Following on from our article in the last edition regarding ‘Reducing plastic waste at Crofton’ one of our students has written about the effect of the use of plastics in the wider environment.
Plastic in our ocean - How our waste causes death to our wildlife...
For years we have used plastic as an essential resource for many products such as water bottles and small toys.As the years have advanced there has been an increasing amount of plastic going into landfill and much of the plastic, one way or another, ends up in our great blue ocean.Plastic in our ocean creates a huge impact on the sea creatures who live there, who mistake the plastic for food; eating it often results in the death of the marine animal. This also affects the whole food chain, which suffers from the consequences of one fish or sea creature’s death.
Additionally, ocean wildlife, such as turtles or even dolphins, get trapped in the plastic which gives them a high possibility of dying from exhaustion of desperately trying to get out, or even starvation if they are stuck in it and not able to move for days.When David Attenborough released Blue Planet, it showed to people how the ocean is being destroyed, as tons of plastic enters the life of sea creatures for the worst. It’s time to act for the ocean and stop the suffering of the beautiful creatures of our ocean.
Mark Langley, a frequent visitor to his local beach in Hill Head was asked for his opinion on the plastic crisis.“It is awful and what concerns me the most is that the plastic is breaking down into microscopic pieces. This means the fish can easily swallow it without noticing and when we eat the fish, it means we are also consuming the plastic. This could cause fatal illnesses in the future. The environment is our and our children’s future. We must stop killing it and start to care for it”. He, along with other members of the public, have seen a lot of plastic being washed up on the beach that could also cause damage to marine life.
“We must protect our planet as we only have one. We must stand together and help our ocean.Will you help?”
Amelie L (Year 8)
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