THE PLASTIC
A sooty shearwater trapped by a drift net along the Oregon coast. Photo by Roy Lowe, USFWS
PLAGUE Unless you’ve been living in a Northern Siberian yurt for the past decade,
7) plastic caps and lids
you’re already aware that plastics in the ocean is a full-on crisis. In the past few
8) metal beverage cans
years, it has risen to become a major topic of the news media and conservation
9) plastic straws
organizations. Of course, here at Guy Harvey Magazine, we have been following
10) glass beverage bottles
this insidious form of pollution for many years, like in 2012, when we produced a
11) plastic beverage bottles
special “plastics edition.” Our dedicated editorial team decided we needed to wrap
12) styrofoam cups
up another issue in plastic—not literally, that is.
If there was ever a time in history when one person could make a difference, it is
Fortunately, there are many organizations working hard to stem the plastic tide. Yet, even with all of their efforts, there’s still nine million tons of plastics entering our oceans each year. That’s the equivalent of five grocery bags full of plastic set on
now. Why? Because each and every one of us uses plastic—a lot of it. We know that plastics are flooding into our waterways, but most of it originates with us, the users. Removing plastic from the ocean is an incredibly admirable pursuit but,
every foot of coastline in the world. Plus, there’s already an estimated 165 million
ultimately, we need to stop the scourge at the source. One obvious way is to do
tons of plastic currently circulating in our marine environments.
our best to use less plastic as individuals. Another is to foster the ban on plastic
Sadly, more than 100,000 marine mammals and turtles are killed annually
bags in your hometown. There are some 400 cities that have already banned
by plastic pollution, and millions more are affected by microplastics—tiny bits of
plastic bags. That’s a good start. However, the plastic bag industry is not standing
plastic that fish eat because they can’t discern it from food.
by quietly on the sidelines. They are fighting back to protect their business. Case in
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has gotten a lot of press, but less known is
point is something called preemption laws. These preemption laws prohibit cities
that a massive, plastic island more than 10 miles long was recently discovered in,
from adopting local ordinances that regulate a particular product, namely bans or
of all places, the Mediterrainean Sea. Known primarily for swanky beaches and
fees on carryout plastic bags. Several states (including Florida) have enacted laws
topless sunbathers, now the Med has a new distinction. Bottom line, plastics have
or are considering preemption laws that shield plastic bags from being banned.
permeated our land, sea, lives, and bodies. Micro-plastics have shown up in the
You heard correctly—a number of states have protected the use of plastic bags
flesh of fish we eat and even in the bloodstream of some animals.
by law. If you think that’s strange, keep in mind that doctors still prescribe opioids,
The Center for Marine Conservation, the group that has been coordinating
even though that’s a crisis, too.
coastal cleanups since 1986, lists their “dirty dozen,” the 12 items most frequently
The good news is that you can help by reaching out to your city council or
found during their beach cleanups. Eight of the dozen are plastics, including the
county commissioners to push a local ban forward. To find out the status of plastic
most numerous pollutant in the world—cigarette butts (see article, page 46).
bags in your state, go to: http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-
1) cigarette butts
resources/plastic-bag-legislation.aspx.
2) paper pieces 3) plastic pieces
What Else Can Be Done?
4) styrofoam
Considering the vast amount of plastic being used by businesses, it’s time
5) glass pieces
for our society to ban single-use plastics. Ever stir your coffee with a plastic straw
6) plastic food bags
for three seconds then throw it away? Ever use a Keurig and toss the plastic
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