Hi Everyone,
I'm a new kid on the block here, so first off, thanks for having me!
Recently, I have been extremely bothered with the knowledge that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch cannot be rectified any time soon, at least according to experts. I like to check in every so often and see how scientists and environmentalists are coming along with monitoring it, and I found out that there is really no way to stop it. Well, there is a way, but it involves people. As long as people continue to consume and discard plastics, the patch will grow. Even if we make every effort to recycle, there is a small chance that one piece of plastic will fall by the wayside, and make it's way into the ocean. The harm being done to marine life breaks my heart; Every time I think or hear about the patch, I literally feel like I've been punched in the stomach and my eyes water.
The patch has been receiving more media attention within the past year, but for yet another unfortunate reason: the March Tsunami. Since the tsunami has created a swath of debris, we now have to worry about that as well. The tsunami debris will likely be addressed, but what about the patch? Do we seriously have to stand by and watch it grow? Of all the great scientific minds out there, is there really no one who could somehow come up with a solution? What will it take before something is done?
Sometimes I become enraged when I think about all of the harm that is being done to our environment. Just today, I was stopped at a red light and my mind began to wander. Something caught my eye: I watched a cigarette butt dancing across the road, carried by the wind to some place where it will take years to break down... likely amongst other undegradable objects. I began to wonder: Who smoked that cigarette? Was it a man, a woman? Was this person even aware of what they were leaving behind? Did they feel any guilt at all, even a slight iota? What if it was a person who thinks that littering is no big deal? What if that person has children, and in turn teaches them that it's okay to litter? Perhaps they did feel guilty, but for some reason decided it was more convenient to just toss it out there on the street?
I had to stop myself from pondering; the anger was overwhelming. The more I ruminated, the more images I saw flashing in my mind of the environment, animals and mother earth in distress. The imagery is terrible, and actually causes physical pain. Just like when I think or hear about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and all of its billions of tiny little pieces of destruction.
How much more can this planet handle? Will the human race-in its entirety-ever get back to the point of truly cherishing the earth and all of her living creatures?
Emm
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