Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Plastic Is Destroying the Environment and Killing Off Species of Birds and Animals

It is heartbreaking to see young birds dead in their nests with their craws full of plastic. This toxic substance is fed to them by mothers who pick it up in the ocean thinking it is food. Bottle tops that are the colour of prawns are easily mistaken for the real thing. Turtles, fish and other sea creatures are equally as confused.

Massive sways of plastic are seen floating on the oceans in huge drifts that could be easily retrieved if there was a mind to do it. The cost of the exercise should not be borne by one country alone but the developing countries have no incentive for people to avoid plastic and are among the worst polluters.

Rivers and their tributaries are also depositories for shopping bags, discarded goods and general rubbish in countries where civil services are lacking. Thailand, Burma, Vietnam and so forth are all places where this occurs. Dead fish are seen constantly floating in the polluted waters.

Fresh water is an essential commodity for life and when it is contaminated then we all suffer.

Unfortunately for the environment and for all life on earth there is no escape from plastic. It is used in every area of human endeavour and in all commodities. It has replaced paper as a suitable wrap for goods and it is used to protect them in transit. Even boxes of goods are now wrapped several times in plastic wrap to stop them shifting while in transit.

No comments:

Post a Comment