Human Interaction and Vision

The previous chapter treated the need to work together; now, we look at the growth in population and change in living conditions over the past centuries. Before 1800, the global population was less than a billion, whereas today it is about 8 billion and still growing. Coastal regions have been extensively explored and are becoming home to large and growing populations. Will global civilization collapse as people work disparately in various directions without addressing how to achieve healthy and sustainable coordinated management of the ocean? The ocean reminds us that we need a shared vision if we are to cooperate to improve living conditions for all. The UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 articulate such a vision, one that could help us develop a much better relationship with the ocean.