 |
| Young Northern Fur Seal tangled in a nylon rope and dragging nets, cables, and fishing wires, doomed to die of hunger. |
While plastic items in our daily lives are designed for one-time use, they have a long life span, usually up to 1,000 years.
Plastic is also deadly. People consume thousands of plastic articles each year, which damage our health, especially our immune systems. Plastic particles are even in the air we breathe, floating in the remotest places from fields to mountains.
For many animals plastic is lethal. Sea birds get caught in plastic fishing line and starve to death. Small mammals choke and die in 6-pack plastic rings. Dolphins and whales swallow plastic particles that block up their bodily systems. Sea turtles suffocate in plastic bags and floating debris prevents them from surfacing for air.
Luckily, as awareness grows, people are working to clean up plastic in the environment. New types of safe, biodegradable plastic are also coming on the market. We have a very long road ahead, but with more awareness and countries working towards a common goal, we have a more hopeful future.
plastic pollution, wildlife, animals, plastic in our lives
No comments:
Post a Comment