John Kerry: With ‘Terrorism and … Several Wars … Why Are We Focused on the Oceans?’

Celebrating the start of National Ocean Month Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to students at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. The group he addressed included the Chesapeake Bay Regional Champions of the Ocean Science Bowl, as well as the winners of the National Science Bowl.

Perhaps sensing the students’ curiosity about his presence, Kerry posed a question near the beginning of his remarks:

But I’m sure you’re saying to yourself, “Okay, why is the Secretary of State of the United States of America, in an age where we have terrorism and we have several wars going on at the same time – why are we focused on the oceans, and what does that have to do with my life every single day?”

Kerry said that the answer is that “oceans are essential to your life”:

Well, the fact is that the oceans are essential to your life. Life on Earth wouldn’t exist without the oceans because half the oxygen that we get that we breathe is produced through the oceans. In addition to that, a massive amount of food that the world consumes, a huge amount of protein in countries all over the world, it’s a huge part of the economies of countries to produce the food that comes from the ocean.

Kerry has warned in the past that addressing climate change is vital since “there is no Planet B.” He has also blamed climate change for “violently affecting communities” around the world. The secretary has also called climate change “world’s largest weapon of mass destruction.”

Kerry took questions from the students after his talk. He told the students: “I’m happy to answer any questions that anybody has on any topic. It doesn’t have to be on the ocean, though I would love it if it were.”

All four of the students’ questions were about the ocean.

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