Clean the Seas
π¬π Did you know that by 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh all the ocean fish?
Our oceans around the world are extremely polluted. From large oil spills by irresponsible corporate giants to large garbage patches twice the size of Texas, we have a serious trash problem. Plastics are the worst as they take hundreds of years to degrade. Not to mention how it is literally choking sea turtles, sea birds, fish and many other marine species.
π πStrategies to clean the seas:
1. Educate yourself and those around you about ocean pollution and its threats to marine life and humans.
2. Reduce usage of plastics, especially single-use plastic items like plastic toothbrushes, utensils, cups, straws, bottles, etc. Use plastic free alternatives like bamboo, wheat straw, or other biodegradable/compost able material.
3. Hold small and large companies and organisations accountable. From local restaurants to global corporations, it must be a collective effort to reduce plastic usage and not just the responsibility of the consumer. Urge your local businesses to switch to plastic-free alternatives.
4. Avoid the usage of harmful chemicals in gardening if you live near an ocean. While plants may be able to handle the pesticides, fertilisers and herbicides, these chemicals typically end up in your city water system and is drained into the ocean. This leads to more algae in the seawater which create "dead zones" where marine life cannot thrive and exist.
5. Recognize the harm of individual litter. Picking up after yourself should go without saying. Volunteering your time cleaning up beaches from stray bottles, cans, bags, napkins and other potentially harmful litter.ποΈ
6. Donate to an ocean conservation organisations like The Ocean Cleanup, Sea Shepherd Conservation, Greenpeace, Coral Reef Alliance and many more. ππ
7. Support bans on single use plastics in your local government or community. π
8. Avoid products that contain microbeads. These are found in certain face scrubs, toothpastes, bodywashes and other cosmetic products.