Summer is sizzling and has some of us grabbing our gear for a weekend beach trip! Many feel a natural connection to the ocean as it covers 70% of our planet, houses fascinating marine life, and connects us all.
June 8th is World Ocean Day reminding us to celebrate the many wonders of our aquatic frontier.
This year’s focus is a call to action on plastic pollution. You may have seen the unsettling images of sea life fatalities; our plastics are reaching new shores that have never seen pollution before. Now is the time to address the issue before we create a world of plastic beaches.
Plastics are synthetic organic polymers created with petroleum. They are so long lasting that all the plastic that has ever been created still exists today, yet industries create more every day. Most marine plastics originate on land as litter. Once they enter our waters, plastics entangle marine life or erode into smaller particles that are then ingested. Every piece of litter we pick up on land helps the ocean and the life within.
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today“
Abraham Lincoln
Let’s answer the call to action for our oceans!
Here’s how we can start making a difference:
- Coordinate your own cleanup
- Bring a bucket for treasures and a bucket for trash – recycle what you can
- Leave no trace – leave only footprints behind
- Support an organization
- There are many groups forming their own cleanups. Become involved or consider making a donation.
- Not able to make it to the shoreline? There’s plenty you can do at home:
- Reduce packaging when grocery shopping
- Reuse as much as you can – bring your own bags or bottles
- Recycle right – stay up to date on your local municipality’s recycling guidelines
- Refuse single use plastics such as straws, bags and cutlery