Back in November 2017 we had a massive wake-up call by Sir David Attenborough and his team in Blue Planet II “Our Blue Planet”. With over millions of views we knew at that moment we had to make a change. The episode tackled the heart-wrenching segments on how we’re killing our sea creatures by showcasing a Hawksbill turtle tangled in a plastic sack and how the plastic pollution is killing whales through the chemical contamination.
“Surviving in the open ocean has always tested animals to their limit, but today they face a new additional threat. Plastic.” says the broadcaster.
Every single sea life creature is at threat and it’s because of us.
In numbers | Plastic in the sea
300 million - tons of plastic produced globally each year
12 per cent - amount of plastic which is recycled
Five trillion - pieces of microplastic in ocean, with one rubbish truck load added each minute
11,000 - pieces of microplastic ingested by humans each year from seafood
780,000 - microplastics humans will ingest by the end of the century if trends continue
8.5 billion - plastic bags used in English supermarkets annually before 5p charge
6 billion - estimated bags removed from circulation annually at last count, an 80% reduction.
12 minutes - useful lifespan of average plastic bag
It has been recorded that even sea creatures in the deepest places known to us in the deep blue, have plastic in their stomachs. These results are heart breaking. Without realising it we are killing every single living creature in the ocean.
Sir David himself has named plastic, along with global warning, as the biggest threat to our sea life.
Within the program the Blue Planet team picked up every piece of plastic they found floating around. We can only hope and imagine that if you’re out and see some, whether it be in the sea or even just out on the street, to pick it up and throw it away.
It isn’t just within the oceans the problem has occurred, our wildlife above the water is also suffering the consequences of our actions. People are constantly finding animals distressed and wrapped in plastic, causing them to panic, blister, choke and worse. We have massive responsibility to keep this planet clean and safe not just for us but for those who have no say or action in the matter.
Even though plastic has thousands of uses, take more time to think about the plastics you’re using and if they really are necessary.
Re-use your shopping bags, pack food in re-usable containers, say no to a plastic straw etc. All of this plastic we don’t actually need.
Thankfully this wake-up call has already created change and many people are stepping up creating fantastic ways of what to use instead of the deadly stuff; Bamboo toothbrushes, pasta straws, plastic free tins and so much more already created to help save our home and the life within it.
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