Renowned environmentalist Albert Bates provides children with an educational and engaging look at the interdependent relationship between the oceans and ourselves and what is needed to protect the ocean?s ecosystems. They gain an understanding of the ocean?s biodiversity and learn how human activities have resulted in significant changes in ocean temperature, oxygen levels, acidity, ice, sea levels, and sea life populations. Clear explanations show how this will have a consequential effect not just on the oceans themselves but humans on land as well. On an encouraging note, Bates explains that these dangerous trends can be stopped if the right measures are taken, such as blue carbon initiatives to prohibit deep-sea mining, replanting mangroves, protecting salt marshes and seagrasses, curtailing cruise ships and trawlers, and restoring coral reefs. The benefits from these actions often have a multiplier effect, and kids are shown that it is more cost-effective and financially rewarding to do them soon rather than later.
Albert Bates is a scientific researcher and n influential figure in the intentional community and ecovillage movements. He has taught courses in sustainable design, natural building, permaculture, and technologies of the future to students from more than 50 countries. A groundbreaking author on climate change, he has written over a dozen books on climate, history, and ecology. His 1990 title, Climate in Crisis (with a forward by then-senator Al Gore), was one of the first books on climate change. He is also the author of Taming Plastic (2020), Transforming Plastic (2019) and Carbon Cascades (2019).