International Day of Pink

The International Day of Pink

by Sophia Liu (804) & Elaine Xu (802)

April 13th marks International Day of Pink 2022. If you’re wondering, no, this day is not the same as Pink Shirt Day (Anti-Bullying Day). While the two days both focus on getting rid of bullying, the International Day of Pink is more specifically aimed toward anti2SLGBTQIA+ bullying, especially within schools. This day utilizes the colour pink to go against homophobia, discrimination, transphobia and transmisogyny; everybody globally is welcome to help celebrate diversity by wearing a pink shirt on April 13th.

The origin story of this celebration is quite similar to Pink Shirt Day. On an ordinary day in 2007, two Canadian high school students witnessed a fellow gay student being teased for wearing a pink shirt due to the association of pink with feminine things. The two students, David Shepard and Travis Price, then each purchased dozens of pink shirts, distributed them to their classmates and wore them to school the next day. The word got out online and hundreds of students showed up to school dressed in pink to stand against bullying. These acts of allyship then led to the creation of the Canadian Centre of Gender and Sexual Diversity.

The International Day of Pink is significant, especially in recent times. Many transgender students in Hamilton have stated that they aren’t getting enough support from their schools and that they feel unsafe. There are thousands of 2SLGBTQIA+ students in our city, some out and not out, who don’t have any support with their decisions. Alex, a grade 8 student in Hamilton, expressed that teachers are constantly messing up their gender and using their former names. When students make these mistakes, they get punished; however, teachers seem to be let off when they make a mistake. Alex believes that being misgendered or called the wrong name seriously impacts their mental health. They said, “It made me not like school and not want to go there.” Without naming the school, it is located only 5.5km away from HSC.

Although we’re unable to fully understand or relate to the injustices and discrimination they may face, we can still attempt to educate ourselves and others about this important issue. These are some statements from students who are part of HSC’s Middle School Inclusivity+ Club:

“Pink shirt day was an awesome way to bring awareness to 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. I am glad that we are being represented more, and that the school is making an effort to show us that we matter and belong. We still have a long way to go, but progress should be celebrated.”

“Pink shirt day is a great and easy way you can show your support for people who are under the LGBTQIA2S+ umbrella. It's different from the pink shirt day most of us are used to because it's specifically for anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, but it's just as easy to take part in!”

You may be unsure about how you can help, so here are some ideas to get you started. You can ask people for their pronouns, try to educate yourself about this topic, wear a pink shirt on April 13th, show some empathy, and be an upstander if you see any bullying/discrimination. Don’t worry if you accidentally use the wrong pronouns. Just apologize and aim not to make the same mistake next time.

Transgender student says teachers keep using wrong pronouns and name, and wants more done about it | CBC News

Transgender students say Hamilton schools need to do more to protect and support them | CBC News

International Day of Pink (April 13th, 2022)

Today is the International Day of Pink

Rosy Sunset photos by Isuri Fernando, 804

The plastic problem just got a whole lot bigger.

Or, in a way, smaller...

by Gavin Lee & Kingston Harmon, 802

What is a microplastic?

Everyone knows about the plastic problem, but not everyone knows about the microplastic problem, arguably, the greater of the two. Microplastics cover the earth, from the deepest corner of our oceans to the highest mountain peaks, and now, even our bodies.

Microplastics are minuscule plastic particulate smaller than 5 millimetres, although they can be as small as (2.53 ± 0.85) μm, meaning you’d need a microscope to see it (microplastics are smaller than a sesame seed, if for some reason that’s the kind of stuff you’d remember). They occur when plastics degrade or break up, and are so dangerous and problematic for a simple reason; they’re tiny.

Their minuscule size allows them to travel far and wide, into the stomachs and bloodstreams of marine animals, and into every nook and cranny of our world as they move up the food chain—and now, into us.

There are presently well over 40 trillion microplastics in the world, and oceanographers estimate that there are now between 150 and 500,000 tonnes of these microplastics in the oceans.

There are two categories of microplastics; primary and secondary. Primary microplastics come directly in the size they are made in and originate in commercial and industrial usage, such as cosmetics, in addition to microfibers (tiny, tube-like plastics) that are shed by clothing, textiles, and fishing equipment. Secondary microplastics are parts of larger plastic items that have been broken down or degraded, such as by radiation, ocean salinity, and particulate fraction. Unfortunately, plastics, although they can degrade, are almost impossible to destroy, and once they are this small, they’re incredibly difficult to get rid of, as they can resist and avoid things like ocean waves and solar degradation. This also means that they can float on air currents or waves with incredible ease, traversing the globe from their source. They have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, and now, finally, us.

History of microplastics and plastics

Although the first plastics were technically discovered in 1869 by a man named John Wesley Hyatt, fully synthesised (without any elements from nature) plastics were invented in 1907, and are petroleum polymers. A polymer is a long, repeating chain of molecules that is often incredibly strong and flexible, and for a variety of reasons, easily manufactured. A tide of plastics soon overtook the market, especially as an economic explosion in the United States after WWII found an abundance of ways for plastics to be utilized. Soon, plastic began accumulating everywhere, as recycling systems were never fully developed.

Presently, there are over 3 million more tons of microplastic waste in the oceans alone, than estimated in 1950. Although this seems like a lot, it is dwarfed by the total plastic in the world, which amounts to over 8.3 billion tons of plastic. This, unfortunately, will continue to degrade into microplastics, converting all that mass into tiny pieces of plastic that will roam the world invisibly. That is why it is crucial to cut off plastic flow now, before more can accumulate, and properly dispose of waste presently in the world.

Where was it?

Microplastics were found “lodged in the deep lungs” and bloodstreams of 11 out 13 different patients undergoing surgery. “The most common particles were polypropylene, used in plastic packaging and pipes, and PET, used in bottles. Two previous studies had found microplastics at similarly high rates in lung tissue taken during autopsies.”

So we know that microplastics have been found in humans, fish, porpoises, dolphins, and grey seals. But where else have they been found? For starters, microplastic is widespread, seeing as it was found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. But that is not relevant, and we will be looking into where microplastic can be found in large quantities. For ex-

ample, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch includes microplastics, and it is twice the size of Texas. But this is not the only place where microplastic can be found. As you can see from the map that we have provided, that is not the only cluster. But why are the plastics distributed like this? If you compare the map of the wind current and the plastic distribution, you can see that plastic is most frequently seen where the wind meets.

What health concerns do they pose?

Having microplastics in your body is clearly bad, but how bad is it, and why? Microplastics and plastics have certain properties that may make them harmful over long periods of time. A chemical process called oxidative stress can cause numerous health risks, including inflammation risk, and various other health concerns. Moreover, numerous studies have proven the potential for microplastics to cause increased cancer risks (lung, prostate, more), altered metabolisms, cytokine activities immune disruption, and more. Right now, many studies are in progress to investigate other health concerns, but the length of time over which they accumulate and have to act makes it difficult to conclude right now. However, the health risks posed are worrying, and they are assuredly having major effects on the environment at present.

How do they get into our bodies?

Microplastics infiltrate our body through consumption or inhalation. Microplastic is consumed by animals at every level of the food chain, from tiny zooplankton to fish larvae, turtles, and now marine mammals. This trophic accumulation means that even more numerous amounts end up in human bodies, particularly from seafood. When we eat these animals, the microplastics that were in the animals; lungs, bloodstreams, and organs are transferred into our bodies. Another way that the microplastics can infiltrate the body is through air-born infiltration. When microplastic is inhaled, it can become embedded in the deep tissue of the lungs.

Environmental Impacts Of course, after all this, you may be wondering what problems this poses to the environment. Most people have some vague understanding that trillions of tiny, essentially indestructible and invincible pieces of plastic going everywhere have poor effects on our planet, but the information surrounding these particular threats is ambiguous and often leads to the issue being understated. So what do they do to our environment?

Well, certain microplastics broken into small polymers may be able to act as biohazardous sinks, slowly releasing harmful chemicals that can build up in plants or soil, including DDT and hexachlorobenzene. In addition, certain microplastics are known to have various detrimental effects on small fauna, especially insects and worms, such as DNA damage, bioaccumulation, neurotoxicity, and more. At present, it is also worrying that long-term accumulation could cause other issues to small microorganisms and plant life.

Why Now?

Microplastic has rapidly become an ever-present issue. By 2000, over 250 million tons of microplastics were in our oceans, and this has continued to increase. This is the main factor contributing to microplastics found in humans. If this trend continues, more and more people will have issues related to microplastics.

What can we do?

Unfortunately, we still have limited information about this. The best things that we can consciously do right now are to reduce our usage of non-reusable plastics, and generally, educate other people about this issue. As more and more research uncovers other ways to remove, reduce, and get rid of these plastics, we must buy time by trying to phase out these outdated technologies, which contribute the most to microplastics damaging the environment.

Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/enviro nment/2022/apr/06/microplasticsfound-deep-in-lungs-of-living-peoplefor-first-time

https://www.theguardian.com/envir https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ https://www.theguardian.com/envir https://www.nationalgeographic.org https://www.sciencehistory.org/thehttps://www.plastichealthcoalition.o https://www.mdpi.com/2304https://www.sciencedirect.com/scie https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/