The Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act brings together more than a dozen worthy efforts. Some are specific, such as strengthening marine mammal conservation, $5 million a year for oyster conservation, restoration and management, $12.5 million a year for harmful algal bloom forecasting, $30 million increasing annually by $5 million to $50 million for ocean acidification research, and placing a five-cent excise tax on virgin plastic in manufactured single-use products such as packaging (no tax on medical products or personal hygiene products).
More broadly, the U.S. should be party to the Law of the Sea Convention (1982). If climate had been defined as “the continuation of the oceans by other means,” instead of “the interactions of the natural system,” the Convention would have been the most powerful tool to force nations into action. With passage of this bill, we would finally be better able to negotiate international issues such as deep seabed mining, Arctic claims, high seas, and migratory fish stocks, and ocean protection.
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