Written by Rizal Alfi R
Plastic is surrounding us.
The accumulation of plastic in our seas and beaches has turned into a global crisis. In swirling convergences, which count for around 40% of the world's ocean surfaces, billions of pounds of plastic can be found. Plastics are predicted to be above all fish in the sea at current levels by 2050, respectively.
Plastic pollution has a direct and deadly effects on wildlife. Upon ingestion or entanglement of plastic, thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other marine animals are killed each year. Endangered animals such as the Hawaiian monk seals and the Pacific sea turtles are among almost 700 species that eat and get caught in plastic litter.
We discharge our consumer products into our shops in single use packaging and dump microplastic fibers in our clothes in the laundry. We produced plastic in the first decade of this century up since 2000, more than any other plastic in history. Those in the oceans of the world per year result in trillions of pounds more plastic. None of the square mile of surface oceans anywhere on earth is free of plastic pollution.
The problem has become a crisis. Over the next ten years, the fossil fuel industry is expecting an rise of 40 percent over plastics production. Throughout the United States these oil giants develop petrochemicals to turn fracked gas into plastic. It means more of toxic air pollution and plastic in our oceans.
Thousands of animals, from small finches to blue whales, die grisly deaths cause of eating and getting caught in plastic.
- Fish in the sea consume 12.000 up to 24.000 tons of plastic each year. It will cause abdominal injury and death each year and transfers plastic up the food chain to bigger fish, marine mammals and human seafood eaters.
- Floating plastic waste can be misunderstood by sea turtles. They think it’s a food. They will shock, suffer internal wounds and die or die of malnutrition if you think you will get full of plastic.
- Hundreds of thousands seabirds consume plastic every year. The consumption of plastic reduces the stomach storage capacity, causing hunger.
We as one of the creatures that live on earth must care about the environment. We have to speak out for a world free of plastic. The Indonesian government is now starting by minimizing the amount of plastic used. Supermarkets in Indonesia have started to no longer use plastic bags as grocery bags. So, when you are shopping, bring your own reusable shopping and produce bags to markets, and avoid using single-use plastic bags.
Bibliography
Kilduff,C. 2020. Ocean Plastic Pollution.
Retrieved from https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/