Protect and Restore!

Dear Diary,

How should one celebrate nature? Is responsibility towards the planet limited to venting on social media? What difference would it make to the status? It is a human mess, yet the creatures in the oceans are paying for our thoughtless actions.

How you ask?

With the drastic increase in plastic production and not enough capability to recycle, we have managed to hurl around 5.25 trillion plastic pieces in the ocean killing almost 100, 000 marine creatures every year with entanglement (There are no figures for the animals we lost in the past.) Unfortunately, this number is expected to grow much worse in the coming years.

Oceans need us.

Plastic pollution is affecting the lives of whales, sea turtles, sea birds, and other marine animals and their natural environment. Moreover, scientists claim that half of the world’s sea turtles have consumed plastic in their life span.

Why plastic is such a big deal?

Because it doesn’t go away, like never and ever. They break into small fragments called microplastics. Microplastic affects the life of smaller marine animals and automatically becomes part of the food chain affecting almost every species on this planet.

If one cares about the deep blue sea, one should start by respecting it rather than abusing it. Think about the future generations. What will the beaches look like twenty years from today? It is time to think about it.

Everyone can contribute to protecting and restoring the oceans on this planet.

• Organize, take part, and lead a river or a beach cleanup.
• Reduce the use of single-use plastic such as straws, water bottles, plastic bags, cups, and takeaway containers.
• Recycle the single-use plastic and reduce the new plastic production in circulation.
• Turn down plastic wherever possible.
• Avoid microbeads found in certain types of toothpaste, facial scrubs, etc. They enter the ocean through sewer systems and degrade the living environment of marine life.
• Talk to people about protecting and restoring oceans.
• Support people or organizations working towards this cause.

That’s all I have for now!

I will write to you soon,

Take care.