Thursday, June 12, 2008

A Cool Change for Our Oceans

Well I was born in the sign of water, and it's there that I feel my best
The albatross and the whales, they are my brothers
It's kind of a special feeling, when you're out on the sea alone
Starin' at the full moon...like a lover.

Guess you're right, sounds quite familiar isn't it? That's part of the lyrics of the song “Cool Change” by an Australian band during the 70s who called themselves as The Little River Band. This band was formed in Melbourne in 1975, and named after a road sign for the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong. They were the first Australian rock group to enjoy sustained commercial success in the US. The band sold more than 25 million records and scored 13 American Top 40 hits during the height of their careers.

However, I will stop bragging on the achievements of the band at this point, but rather give emphasis on what caught my attention on this lovely song, Cool Change. I like the part, “well I was born in the sign of water, and it's there that I feel my best',” the most. Quite true for me, since according to my astrological charts, Pisceans are part of the water sign, which also include Cancer and Scorpio.

Somehow, I felt it has been rather odd, why I like to be on the beach, basking on the pleasant warmth of the sun, or staring at the ocean, or walking and singing in the rain. I just love water. I mean, I need water, we all need water, and yes, I feel my best when I'm “soaked” in water.

Every year though, during the month of June, I am delighted to celebrate with other water lovers, Pisceans and not, the World Ocean Day. This is an event wherein people from around the world help keep beaches clean by volunteering their time to preserve shores and engage themselves on various coastal clean-up projects and water activities.

The concept of “World Ocean Day” was first proposed in 1992 by the government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Although not yet officially designated by the United Nations, an increasing number of countries mark June 8th as an opportunity each year to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.

Organizations such as The Ocean Project, working closely with the World Ocean Network each year, helps to coordinate events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, universities, schools, and businesses. Together with the World Ocean Network, The Ocean Project is also working to have the United Nations officially designate World Ocean Day as June 8th each year.

The World Ocean Day is a great venue to reflect on the ocean's importance in our lives, to learn more about the ocean, and to take time to do something good for our planet. It's up to each of us to help ensure that the ocean is protected and conserved for future generations through positive changes in our daily lives. Positive may be a strong word for some, however, why can't we just follow the title of the song to save our oceans, I guess it's really high time for a...cool change.

Resource: Cecill Artates is an artist, athlete and a part-time writer for a women's magazine. Her interest includes writing articles on women's health, water sports, and environmental issues.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

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