2017年2月14日火曜日

Plastic Pollution II - 海洋プラスチック汚染 2

It is not only wrapping which is made of plastic but, if you look around, you will notice so much plastic integrated into your daily life.

your washing pegs, tupperware, toothbrush, biros, pen-stands, clocks/watches, baskets, files, umbrellas, dustbins, chests of drawers and even bathtubs... They all can be made of plastic.

your drink from a vending machine or convenience store - How many plastic bottles become waste every day in the whole country? 

your drink from a cafe or convenience store - Hot drinks will be poured in a paper cup with a plastic lid. Cold drinks will definitely be in a plastic cup with a plastic lid with a plastic straw. Milk and sugar-syrup in a neat plastic container can be given with a plastic stir-stick.

your hobbies - Many DVD cases, fishing lines, planting pots, golf balls, children's insect-keeping baskets are made of plastic.

When you name them, the list goes on forever, which tells us all about our convenient and comfortable lives with plastic. 

BUT!!

Is the price we have to pay for the convenient and comfortable lives to eat plastic?!

Well, it is a disturbing idea and not many people will have thought about the possibilities that the plastic bottle in front of them now may eventually end up in their body, especially in Japan where plastic pollution is not acknowledged.

It is not only for us, humans, of course. Plastic waste has already had a huge impact on other living creatures.

To see examples, you just need to type 'plastic pollution' into Google search. There will be thousands of horrifying images of, for example, dead seabirds full of lids of plastic bottles in their guts and turtles deformed by six-pack plastics or fishing lines, as well as thousands of images of floating waste covering the water surface.

The plastic waste has made headlines all over the world.

'Norway whale starves to death after swallowing 30 plastic bags'
(It had to be put down after scientists realised it would not survive since it had became badly malnourished by the plastic bags in its stomach.)

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/norway-whale-starves-death-after-swallowing-30-plastic-bags-1604860

'Plastic in 99 percent of seabirds by 2050'

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150831163739.htm

'More plastic than fish in the sea by 2050 says Ellen MacArthur'

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur

Our convenient life, our comfortable life, and our insatiable desire..
The price for that may have become something we have never imagined.



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