In 2016, 320 million tons of plastic were produced around the world.
Their fossil fuels are destroying our atmosphere. Our oceans bear the weight of around 8 million tons of plastic every day.
The mass production, distribution, and waste of plasticware have created an epidemic of pollution harming our Earth’s oceans and wildlife, and have become a leading cause of climate change that is transforming the Earth’s weather patterns and disrupting natural life.
The very production of plastic itself is extremely detrimental to the environment. Carbon emissions from the oil and gas used to manufacture thousands of plastic products are released from factories and into the atmosphere leading to climate change. Approximately 12 million barrels of oil are used to make the 30 million or so plastic bags we use and throw away every day in the United States – and that’s just one type of plasticware. If these production methods continue to go on without further regulation, climate change will have an extremely negative impact on all aspects of life on Earth, from the air we breathe to our beautiful, vast, blue oceans.
A large amount of the plastic goods we discard end up in our oceans and invade the natural environments of marine life, which have lead to plummeting populations of many species due to ingestion, entanglement, or coming in contact with chemical substances. The buildup of this pollution is displacing marine life from their natural ecosystems and has disrupted the entire food chain in the process. According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, by the year 2050 our oceans will contain more plastic than fish by weight if we don’t take further action.
We see the effects of pollution on a daily basis, and there is no time left to let it go without further action. On this Earth Day, take time to celebrate our beautiful planet by protecting it – even an action as small as recycling your plastic bottle or using eco-friendly shopping bags is a step towards a cleaner earth, sky, and sea.
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