Endangered Oceans
Course: WBIS 188
Section: 019
Instructor: Foss, Vivian
Oceans and the resources they harbor are under siege from both human greed and environment change. The oceans are among our last great wild places. They are without national boundaries, and they are governed by unenforceable international agreements. As a result, the oceans are subject to the insults of waste dumping, oil spills, wasteful discard of unwanted fish, and overfishing to the point of precipitous decline of the majority of species netted for human consumption. Moreover, the vastness of the oceans makes them the setting for piracy on the high seas. In addition, global warming is changing the marine environment in unpredictable ways. Are these problems ones for scientists or politicians or naval authorities? Why should we who live in the Midwest, so far from the oceans, care?
English Department Convocation
