Plastic Pollution
Isabelle Roque
Water. Water is a center piece of spiritual symbolism. It is seen as purification, protection and healing. Eastern Orthodox Christianity believe that certain spring water possesses the power to heal. If water is such a vital element in our life, why is it neglected? We are choosing plastic over
water.
13 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. Plastic is cheap, access-able everywhere and can easily be thrown away. The U.S generates 37.83 million tons of single- use- plastic a year. It takes 10 - 1,000 years for plastic to break down. Plastic breaks down into micro plastic and micro plastic never leaves. Micro plastics then enter the food chain, marine animals confuse the micro plastics as food.
Disposing and littering plastic does not mean the plastic disappears. Plastic end up in landfills and can be carried to the ocean by ground water. Plastic is not decomposable so it is often burned. Burning plastic is extremely toxic and can harm our atmosphere
800 species are affected by plastic pollution. Here is a small example of what marine animals are affected by plastic per year:
Sea Turtle: 50% ingested and 36% entangled. Fish: 70% ingested. Sea Birds: 90% ingested and 25% ingested. Whales and Dolphins: 64% ingested plastic and 56% entangled. -Like humans, marine mammals can’t breath underwater. Littered plastic can clog their airways or entangle and choke them
Plastic doesn’t just affect marine animals, it also affects us. Plastic pollution disrupts the food chain. It starts off with plankton ingesting small micro plastics, which then poisons fish and crustaceans, then eaten by large fish, larger predators and humans. In the end we are basically eating our waste and ingesting micro plastics. Micro plastics contain toxic chemicals that effects our internal organs.
Although we have gone past the point of polluting our oceans, here are some steps we can take to lighten the impact of global warming and harming marine animals: 1. Banning single-use-plastic. 2. Initiate a law that will fine those who do not recycle appropriately. 3. Making trash pick up more expensive. 4. Follow what Curbitia, Brazil is doing; people are bringing their trash and recycling to specific sites on exchange for fresh produce (fruits and vegetables). 5. Get involved doing clean up at local rivers or simply pick up littered trash. 6. Set up nets in the river to capture floating debris.
Websites Richmond River Ratsthejamesriver.org ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) + VIRGINIA RIVER HEALERS (VRH) www.sedimentarts.org/eisvrh Riding the James River: A Look at Pollutionhttps://wtkr.com/2019/09/24/ridingthe-james-river-a-look-at-pollution/