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Activists to hike 5,000km to raise awareness about health of Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world. With the aim of raising public awareness of its state, a group from Lithuania will walk more than 5000km across 250 days.

Starting from March 11th, a team of scientists, activists, and volunteers from Lithuania will hike through eight countries over 250 days to raise awareness about the poor health of the Baltic Sea.

The ultimate goal of the 5,469km hike is to encourage governments, organisations, and everyday people to take action to preserve its waters, while working to restore its marine ecosystems before they are diminished completely.

The sea is known to face ‘critical challenges’ brought on by both human-induced climate change as well as pollution, overfishing, land use, and resource extraction – all of which negatively affect water quality and health of marine life.

Up until now, research has shown that a slowly growing number of conservation efforts have resulted in ‘little to no’ improvements in the sea between the years 2016 and 2021.

What is the goal of this ambitious expedition?

Although a hike of this length may seem like it makes enough of a statement on its own, the goal of the activists is to leave an influential and lasting impact on the public.

To do so, a series of educational events will be opened up to the public throughout the hike. These events will include living labs, open discussions, numerous lectures, as well as seminars – all of which will be led by local organisations and leading scientists.

The hope is that those in attendance will garner a greater understanding about the dire state of the Baltic and its ecosystems, as well as how human activity is contributing to their decline.

Educational tips on how to change lifestyle behaviours and a list of community organisations will be included.

 

Why is The Baltic Sea such a concern?

The Baltic Sea is one of the top five most polluted seas in the world.

It has limited connection to larger, nearby oceans, making water renewal an extremely slow process. For this reason, pollutants remain trapped in the sea for long periods – ultimately poisoning plant and animal life living within.

Amongst the chemicals present are chlorinated compounds originating from cellulose manufacturing and paper mills off the coast of Sweden and Finland.

Though these made their way into the Baltic during the 1980s, poor water circulation means they remain present in waters even today.

An excess of nitrogen and phosphorus results in ‘dead zones’ where there is no oxygen available for life to survive.

Runoff water from the agricultural industry, factories, and household water supplies have also been emptied into the Baltic, making it toxic with pesticides and pharmaceutical chemicals.

It’s clear that the Baltic is in need of some serious love and care. Hopefully the activists’ impressive dedication to raising awareness with help accomplish that goal.

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