DOWN TO NATURE, DOWN TO EARTH: MARINE DEBRIS : You are also Responsible

ITS JUST THE BEGINNING

Mother Earth’s bursts of anger have been coming in lately with, shall I say, predictable regularity. El Nino, La Nina, glaciers melting, prolonged droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, landslides and mudslides, hurricanes, and fish kills are only some of the natural phenomena that baffle the best minds of humankind and for which no permanent cure is apparent. We cannot heal the manifestation of an ailment. It is the root cause that we cure.

Yet, we haven’t learned. We keep on bruising, flagellating, wounding, and harming the earth. Make that ourselves.

I don’t mean to be apocalyptic, but I remember the Holy Book speaks of the latter days when there will be famines, droughts, killer diseases, wars, and sounds of wars. We are heading towards the precipice of destruction, if we are not already in it.

Sunday, 17 April 2011

MARINE DEBRIS : You are also Responsible

What is marine debris? Marine debris is anything that is man-made and thrown away or lost in the ocean. Marine debris is usually from someone's carelessness. People throw trash away and litter, which enters the ocean where marine animals such as dolphins, fish and whales live. Examples of marine debris are plastic soda bottles, cigarette lighters and 6-pack rings. Someone probably threw them into the ocean or left them on the beach after they used them. If they are made of plastic, they float and they are not biodegradable. That means they will be around as a danger to marine life for a long time.
Where does it come from? Where Does it Go? Marine debris comes from many different places. It could come from a person that threw away trash on the beach or into a storm drain. It could come from a ship that broke apart or lost its fishing nets or some cargo. It's called flotsam if it was lost overboard, and jetsam if it was thrown overboard. Once it is in the ocean, it goes where the currents take it. It can go all over the world! Once, some people found a little rubber duck on a Maine, USA beach. They found out that the duck had been part of some cargo lost off a ship in the North Pacific Ocean eleven years earlier! (Harpers Magazine, January 2007)
Why is it a problem? Marine debris is a big problem around the world! Every year, marine debris harms animals and people, pollutes their habitat, and stops them from living happily. Some of the animals are endangered species. People don't notice what harm they are doing, so they just do it even more. It pollutes the water and can make people sick. It is a hazard for ships when they get stuck in the debris or hit it. It causes animals to choke, get sick, starve or drown. 6-pack rings choke many fish, turtles and marine mammals. Cigarette lighters are eaten by birds and fed to their chicks. Plastic bags wrap around coral reefs or get eaten by animals that think they are jellyfish.