We are Killing Marine Life, Without Even Realizing it.

Have you ever opened a wrapper of sorts and there's a little piece that rips off, which is too small to pick up, so you just let it blow away? That little piece of plastic can actually affect Marine biology in so many, unbelievable ways! 

Did you know that piece of plastic can get carried off to a river, flushing into an ocean, sucking up all of the oxygen in the water? if there is not enough oxygen, how will it support the life, creating a "dead zone"

(One of many Decaying Crabs in a "dead zone")

Did you also know that our pollution is also affecting the innocent coral reefs, which are beneficial to human life from beauty to medicines.

(This is a before and after coral "bleaching", which is a coral dying)

 You are probably not the only one that let a little piece of plastic drift away, with all of these collective pieces, it will all collect on top of the water, making it difficult for things to access the water. 

(A river in the Philippines overrun with plastic)  

I had recently watched a few Ted Talks and read some blog posts about Pollution. With all of the current day conversation with politics,  Global Warming, plastic straws, and other issues, I seemed to have forgotten the actual destruction we are creating. As I was doing my research, seeing all of these pictures opened my eyes again, we are destroying our planet, which we only have one of by the way. 

The amount of plastic that is being dumped is not only affecting animal life, it is also affecting us. From all of the plastic in the ocean, it will come back to us one way or another. Did you know that plastic dissolves into our water and can carry into out drinking water? These micro-plastics will build up over time, blocking your Blood- Brain Barrier, this is a mucusy 'border' that filters out particles in your bloodstream to your brain. So the plastic you dump into the water will block blood flow to your brain... How fun is that? 

(Bird Corpse with Plastic in Place of its Intestinal System)

Plastic isn't the only form of pollution that is to blame, but it is the most frequent. There is a problem with sewage waste, factory waste, fertilizers, and carbon. With all of this waste being dumped into water, elements such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon reacts and uses up all of the oxygen in water, creating an area called a "dead zone". It is exactly its name, it is a zone where the life cannot be supported and is dead. 

These Dead Zones create problems, think about your fisheries? waterfowl? How about sea growth? With certain deadzones, it creates a toxic, paint textured film on the top of the water, this is the toxins reacting with the algae, and this is an algae bloom, which is not good for you. 

(Toxic Algae bloom in Gulf of Mexico) 

There is only a growth in the waste and pollution, the only thing we can do now is individually do our part, and as clique as it sounds, recycle, pick up a piece of litter, and why not, use a metal straw instead of a plastic one! So next time you open your granola bar, or candy or whatever, remember what that one little piece of wrapper can do.

Can you Prevent Global Warming

Scientists and Environmental Experts are rising awareness on one of the running issues today, Global Warming.  The experts are now warning the public with all of the dire consequences that will happen if we do not take action. 

The amount of Carbon that is released is concerning. Jason Smerdon and Edmond Mathez, Climate scientists at Columbia university and Director of the Earth and Planetary Sciences department, claims that about nine gigatons of carbon is emitted yearly. Other sources claim that about 30 gigatons are emitted yearly!

ABC News states, since the Industrial Revolution, more that 555 gigatoons of carbon have been emitted into the atmosphere, Smerdon said, adding that scientists have determined a "climate budget" of another 100 to 150 gigatons that can be released before the Earth begins to warm more that 1.5 degrees celsius -- when we will experience more extreme weather patterns, such as severe heat.

Without the right actions taken, at this rate, we will easily blow past our "climate budget" in the next decade. 

David Suzuki's image of a smoke tower emitting pollution

 

While most individuals are aware of Global warming, either most of them do not believe or nobody will actually take initiative and do their part to make a change. What are ways that you can change out future?

                                     

                     Here are some methods Activists Suggest:

1.) Get Out and vote and raise awareness!

(Greta Thunberg Speaks at the United Nations Climate Summit on September 23 2019, in New York)

           -   Some say that it is up to the voters to put the politicians in place to make the change. If you want to raise awareness and make a move, you need to vote and raise your voice towards Issues. 

2.) Cut back on beef consumption

        It has a "monumental carbon footprint compared to any other meat" Smerdon states.

3.) Cut back on single use plastics

Image of single use plastics scattered on the ground 

      

              

4.) Install Solar panels, because it is clean energy that is not relying on a carbon based energy source