Not so fantastic plastic

If you’ve heard that Barbie Girl theme song, then you might think that life in plastic is fantastic, but I’m here to assure you that it is not.

This post serves as a reminder of the devastation plastic causes, and I have to warn you that some images throughout this post may be alarming.

WARNING: CONTENT BELOW MAY BE DISTURBING OR DISTRESSING

Whether it be from ingesting plastic or being entangled in it, the bottom line is that plastic is deadly. If you’ve been following this campaign then by now you would know that plastic is responsible for the death of over one hundred thousand sea mammals every year, and in excess of one million seabirds. In fact, over 40% of all seabirds are believes to have ingested plastic. That’s not to mention the numerous species and eco systems at risk because of it.

 

 

 

 

Almost no life exists in some areas of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – an area amassing to double the size of the state of Texas due to the poisoning and destruction caused by enormous amounts of rubbish.

When it comes to thinking about how bad plastic really is, the real turning point for me is the footage of the turtle crying in pain as a plastic straw is extracted from its nostril. I have shared the video on Facebook previously, but for those who haven’t seen it, you can find the short version of the video here.

You can see the enormous amount of pain this innocent creature is in as a result of mankind’s negligence. The turtle has rightly become the poster-child for the abolishment of plastic straws and rightly so – it shows the real damage. Plastic is designed to last, so much so that is will by far outlast any humans time on earth. In the last 10 years humans have produced more plastic than in history, and the amount only continues to grow. Globally, systems need to be put in place to stop the devastation caused, but until then, we all need to do our part individually to minimize our own impact on the earth.

Next time you consider using disposable plastics, or see a friend or relative drop, forget or wrongly dispose of some, think of these images and do something about it. Raising awareness of the issue is an essential part of creating change, and its something every one of us can do!