Will the level of the Baltic Sea rise on 29.8.? Baltic Sea Day aims for a plunge record
Baltic Sea Day is an international celebration day initiated by the John Nurminen Foundation and celebrated annually on the last Thursday of August in the countries around the Baltic Sea. Baltic Sea Day on 29 August culminates with a plunge in the Baltic Sea or nearby waters at 6 pm. The founders of the Baltic Sea Day challenge everyone to plunge.
The catchment area of the Baltic Sea, i.e. the area where the actions of people living affect the Baltic Sea, are home to 90 million people.
“If all 90 million people took a dip in the sea, according to an unscientific calculation, the sea level would rise by less than twenty micrometres. The human impact on the sea is therefore very small, but on land our actions have a decisive impact on its well-being,” says Maija Soljanlahti, Baltic Sea Day coordinator at the John Nurminen Foundation.
According to an estimate by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ocean levels may rise from a couple of tens of centimetres to as much as half a metre by the end of the century as a result of global warming. The effects are also visible in the Baltic Sea: climate change is accelerating the biggest problems in our home sea, i.e. eutrophication and biodiversity loss.
“The sea produces a lot of well-being for us humans in the form of summer and winter swimming, for example, but despite conservation measures, our sea is not doing well. The goal of the Baltic Sea Day is both to celebrate our unique sea and to raise awareness of its condition. Each of us can take action for a healthy sea,” Soljanlahti says.
Events, deeds, and pledges for the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea Day is now celebrated for the sixth time. The anniversary established by the John Nurminen Foundation on the Baltic Sea has spread to all countries around the Baltic Sea. This year, in addition to Finland, Baltic Sea Day events can be found at least in Estonia, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Denmark.
In Finland, Baltic Sea Day is celebrated in hundreds of events, for example in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Turku, Porvoo, Oulu, Tornio, Savonlinna and Rauma. In many schools and daycare centres, the Baltic Sea Day starts with the opening of the morning and serves a Baltic Sea-friendly lunch, such as responsibly caught fish from the Baltic Sea.
In addition to events, the Baltic Sea Day can also be celebrated by making a Baltic Sea pledge or deed for the benefit of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea will benefit, for example, from changing ones diet to a more vegetable-based diet, reducing flying and private car use, and emptying the boat’s septic tank ashore.
“Many employers and organisations celebrate Baltic Sea Day at workplaces. For example, work groups go out to collect rubbish or take a dip in the sea. Some may even have a morning yoga session at the beach. Baltic Sea Day is an excellent way to engage our personnel to reflect on a responsible lifestyle and take environmentally responsible actions,” Soljanlahti says.
Take a look at the video celebrating the uniqueness and beauty of the Baltic Sea!
