Plastic never goes away, and increasingly it is finding it way into the oceans, where it is killing marine life and polluting our beaches. Today billions of pounds of plastic can be found in about 40 percent of the world's ocean surfaces, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Plastic grocery bags, bottles, straws are big culprits and to help combat that growing problem, the community of Surfside Beach, SC passed a new law in March that bans plastic bags in the community. It was hailed positive step forward in the battle against the desecration of the ocean and our beaches.
But now, the Republican-controlled state legislature appears on the verge of passing a law that would ban such bans by local municipalities. You can guess who is behind that legislation -- industry lobbyists. If that "ban the ban" bill passes, it will be because of special interest money, plain and simple.
Those lawmakers need to see the video above, created by Greenpeace, UK, in which school children are taken to an aquarium to see the Ocean of the Future. Excited at the idea of seeing octopus and other such creatures, the children were disappointed that what they saw instead was an aquarium filled with plastic debris.
Is that their future? Is that the world we will be leaving them?
It's happening one bottle, one plastic bag at a time, and it's happening around the world. Communities like Surfside Beach are trying to do their share, and it would be irresponsible for the plastic and grocery industry and the politicians they support to get in the way.
More than industry profits is at stake. Quite literally, it's the future of our oceans, the marine life that helps to feed the world, and future generations. That's what's at stake.
Here's an update from HappinessWithout.com on the impact of plastics in the ocean, noting that about two-thirds of the ocean plastic in the ocean arrived from garbage left on the beach, flowing out of sinks or drains, or being swept by a river into an estuary. Poorly managed landfills located near the ocean, and even items flushed down the toilet are major culprits.
Here's a great article from https://addhelium.com about some of the world's most weird and wonderful creatures that could be among those jeopardized by plastic pollution. Take a look.