Eco-Tourism and Corporate Responsibility
At The Zanzibar Dive Centre One Ocean we pride ourselves on being a responsible and environmentally friendly dive operation. We understand our role in the community and strive to educate our staff and clients on the value of preserving and respecting our surrounding environment on land, in the sea and all living beings that reside within them.
Our staff are trained to the highest standards and fully understand the need to protect the environment around us. Especially when it comes to diving and snorkelling, as it is a new environment for so many, the need to pass on our knowledge and educate is paramount.
We are now extremely proud to announce our partnership with Carbon Tanzania with aim of offsetting both our own and our customers’ carbon footprint. One Ocean will be contributing to this great cause and we will ask our customers to donate minimum $1 to help offset their emissions. The need to take action against climate change has never been more urgent and we as a dive centre believe in playing our part.
To date carbontanzania have managed to use offset payments to:
- pay over $100,000 to forest communities
- 20 secondary school children receiving an education
- Monthly salaries paid to 35 community scouts
- 124 students educated in forest conservation
- 48 guides trained in forest education health care provided to 1300 community members
In conjunction with carbon Tanzania, The Zanzibar Dive Centre One Ocean hopes to inspire our clients to consider the impact of our actions and make a choice to try and help eradicate them. By donating to these wonderful causes, we can be safe in the knowledge that we are playing our part to help conserve our beautiful planet. For more information on the great work being done visit our partners http://www.carbontanzania.com/ or follow the link on our website.
“The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives.”
Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal.- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is very likely human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years. Earth-orbiting satellites and other technological advances have enabled scientists to see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate on a global scale. This body of data, collected over many years, reveals the signals of a changing climate. The heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th century. Their ability to affect the transfer of infrared energy through the atmosphere is the scientific basis of many instruments flown by NASA. There is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response. Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the Earth’s climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas levels. They also show that in the past, large changes in climate have happened very quickly, geologically-speaking: in tens of years, not in millions or even thousands.”
How this affects us as divers and ambassadors for the ocean
Ocean acidification
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30 percent. This increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and hence more being absorbed into the oceans. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year.
Sea level rise
Global sea level rose about 17 centimetres (6.7 inches) in the last century. The rate in the last decade, however, is nearly double that of the last century.
Warming oceans
The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.
Ref: http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
Please join us in making a change to ensure the wellbeing of our planet.
One of the local organisations we work with is the Zanzibar Animal Appreciation Society ZAASO http://www.zaaso.net/ who aim to provide the community with education on animal rights. In rural areas in Zanzibar and in most rural areas around the world animals are used to assist with the daily work load. Some of ZAASO goals are to provide education awareness encouraging the affection and love of animals. They have different clinics to help and support the local community with the welfare of the animals. One of their clinics is their donkey clinic where they take to the road within the Stone Town area to assist locals with welfare and animal management. One Ocean has recently had a great day out diving with local residents to raise well needed funds for this project. We hope to have many more fun days out and raise money for many of our wonderful local charities. Keep an eye on our site and Facebook for upcoming events to raise awareness and funds and have a great time while doing so.