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April 26, 2016

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We must all pitch in to end plastic pollution

By Bradley J. Xu | April 26, 2016, Tuesday | Print Edition

IMAGINE going to a restaurant with your family and eating food that will kill all of you. This is what sea turtles are experiencing, along with many other marine animals.

Plastic pollution is lethal to marine animals. Studies show that one in three leatherback turtles have plastic in their stomachs. Plastic blocks the turtle’s digestive system; therefore making trapped food rot in their stomachs. Rotting food creates gases that are trapped because the digestive system is blocked. The trapped gas then makes the turtle buoyant. Unable to dive and feed, these turtles eventually die of starvation.

Plastic pollution will affect all members of the ocean. Since plastic doesn’t biodegrade, plastic does break down into tiny plankton-sized pieces that are often mistaken by shrimps and krill for food. Upon eating it, they die of malnutrition. These plankton eaters are on the bottom of the food chain, they support nearly every living marine animal in the ocean. If we lose them, the marine food chain will collapse leading to unimaginable catastrophes.

Last year, data showed that 10,000 marine animals were reported dead after their bodies were found on the beach with plastic in their stomachs. These dead aquatic animals are not the only ones affected. Tens of thousand of seabirds were reported with plastic in their stomachs. Plastic ingestion reduces the storage volume of the stomach, causing birds to consume less and ultimately starve. Data also shows that plastic pollution has been the main cause of unnatural death in aquatic animals, even beating overfishing.

The dead animals that wash up on beaches are only a tiny percentage of those that die. Perhaps, hundreds or even thousands die every day of plastic pollution. So, what can we do?

As global citizens, we should use as little plastic as possible. We have to bring our own reusable bags to the grocery store instead of buying single-use plastic bags. We must drink out of a reusable water bottle instead of purchasing bottled water. Since there aren’t a lot of companies that take the plastic at the end of its useful life to recycle it, we’ve got to reduce their usage of plastic. Stopping plastic pollution will require everyone to make an effort, not just one person. Everyone will have to work together to solve this crisis.

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