In a recent post published by the United Nations News, they bring up scary news that ongoing plastic pollution is only getting worse. They explain that our economy and environment are at stake and that we only have so much time to act. One affective method they mentioned is:
an accelerated transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, the removal of subsidies and a shift towards more circular approaches towards reduction.
UN News
By transitioning to renewable energy, we can generate more energy while emitting less harmful gases back into the air. Currently, one of the worlds main issues is not recycling properly. This comes down to creating more efficient monitoring in the recycling factories, and making sure there are no mistakes made. Even in the marketplace, companies need to make sure that they are disposing of packaging properly so that it ends up in the right place.
The Executive Director of UNEP, Inger Anderson, explains that the major concern is what’s happening with microplastics and chemical additives. These two things have a large impact on both human and wildlife ecosystems. This point leads into the main discussion of the article, which is the growing of plastic pollution. It states:
“By 2040, it will nearly triple, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the ocean per year. This means about 50kg of plastic per meter of coastline. “
UN News
This is extremely dangerous, because it isn’t just certain fish or plants that deal with this problem, its the entire ocean. All animals face the risk of toxification, which could lead to a change in behavior patterns and can affect their diet. Now this is what can be dangerous to humans, because these microplastics can stay in the animal and potentially harm us when eating them. And I’m sure that no one likes the idea that your are eating plastic with your nicely cooked salmon.
Us humans need to become more aware of this growing problem and must transition into better alternatives than plastic. Whether it’s buying a reusable water bottle, Bringing a bag from home to use at the grocery store, or even just recycling after you’ve used something. All of these can make a difference in our world and make the lives of future generations safer.
Save Our Pacific 