By James Cave, Source: Huffington Post
Every single living thing on Earth is connected to the ocean. Even you, World’s Driest Place, The Atacama Desert! And every year for World Oceans Day, on June 8, we get to profess our love for the 332.5 million cubic miles of our planet that’s made of water. Unfortunately, we’re all guilty of hurting the ocean, if just a little bit, in ways that might be surprising. Here are eight of them, followed by tips to help us right our wrongful ways.

1. Driving
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Each time you drive, your car’s carbon emissions spread into the atmosphere and the oceans absorb a quarter of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions annually. Here’s another way of putting it: As atmospheric carbon dioxide rises, so it does in the ocean. This is bad, because lower pH levels make it hard for shelled organisms, such as clams, oysters, corals and some plankton, to live. When these backbones of the ocean die, the repercussions carry throughout the whole ecosystem (if coral reefs are unable to recover from, say, pounding storms, it would affect the million-or-so species that depend on them). Add that to present estimates of future carbon dioxide levels indicating the ocean could be nearly 150 percent more acidic by the 2100s.

What you should do about it: Change your commute by biking or carpooling — or take inspiration from some of the most adventurous commuters ever.

2. Buying seafood obliviously
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Turns out there aren’t as many fish in the sea as the broken-hearted might hope. Overfishing, largely due to unsustainable practices by commercial fishing, combined with the collapse of reef systems, could lead to the demise of all the world’s fisheries by 2048. And buying fish from places without regard for their sources lends to this trend — especially if you eat shrimp (most of which is trawl-caught, meaning that up to 15 pounds of unintended wildlife are caught for every one pound of shrimp).

What you should do about it: Use the National Geographic seafood selector, or these pocket guides from Seafood Watch that tell you which fish are more sustainable to eat, and purchase the safe fish from your farmers market. Ask your local store’s fishmonger about its fishing practices. You can also use the Marine Stewardship Council’s database of sustainable places to dine or buy your fish.

3. Growing flowers
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Even something as delightful as your rose garden can be bad for the ocean. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 75 million pounds of synthetic chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides are put on our crops and gardens every year. The extra nutrients run off into creeks, streams, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Algae dies and decomposes, sucking the oxygen out of the water and creating “dead zones.” Fish also ingest the chemicals, which make them sick. We eat those fish, and we get sick. It’s nature’s irony.

What you should do about it: Keep your garden as organic as possible.

4. Ordering take-out
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See the rest at: Huffington Post