| | National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. In 2015 a mere 24 of these ethane cracker facilities in the United States had the combined carbon output of 3.8 million passenger vehicles. (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment), Stanford scientists are among a growing number of researchers harnessing artificial intelligence techniques to bring more realistic representations of ubiquitous atmospheric ripples into global climate models. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. Carrying reusable bags and bottles is one great way to avoid single-use plastics in our day-to-day lives; more on preventing plastic waste can be found below. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. They're not alone. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. BY Rob Jordan, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, As Colorado River wanes, water supplies and ecosystems hang in the balance, Riverfront forest restoration can deliver outsized benefits, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, An AI solution to climate models gravity wave problem, Beavers will become a bigger boon to river water quality as U.S. West warms. NDLA National Disability Leadership Alliance: Nothing About Us Without Us. A 2018 study of coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific has confirmed that plastic waste deposited on coral reefs promotes outbreaks of diseases that gradually destroy whole reef colonies [12]. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. All rights reserved. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. Beyond the costs associated with the production and purchasing of plastic bags by retailers, there are many external costs that are often not considered. Reusable shopping bags are very durable and can be reused many times over the course of their useful life. How can you help to ban plastic bags in your area? Greentumble is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thanks for signing up. However, one thing we know, is that by introducing a pollutant that may never break down in the environment can have implications that will far exceed any of our predictions. But this comes along with many unanswered questions. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. Come with external costs 9. Since their birth, baby turtles have only one goal to get to the sea and swim into deep waters where they will feed and if successful grow into adult turtles. 300 to 700 plastic bags pass through the hands of an average American in just one year [8] and a survey of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs concluded that the average household in the United Kingdom stores around 40 plastic shopping bags at home [2]. Then, the straw got stuck in the turtles nose after she/he tried to cough the straw back out. Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. This means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. For many in the disabled community, the availability of plastic straws is essential for their well-being and survival. Have some dirty clothes that you just wore today? Ideally, to be suitable for recycling, bags need to be clean to be accepted, which is often a problem, considering that we use them to carry groceries and potentially leaky goods. Better alternatives are available 10. The truth is that we do not know yet the full scale of negative impacts plastic waste can have on marine and terrestrial environments because it hasnt been around long enough to allow us to assess possible scenarios of its influence on natural cycles. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. According to a study that was published by Bloomberg News, it is predicted that the percentage of contaminated ocean water that is caused by plastic straws and stirrers is a shockingly modest 0.03 percent. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. If the answer is yes, you should know that this inadvertent overconsumption of single-use plastic carries with it a very high cost to the environment, which in turn also negatively affects our health. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that nothing is for free in this world. In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. A 2017 Environmental Sciences and Technology study reported that up to 95 percent of plastic waste enters oceans from one of 10 riverseight in Asia and two in Africa. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. We shouldnt ban plastic straws if it creates an accessibility issue. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. Not only is plastic estimated to kill millions of marine animals and seabirds each year, but its also contaminating seafood that humans have relied on for millennia, particularly with microplastics in animals guts. Single-use plastics in particularespecially small items like straws, bags, and cutleryare traditionally hard to recycle because they fall into the crevices of recycling machinery and therefore are often not accepted by recycling centers. This way, disabled people can continue to be served, while also reducing the number of plastic straws that we use. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. If youd like to learn more about how plastic straws negatively impact the environment, you can check out this article I wrote about the environmental impact of plastic straws. For wildlife, microplastics can be particularly dangerous; when eaten they can easily accumulate inside an animals body and cause health issues, like punctured organs or fatal intestinal blockages. In the spirit of eliminating waste, plastic straws appeared to be a way to further the cause: straws aren't essential to the dining experience, and by banning them, oceans, streets, and general society would theoretically benefit. Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. High costs for cleanup 8. If it looks clean, smells clean (and sounds clean! This is because the customers voluntarily reduce their consumption of plastic bags, which in turn provides enough time for retailers to find suitable alternatives and switch to them. Then, you should try to explain your reasons for not wanting your products packed in plastic bags. Made from fossil fuels 3. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. Ill talk about this more in the next section: By itself, a plastic straw ban is unlikely to have a large impact on the environment. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. Paper vs. In fact, the global backlash against plastic straws likely started after researchers off the coast of Costa Rica shared a viral video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck up its nose. The consumed plastic congests the digestive tracts of these animals, and can lead to health issues such as infections, painful intestinal blockage, starvation or death by suffocation. Please share this message with your friends so that together, we can tackle our global plastic problem. As a result, they are thrown away and frequently wind up in the ocean, where they pollute the water and eventually kill marine birds, animals, and fish. JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. ), then its clean! Overall, the goal of a plastic straw ban should be to increase public awareness for single-use plastics and their nasty effects on the environment. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. Activists Say Straws Should Be Banned Because They Are a 'Gateway Plastic' Advocates hope a straw ban will be the first step toward broader plastic prohibitions. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site may be referral or affiliate links. The country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. Low rated: 2. Will others? The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. We dont know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators. Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. Straws make up roughly 4 percent of the plastic waste in terms of the number of pieces, but a far smaller percentage in terms of the weight.Due to the fact that the typical weight of a straw is just around one sixty-seventh of an ounce, or 42 grams, the total weight of all those billions of straws combined only accounts for roughly 2,000 tons of the almost 9 million tons of plastic debris that enters the sea each year. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). We all are just trying to do our job well. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. Killing wildlife 5. And when it comes to waste that lasts forever, every ton counts. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! By 2030, CEO James Quincey has pledged to use 50 percent recycled material in its bottles and cans and recycle one bottle or can.
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