By: Aditya Srinivasa
We’re drowning marine ecosystems in trash, noise, oil, and carbon emissions.An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic trash enter the ocean every year, and plastic straws make up only a very small percentage of it.
Saying no to plastic straws might feel like a conscientious effort to reduce marine litter, but this global movement does little to stem the pollution. The country of Taiwan has plans to ban plastic cups and straws by the year 2030 entirely. Even Great Britain, plans to eliminate the usage of plastic straws in a bid to fight waste.
Our oceans are threatened by three major challenges: climate change, overfishing and pollution. Plastic pollution is of growing concern, and has gained international attention from governments, media and large sections of the public, partly fuelled by last year’s BBC documentary Blue Planet II and its images of sperm whales and seabirds entangled or ingesting plastic debris. We’re familiar with the idea that we can all do something to prevent plastic ending up in the sea, such as refusing plastic straws and carrying a refillable water bottle. However, while we need to use less, we also need to produce less, and throw away less of it. This means not only individual behaviour change, but changes in industrial processes, and government policies worldwide. Local councils could set up rubbish and recycling facilities for beach goers and enforce penalties for littering and fly tipping near beaches and rivers.
The fate of our seas is not only up to the government or industry. Our individual, daily actions matter, too. You can start by reducing water pollution and runoff at home, being more mindful of your plastic consumption, or organizing a cleanup of your local waterway. You can also support the work of environmental advocacy groups as well as other businesses and organizations that work to preserve our coasts and waters.
We’re drowning marine ecosystems in trash, noise, oil, and carbon emissions.An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic trash enter the ocean every year, and plastic straws make up only a very small percentage of it.
Saying no to plastic straws might feel like a conscientious effort to reduce marine litter, but this global movement does little to stem the pollution. The country of Taiwan has plans to ban plastic cups and straws by the year 2030 entirely. Even Great Britain, plans to eliminate the usage of plastic straws in a bid to fight waste.
Our oceans are threatened by three major challenges: climate change, overfishing and pollution. Plastic pollution is of growing concern, and has gained international attention from governments, media and large sections of the public, partly fuelled by last year’s BBC documentary Blue Planet II and its images of sperm whales and seabirds entangled or ingesting plastic debris. We’re familiar with the idea that we can all do something to prevent plastic ending up in the sea, such as refusing plastic straws and carrying a refillable water bottle. However, while we need to use less, we also need to produce less, and throw away less of it. This means not only individual behaviour change, but changes in industrial processes, and government policies worldwide. Local councils could set up rubbish and recycling facilities for beach goers and enforce penalties for littering and fly tipping near beaches and rivers.
The fate of our seas is not only up to the government or industry. Our individual, daily actions matter, too. You can start by reducing water pollution and runoff at home, being more mindful of your plastic consumption, or organizing a cleanup of your local waterway. You can also support the work of environmental advocacy groups as well as other businesses and organizations that work to preserve our coasts and waters.
