of tourism not only in the summer but throughout the year. We should do big cultural events which are what attract people who want to better understand our culture. This everywhere, from the islands, to the cities, to the mountains, to the sea, we should be the country that produces cultural events all year round and attract that type of tourism there, not the hit and run one”.
Safeguarding and protecting the environment are the result of gigantic political choices, but they are also the product of many small daily gestures of each of us. One concrete thing to do on June 8 to celebrate World Oceans Day?
“Saving, saving water, saving energy, also saving the objects you use. Then it is absolutely necessary to produce as little waste as possible, to be more careful. Maybe for that day don't use disposable plastic. It could be a commitment to make for that anniversary. However, everyone must do their part because we cannot always think that it must be the others. We can influence politicians if we are united, but we must be the first to act”.
