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<\/a><\/p>\nI’ve realized that it’s not just pesticide and fertilizer outflow we need to worry about when it comes to our ocean ecosystems. It\u2019s not just climate change and overfishing. It\u2019s plastics. Plastics are accumulating rapidly in our oceans, and the consequences (not just for our beaches, but for the entire ocean ecosystem) are both real and dire.<\/p>\n
Plastics in our Oceans <\/strong><\/p>\n Twelve years ago, I went kayaking through the Exumas. On the trip, we moved from island to island, finding empty beaches at night to camp on. We ate dinner out under the stars, and listened to the waves crash onto the shoreline as we fell asleep at night. The days were hot and sweaty, and as midday approached and the salt began to stick to our skin and simmer on our palms, we\u2019d jump overboard with goggles and a snorkel to explore the coral reefs beneath our hulls.<\/p>\n I remember being astounded by how vivid that underwater world was back then. Purple, bulbous sea slugs, delicate sea horses, flighty clownfish, barracudas all made their homes amongst great lobes of yellow, staghorn, elkhorn, starlet, finger and brain corals.<\/p>\n These magical ecosystems are incredible\u2014truly a feast for the eyes (and also for the belly). Formed 250 millions of years ago, coral reefs have become the rainforests of the sea. In fact, 90% of the all local commercially-harvested sea life and 70% of all sportfish in the Bahamas rely on coral reefs to survive. [1]<\/p>\n Unfortunately, oil spills, ship groundings, ballast discharge, erosion from coastal development, ocean acidification (global warming) and plastics are harming our reefs today at rates faster than we can protect them.<\/p>\n Since 1950, we\u2019ve produced 8.3 billion tons of plastic, 50% of which was produced in the past 13 years. [2,3] Only 9% of this plastic is recycled. The other 91% is thrown away, incinerated or, worse yet, released directly into the environment. [4]<\/p>\n As increasingly large amounts of plastic end up at sea, their impact has grown. Plastics aren\u2019t just harming coral reefs anymore, they\u2019re also breaking down into microscopic particles that are picked up by fish and other marine life. When these particles come into contact with acidic digestive juices, they break down into their chemical components and are absorbed into the animals’ flesh. This isn\u2019t good for the fish, and it isn\u2019t good for the things that eat the fish\u2014including us.<\/p>\n Moving Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n Frankly, landfills aren\u2019t the solution. We have a limited amount of space on this planet. In fact, the whole concept of trash is utterly unsustainable. As sinking countries face the threat of sea level rise, underground landfills are already becoming a legitimate liability.<\/p>\n I\u2019m tired of picking up old Doritos bags, plastic bottles and plastic wrap every time I go paddle boarding. I\u2019m worn out by cleaning up the beach every day and chastising people for littering.<\/p>\n As more and more humans are born into this world, a few things have become increasingly clear: 1) It\u2019s time to start paying attention to downstream consequences 2) It\u2019s time to put an end to plastic 3) It\u2019s time to rethink the entire concept of trash.<\/p>\n Innovations<\/strong><\/p>\n The news isn\u2019t all dark. An increasing number of restaurants are supplying 100% compostable take-out containers now. Stainless steel Hydroflasks have become all the rage. California outlawed plastic bags, and 10 major U.S. cities are aiming to go zero waste in the coming decades. [5]<\/p>\n Industry is paying attention, too. You can now by products like Avasol sunscreen\u2014made from 100% biodegradable ingredients and packaged in a compostable cardboard tube. And what about packaging? We now have mushroom-created, 100% compostable packaging produced at costs comparable to synthetic materials. Learn more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, the best way to solve the problem of plastic is to reduce or even eliminate it from our daily lives. To this end, there are now an amazing number of bloggers who are paving the way for a waste-free lifestyle. Here are just a few ideas to get started:<\/p>\n 30 Ways to Eliminate Plastic From Your Everyday Life: <\/strong><\/p>\n As is true with most environmental issues, the problem of plastic is large, but the power of human innovation and determination is not to be underestimated. Just because we have a plastic problem today doesn\u2019t mean we have to have a plastic problem tomorrow. I, for one, am galvanized and ready to fight. And together, I know we can create a world we’d all be proud to live in.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]\u00a0https:\/\/reefrelief.org\/pdf\/coral-reef-guide-for-bahamas.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n [2]\u00a0https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/plastic-produced-1950s-study_us_59704ca5e4b0110cb3cba57e<\/a><\/p>\n [3]\u00a0https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/science\/archive\/2017\/07\/plastic-age\/533955\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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