While there is not a clear direction
on where to go to stop the assaults on the ocean, people are continuously
trying to find several good solutions. There isn't just one answer to fixing
this problem. Many actions need to be in place.
1. Consumers need to be conscious of how much plastic they
are using, especially plastic that is used for a very short time, for example
snack packaging. Regardless if consumers can reduce the amount of plastic they
are buying or not, they need to recycle what they can. If more people recycled
and kept trash off the streets, less plastic would get into waterways, thus
getting into the ocean.
This is just the starting point however. Recycling and
reducing plastic use will help safeguard against the issue getting worse, but
it will not help the current situation. To do this, we need people
actually getting on beaches and in the ocean and picking up the plastic. This
is much easier to do on shores, however inventions like Slat’s make it possible
to filter the ocean as well.
2. The movement needs to also begin reaching not just younger
generations, but older generations as well. The common phrase that is thrown
around by people over the age of 30 is:
“It doesn't matter to me, I won't
be here when the world’s forests are gone and the ocean is too polluted to hold
life”.
This statement is incorrect. Not only are
people on average living longer, but if civilization keeps on the path it is
currently on it is possible for there to be no marine life existing in the
ocean within the next 50 years.
3. To combat this issue, there needs
to be more newspaper articles or word of mouth about trash in the ocean. I will
be using the hashtag: #PlasticPlague to spread the word about protecting the
ocean against trash.
If these actions were in place and implemented soon, the
ocean could still recover.
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