Monday Motivation : Protecting the natural world
/A huge source of motivation for us is to protect our natural environment. In recent consumer Western society we have become removed from the natural cycles of life and have lost respect for the Earth and its life giving resources.
Over the course of last year there were a number of studies and articles all highlighting the scary spread and impact of plastics on our natural environment which we hope is slowly rebuilding our connection and respect for the planet and a wish to live in a way that will reduce and correct the harm we have been causing.
We are saddened but not surprised by the results of a recent study of 50 animals from 10 different species that had died from a variety of causes found washed up on the coastlines of the UK. The study of the animals, that included dolphins, porpoises, seals and whales revealed that each one had ‘microplastic’ particles in their stomachs and intestines. The vast majority of particles found were synthetic fibres that may have been shed by clothes or fishing nets. Others were fragments of originally larger pieces that could have come from plastic food packaging and bottles.
Lead researcher Sarah Nelms, from the University of Exeter, said: “It’s shocking - but not surprising - that every animal had ingested microplastics.” She expressed concern that long-term exposure to plastic pollution could damage the health of Britain’s marine mammals: “They eat all sorts but it will reach a tipping point and really affect their health. It’s important to have this baseline study so we can monitor how they adapt – or don’t adapt – to the changes that are coming.”
Globally one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into the Ocean every minute and at current rates it will be 2 trucks per minute by 2030 - we have to radically change our habits to stop this from happening. The more people who make the change to package-free / zero-waste shopping the less plastic waste there is and that keeps us going and motivates us to make sure package free shopping is accessible for people to make the switch. Hopefully the reduced demand for packaged goods will also lead to bigger industry change.
Info and image from MCS UK article here , Guardian article here and World Economic Forum here . Full study report here
