Op ECO: Toy Metamorphosis
+ Knowing and understanding the threatening realities of plastic in our outer world as well as our inner world is something that the scientific community is just discovering. It is well known that plastic is one of the top offenders to not just the marine community but to the land community as well. These are the things that are obvious to all of us. The empty single-use items are tossed just as quickly as they were created. Did you know that the expiration refers to the plastic bottle, not the water inside. Well, it is.
Let’s dive into the inner world that I mentioned. In a recent study published by Science Direct researchers found not only micro-plastic in human lungs but also in the blood (iv). We are turning into the plastic toys that we played with as children. In fact, “scientists have detected micro-plastics near the peak of Mount Everest, in the Mariana Trench, and even in baby poop.(iii)” Startled yet?
The convenience that we all thought so highly of is turning into an inconvenient danger. Most do not address an issue unless it affects them personally. I can understand that. But maybe the stiff feeling in our joints when we wake in the morning is more than wear and tear on our tissues, but the residue of plastic hardening our mobility.
How to cut down on plastic in our everyday lives.
- Reduce your use of Single-Use Plastics
- Support Legislation to Curb Plastic Production and Waste
- Recycle Properly
- Participate In (or Organize) a Beach or River Cleanup
- Avoid Products Containing Micro-beads
- Spread the Word
- Support Organizations Addressing Plastic Pollution (ii)
There are many organizations that can be found locally and globally. Many inventive people have even created systems to collect pollution from beaches to marinas to the deep sea. As always, with ingenuity comes at global expense and personal cost. The question is, what are you willing to pay?
Check out ‘who’s’ ‘who’ in your local community. Here are some that help provide some local & global connections.
- United by Blue is a company not only known for its sustainable manufacturing but its commitment to cleaning up waterways all over the country.
https://unitedbyblue.com/pages/join-a-cleanup
- 4 Ocean has developed a large awareness of the need for clean up including reefs. Creating and partnering with other like-minded individuals 4 Ocean donates a portion of its sales to help support the team on site.
https://www.4ocean.com/
- Ocean Blue Project is an organization charged with the passion of cleaning up our planet. They are a wonderful resource to find a clean-up locally or even help you create one.
https://oceanblueproject.org/
+DEEPER DIVES
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722020009
https://www.britannica.com/video/185601/problem-oceans-Earth-particles
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/most-common-ocean-litter.html
+ References
i. Briggs, H., (11 June 2021), Plastic pollution: take-out food littering the oceans, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57436143
ii. Hutchinson, B., (24 February 2022), 7 Solutions To Ocean Plastic Pollution, Blue Habits Tips, Oceanic Society, https://www.oceanicsociety.org/resources/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-plastic-pollution-today/?utm_term=plastic%20waste%20in%20ocean&utm_campaign=Blog&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=8843096923&hsa_cam=9497057995&hsa_grp=132772072286&hsa_ad=585557513974&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-296787544920&hsa_kw=plastic%20waste%20in%20ocean&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjw5NqVBhAjEiwAeCa97Remp4VKzjiApK0Z3vKhF56zafyc87m0XsoG_OKCXgliiQcHgMfjjBoCTM4QAvD_BwE
iii Jenner, L., et al., (20 July 2022), Detection of Micro-plastics in human lung tissue…, Science Direct, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722020009
iv Osborne, M., (28 March 2022), Microplastics Detected in Human Blood New Study, Smithsonian Magazine, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/microplastics-detected-in-human-blood-180979826/
v White, R., (5 May 2022), Dead Whale Found with 33lbs Pounds of Plastic…, Newsweek, https://www.newsweek.com/dead-whale-33lbs-plastic-stomach-rhodes-beach-greece-1703681#:~:text=A%20whale%20that%20washed%20up,to%20assess%20the%20dead%20whale.
vi Tobacco and the Environment, (2021), Truth Initiative, https://truthinitiative.org/sites/default/files/media/files/2021/03/Truth_Environment%20FactSheet%20Update%202021_final_030821.pdf
vii End Plastic Pollution, (29 March 2022), Green Cities, Fact Sheet: Single-Use Plastics, https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-single-use-plastics/
Chelsea DiPilla is the CEO of i.m. Walrus. She pursues and implements the science of aesthetics and bounty of nature. It is the philosophy she lives, and how she conducts her business.
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