2 minute read
"What We Can Do About Ocean Plastics"
Over the course of our two weeks we discussed potential solutions and heard from a range of guest speakers and experts. In the end, after a final vote, we arrived at the following as our seminar’s top priorities in order to solve this plastic crisis, a problem which requires both the reduction in the production of plastic and the better management of waste plastic, on land and at sea.
As individuals we can…
*Purchase sustainable products whenever we can, researching the companies and what we’re buying, especially regarding packaging (with less plastic and types that are genuinely recyclable) and regarding clothing (wearing secondhand garments or buying new ones made from natural fibers). *Read and support journalism that investigates local and global waste management and the effectiveness of policies, treaties, and potential fixes.
We want companies to…
*Operate in an environmentally-conscious way that will lessen their impact. This means in part making sustainable plastic alternatives more affordable, and using less or no plastic packaging. We want companies to allow customers who can afford it to have the choice to pay more for recycled or biodegradable packaging.
We want our governments to…
*Ensure the proper enforcement of existing laws and regulations. *Continue to invest in city trash processing centers with the technology to properly separate different plastics and process waste safely with less loss into waterways. *Expand marine protected areas.
If we had money to donate, we would first consider giving to…
*The Ocean Conservancy: Fighting For Trash Free Seas
We want to support further research especially on…
*The production of plastics made of plant materials, which will reduce the use of fossil fuel products and increase their biodegradability. *Where in the world are the worst vectors for plastic pollution arriving into the ocean. *The toxicity of plastics and their impact on humans and marine life
Eric An is a high school student from Fresno, California,
interested in environmental science. He hopes in the future that the amount of plastic can be drastically reduced.
Sarah Choi is currently a rising senior from Jeju, South Korea,
mostly interested in applied mathematics and environmental engineering. She hopes to bring a meaningful and contributive change to her marine community in Jeju by applying her STEM knowledge.
Winnie Elliot is from Tarawa, Kiribati.
Vivian Goller is a rising senior in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and loves music, chai tea lattes, and her dog, Winston. She hopes to major in Environmental Sciences in college and to somehow contribute to plastic-related research. Shoutout to her parents and friends for keeping it real.
Harry Kim is a high schooler in Texas. He has been fascinated
by the ocean from a very young age and is interested in marine biology as a possible career choice.
Nora Prather is a high schooler in Virginia. She is interested in marine biology and hopes to be a marine biologist someday.
Solveig Schneider is a rising senior from Gießen in Germany.
She loves books, tea and hazelnut ice cream. In the future, she would like to see more affordable and sustainable everyday goods coming onto the market.
Luciana Tooma is a senior student at King George V & Ellaine Bernacchi School in Tarawa, and she loves the sound of the ocean ever since she was little. She has always wanted to be a marine biologist, among her other choices.
