Simple, really

Saving our oceans is a huge undertaking. We're talking years and years of overfishing, polluting, generally doing a nasty disservice to something so incredibly vital to the health of our planet. But today I'm going to give you two very simple things that you can easily do that will go a long way to saving our precious oceans.

#1 - QUITE USING PLASTIC BAGS - Buy yourself a package of Envirosax and keep one in your purse, a couple in your car, and one or two next to the door you usually leave from.  You can order them online, or buy them individually from Target in a multitude of colors and patterns. They are incredibly strong. You cannot carry too much in these bags! We use them for groceries (although we have other fabric bags just for the grocery), for the farmer's markets, shopping for clothes, going into just about anywhere where you would need a plastic bag. They are very light and roll right up into a little ball that fits right in your purse, backpack, or briefcase. They also make great gifts.

You cannot believe the number of bags clinging to trees and bushes in Maui - blowing in the wind and just waiting to choke a sea creature. Seriously. It doesn't take much energy to quit using plastic bags. Just say no thanks, I have my own.

#2 USE LESS FERTILIZER - Excess fertilizer usually ends up in the ocean. Even if you live in the middle of the country the fertilizer you use runs off into streams and rivers - ending up in the oceans. The result is Dead Zones, areas with low levels of oxygen in the water. One is the size of New Jersey in the Gulf of Mexico that blooms each spring and summer. Marine animals need oxygen to live - thus causing them to leave the area or die. Use fertilizer sparingly, if at all, and better yet, find an organic way to fertilize your yard. Amy, of Miscellany, did a wonderful post on a natural way of dealing with pests on your plants. Having owned a retail nursery, she tells the story of listening to a new way of using sea weed to naturally increase the health of plants.

These are two very easy things everyone can do that will make a huge difference in the health of our oceans, and our planet in general. We need to make a difference right now. We just can't wait any longer.

It's simple, really.