Plastic. We know it’s bad for the environment, yet we use it
every day. Sometimes the alternatives are unaffordable or nonexistent; it can
be virtually impossible to buy some products without getting at least a bit of
plastic. While durable goods, such as furniture and auto parts, contribute
their share to the burden of the planet, the majority of plastic trash comes
from disposables.
As a culture, we love the convenience of “disposable.” Use
it and throw it, no muss, no fuss, no extra work… The only downside, we are
destroying the planet for our convenience. You use it, and throw it – where?
Where does our disposed-of plastic go? According to a new study, a lot of it goes
into the stomachs of seabirds.
We have long known that plastic pollution is a severe threat
to wildlife, and a common cause of death for seabirds. Scientists had estimated
that nearly 30 percent of all seabirds ingested plants. But the problem is much
more expansive than previously believed. The number, according to researchers
from Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, is actually 90 percent.
The study was published in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, and analyzed more than 50 years of research. It was
discovered that the amount of plastic ingestion by seabirds has steadily
increased, and is reaching alarming rates.
Plastic is not essential; it is a decision. It’s a decision
we each make, every time we opt for a disposable cup, plastic shopping bag, or
“individually packed food.” It is a decision we make as a society, when we
continue supporting companies, products, and practices that use plastic. It is
a decision we make nearly every time we make a purchase. A little inconvenience,
a little higher cost… or kill wildlife and pollute the planet?
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