We Need To Shun Plastic!

It has been merely 60-70 years since the existence of plastic but even in such less time duration it has succeeded in bringing about a drastic change on the earth, most of with is negative.  The damage that the marine life is facing is harsh and irreparable. This has mostly happened due to the millions of tonnes of plastic that is dumped in the ocean every year.

The US oceans chief Lisa Svensson was heard saying, “This is a planetary crisis…We are ruining the ecosystem of the ocean.” Let’s get deeper into the problem.

Why Plastic is Bad?

Plastics have been designed in a way that allows them to last for a very long time. This is why most of the plastic ever created exists till today in some form of the other. Out of which around 6.3bn tonnes is waste and 79 % of which exists as landfills or natural environment. All this plastic gets mistaken by sea birds and other marine creatures for food. They eat it mistakenly and face the danger. Turtles are not able to distinguish between plastic and jelly fish, which is a part of their diet.

Another concern for the scientists is that when plastic degrades it gets broken into smaller fragments and gets mixed with the soil which can be very harmful in a long run.

By: Srishti Anand

Content: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42264788