Every year we produce 300 million tons of plastic, using more than 17 million barrels of crude oil. Over 8 million tons of that plastic ends up in our oceans; the oceans are home to five gyres of plastic that resemble small islands.
Plastics don’t go away; they just break down into smaller pieces. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a swirling mass of tiny micro plastics, is one of a number of garbage patches located in our earth’s oceans. Reusing, recycling and refusing plastics is the only way to decrease this phenomenon.
By 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastic in the world’s oceans than fish. Every human being on earth depends on the oceans. We have the responsibility to protect the oceans and their inhabitants, so they remain for future generations.
Click here to learn more by listening to an 8-minute interview on ocean garbage patches from the National Ocean Service (NOAA) here.
We can make a difference by reducing our use of plastics. Easy items to stop using are straws, Styrofoam cups, and single-use water bottles. Click here to view an 18-minute TED talk “Can One Straw Change the World?”
What can you do?
- Say “No” to disposable plastic whenever possible.
- Choose items that are not packaged in plastic.
- Choose glass, paper, stainless steel, wood, ceramic and bamboo over plastic.
- Carry your own bags, containers and refillable water bottles.
- Say “No” to plastic straws.
Click here to visit the Catholic Climate Covenant website for more ideas.
