Earth day may have been a few weeks ago, but reusing and recycling is an every day thing!
Hazardous everyday items:
Plastic bags, balloons, glass jars, plastic can holders, soda/beer cans, cigarette butts, bottle caps, fish tackle and bait, lighters, metal cans, gasoline,
These items can cause, but not limited to, entanglement, suffocation, deformities, starvation, dismemberment, ulceration, laceration, poisoning, and death.
Victims:
Earth. Litter and pollution affect humans, as well as all marine and terrestrial wildlife. Some generic, and frequent incidents:
Humans: Pulmonary and lung issues due to air pollution.
Terrestrial mammals: Poke their heads into jars/cans, and often can not remove the item, suffering from lacerations, starvation, and suffocation.
Sea turtles: Often ingest plastic bags mistaken as jelly fish, which can lead to internal blockages and starvation. And as we learned in class, often a bycatch in fish nets.
Marine mammals: Entangled in plastic can holders, fishing nets and ropes, often drown unable to free themselves.
Herps: Oil and carbon wastes leaking into soil and water sources can reduce size and metamorphose of those dependent on water sources.
Birds: Are notorious for swallowing several plastic pieces, which block their gut leading to starvation, as well as being injured by fishing hooks.
A quick google search can lead you to some very disheartening stories and statistics.
How to help:
Correctly dispose of your trash! Make sure it makes it way to proper disposal. Call your local trash/recycle facilities to check out where you can recycle little oddities, like batteries and ink cartridges.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/litter
Volunteer!
https://www.facebook.com/KCBSC
We are the sole contributor to litter and pollution, and I can't think of a single organism not affected by our poor habits.
Also an interesting point I learned... Don't throw that apple or banana peel out your car window! It may decompose, but first it'll be found by a scurraging animal. Which leads to a domino effect of larger prey being attracted to the roadside.
3 comments:
Couldn't agree with you more! There has to be something done to prevent this detrimental effect on local species.
In October of 2014 the "Post and Courier", Charleston's local paper published an article in regards to this and mentioned that Charleston county launched an effort that rewards 270 $50 grocery gift-cards to households who recycle properly. It's shameful that people have to be offered rewards to properly recycle, but at least there is an effort to prevent so much pollution. I think that we should join states and cities like California, Massachusettes, Austin, and Seattle who have banned the use of single-use plastic grocery bags in stores. Imagine the impact it would make if every state got on board with this!
Here is a the link to the article published by the "Post and Courier":
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20141006/PC16/141009581
I totally agree with you Bodi. I remember the ads and fliers the Post and Courier handed out, mainly on recycling bins last year. Thank you for the link!
Thanks to one of my roommates, my household tries to avoid using plastic bags at stores by either carrying the stuff in our hands or bringing reusable bags. Its actually surprising how many people have scoffed at us or consider it inconvenient...
Thanks for the great reminders, Desaray. The photo of the turtle constricted by the six-pack holder is shocking. So tragic and so unnecessary.
Great points, Bodi. Plastics in the environment is a huge issue, and there are lots of ways we can help, including reducing plastic use and disposing/recycling plastics properly. It's such an easy thing to do, with a potentially big impact.
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