Reduce Plastic Waste: The impact on the natural world

Plastic has plenty of negative effects but especially on the natural world. Biodiversity is disappearing quick and one of the main causes is plastic. Plastic is being eaten by these poor animals who mistake it for delicious food. This is the case for nearly 700 species of marine animals. From fishes to turtles to sharks, many animals are getting affected and suffering-even dying because of our irresponsibility of not disposing of plastic rightly. 

Five animals impacted by plastic pollution and how you can help protect them | Oceana Canada

                                 Image by Rachele Young on Oceana Canada

“Marine plastic pollution is found in 100% of turtles, 59% of whales, and 36% of seals in recent studies”(100+ Ocean Pollution Statistics & Facts). Around the globe, 100,000 marine mammals die every year because of plastic. 

“Fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic each year, which can cause intestinal injury and death and transfers plastic up the food chain to bigger fish, marine mammals, and human seafood eaters' ' says Ocean Plastics Pollution. Fish species like groupers and tuna are most affected by plastic because they are predators that hunt other fish which are most likely to have ingested plastic. Until this date, 386 species of fish are known to have indigested plastic. From those 386 species of fish, 210 are important for the economic growth of local and international places.

Plastic is also harming coral reefs which then is a disturbance to the ecosystem under the sea. Coral are tiny creatures with living tissue that clasp to and grow on each other to form reefs. The living tissues are damaged when plastic debris is present in the water. Coral reefs are shelters to over a million diverse and incredible species. Since coral reefs are disappearing at a fast rate as the result of plastic pollution, many species have no home to go to and are dying. They are either being eaten by other larger animals, captured by fishermen, or die because of the water pollution and microplastics in the waterbody. 

Thousands of seabirds ingest plastic every year that has been thrown around by humans. Plastic is found in 90% of seabirds in the world. It won't be long until 100% of seabirds have plastic inside them. Whether they indigested or digested plastic, this proves that plastic pollution is a real issue and we need to take action now. 

a gull with plastic in its mouth                              Image by EDUCATION IMAGES, UIG/GETTY on National Geographic

So, you might wonder, why care about the natural world? Well, you wouldn't be surviving without the biodiversity of planet Earth. They not only provide more color to the world but are very crucial for our living. For example, most trees provide oxygen. If they aren't alive, then, we won't be able to breathe and the planet will be too hot to survive on. That will result in no existence of human beings. No more listening to the latest music by Taylor Swift if you don't take care of planet Earth. 

This planet does not belong to humans or anyone/anything else. We don't own it but yet we act as if we do and this is a threat to biodiversity. We are dependant on nature and we must respect it. Each of us must do little or a lot to help our planet to thrive or we won't survive, along with the billions or even trillions of other species. It's going to be worse than the time dinosaurs got extinct because of an asteroid so do your part to reduce plastic waste and save planet Earth! 

Have your say on my post in the comment section below!

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