In June We Are Planting Sea Trees!
June 8th is World Oceans Day
The oceans play a key role in regulating the climate, they are the source of all life on Earth- and right now they are not doing well.
What are the consequences? Increasing ocean temperature is contributing to sea level rise, ocean heat waves and coral bleaching, and melting of ocean-terminating glaciers and ice sheets around Greenland and Antarctica.
On top of that, we know the damages caused by plastic pollution on oceans ecosystems. The equivalent of a garbage truck of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean every minute, poisoning marine creatures and threatening our health.
What Can We All Do To Heal The Ocean?
If you're reading this blog post, you've probably already started reducing plastic waste at home (which is awesome, thank you!) If you're looking for more ideas, check out our Plastic Free Challenges.
Since 2019, Fillgood has been a certified California Green Business which means that we have a global approach and we try to reduce our footprint as a whole. This includes offsetting our carbon emissions, which means neutralizing our carbon footprint (from deliveries to the electricity consumed in the store) by investing in an organization or project that is working to either actively take carbon out of the air (like planting trees) or by preventing further emissions from being released (like building wind turbines or capture methane emissions from farms).
We want to take a step further and offset your emissions too! In June, in honor of World Oceans Day, we will plant trees on your behalf each time you order from us, to remove even more CO2 from the atmosphere. With this goal in mind, we have partnered with SeaTrees, an amazing local non-profit on a mission to plant 1 million sea trees.
In June, We Will Plant Mangrove Trees In Indonesia And Help Restore California Kelp Forests.
SeaTrees supports blue carbon projects that regenerate coastal ecosystems, by drawing carbon from the air, increasing biodiversity, creating jobs and sustainable communities. They work with these communities to "reforest the ocean" and reverse climate change.
One of the reasons why we chose to partner with SeaTrees is because they are supporting the 17 United Nations / Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to transform our world for GOOD by 2030.
For each order placed during the entire month of June, we will make a donation on your behalf to 2 specific Sea Trees projects.
Mangroves restoration on Biak Island, Indonesia
Indonesia is being hit hard by plastic pollution, so it makes a lot sense to us to help this particular project.
This project restores and protects 1,000 hectares of highly degraded mangrove forest. Biak Island's mangrove estuaries are 75% deforested. The project employs local villagers to plant a diverse mix of mangrove species, creating both jobs and healthy ecosystems.
Biak Island is located in the center of the Coral Triangle. The reefs around Biak have some of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet.
Problem: Poverty at the village level results in deforestation and further cycles of impoverishment.
Solution: Employ village residents to restore ecosystems and build resilient, sustainable communities.
Impact: Jobs enable people to provide food, healthcare and education to their families. Government agreements ensure permanent local control of restoration sites. Healthy mangrove forests sequester CO2 and support local marine ecosystems.
Each mangrove tree planted sequesters approximately 680 lbs [308kg] of C02 over its lifetime. They can be 5x more effective than a rainforest at removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Kelp forests regeneration in Palos Verdes, California
We are based in California, which is why we are excited to support this local project.
Did you know that California has lost 90% of its kelp forests in the last 10 years? Caused by the proliferation of purple sea urchins, as their predators disappear from human impacts and climate change.
Clearing "urchin barrens" allows rapidly growing kelp to make a healthy kelp forest in a few months. This creates habitats for marine life and sequesters carbon dioxide.
The "sequoias of the sea": kelp grows 2 feet per day and kelp forests provide habitat and food for over 700 species of algae, invertebrates, and fish. Moreover, the latest science shows that kelp forests can sequester more carbon than mangrove forests, so restoring kelp is critical to solving climate change.
Learn more about the kelp forests regeneration project here.
Offset Your Annual Carbon Footprint
Next time you take a plane or look for the perfect eco-friendly gift, check out SeaTrees website. Thanks to them, you can offset your annual carbon emissions by making a donation to one of their projects. In addition to the mangroves restoration and kelp forests regeneration, they are also involved in Cambodia rainforest protection, and more projects are coming soon.
With this simple action, we can all help keep our ocean beautiful and full of life for future generations.
