Plastic: the apex predator of the ocean
What goes in the ocean goes in you, something has to be done before we drown in plastic.
Dear next president,
Our oceans are being destroyed. Billions of pounds of plastics are in our oceans harming and killing animals and their ecosystems. Plastic never goes away and if we do not reduce the copious amounts being put into our waters, then the oceans we love will be tarnished forever. Although studies have revealed that over a thousand metrics tons of plastic enter our oceans everyday, there is no excuse for us to let this happen. We have to take matters into our own hands and regulate and prevent plastic waste before it becomes an issue.
Millions of people purchase and use plastic bottled water, these disposable bottles are unessential and merely a form of convenience to many people. The same goes for plastic grocery bags, they are dangerous to our ecosystems and sustainable alternatives already exist. Limiting or preventing the use of these unsuspecting killers near the ocean is just a fraction of what needs to be done to save our seas unless we want to watch living creatures die. By encouraging the use of reusable water bottles and assisting in the construction of refill stations, we can make a difference and cut back on the use of this toxic material. And as for the problem with plastic grocery bags, we need to continue to use paper bags or bring our own cloth bags, as they have a longer life and can be reused hundreds of times and then recycled. There are thousands of ways that we can go about our lives and abandon the use of plastic. As recently as September 2016, the country of France passed a law banning plastic utensils. The law will be in full effect by 2020. Furthermore, last summer in Hawaii the distribution of plastic bags by grocery stores was banned. This practice of banning plastic is a trend that needs to continue and become a norm in order to save our planet.
As humans, the ocean is one of our greatest providers, the products we use are transported by the ocean, we get our food from the ocean and most of earth’s oxygen is produced from plants in our ocean. If the excessive use and disposal of plastic is not fixed soon, sea life will continue to suffer and our world’s oxygen will be depleted.
