The sun is shining here on Vancouver Island’s west coast and I cannot wait to be in the ocean later today for some surf time.

Today is World Ocean’s Day, first proposed in 1992 by renowned Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Whether you live beside an ocean or not, this incredible water body that encases our planet affects all our lives. The oceans are the lungs of our planet, purifying our environment, and providing us with so many benefits, including food, oxygen, artistic inspiration, relaxation and the ability to slow down and take the vastness of life in.

But the effects of industrial fishing, pollution and climate change pose constant and increasing threats to coastal and marine environments and wildlife.

Take a little bit of time today, to mourn the tragedy of the Gulf Oil Spill, to hope that we will be able to somehow mitigate the damage that it will cause and continue to cause for many many years, and yet somehow see if you can tune into the resilience and regenerative ability of nature.

We humans have been around for such a short while in geological time, yet we have managed to turn nature inside out. The good news is, that by becoming aware of what we can do to create a positive impact on our planet, we do stand a chance.