Right from the inception of the World Environment Day in 1974, This platform has globally stand to advocate and create public awareness and action in protecting the integrity of the environment.
This year's Environmental Day has it's theme as BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION. It's dated 5th June. Clarion call is being made to all to helping in galvanising mechanisms to combat plastic: the giant killer of our environment.
Well maybe you don't know much about plastics and why this year's call to action is being addressed against usage and production of plastics. Lets discuss few of them.
1.Plastics take long years to degradable. It can't easily decompose in landfill. Its easy for decomposing microorgsnism to break down organic compounds but not so with plastics because plastics are made of high structural carbon matrix, which its links cannot be easily broken by microorganisms.
Statistics from UN environment report captured the following mind blowing numbers at which plastics are trending.
13 million tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean each year. Surprisng right? This is being caused by deliberate act of careless folks who collect waste for money and end up dumping them into the Ocean. Also Storms, tornado, flooding and other causes also carry waste from nearby cities and towns and dump them in the ocean. Still humans are to be blamed not the natural occurrence because we expose them to it.
*100,000 marine animals are killed every year by plastics.
*Up to 5 trillion plastics are used every year.
*17 millions barrels of oil is used on plastic production every year.
*1 million plastic is bought every minute. ( I guess you just bought 1 before reading this)
*83% of tap water contains plastic particles
*90% of bottled water contains plastic particles.
*** 50% of plastic use are single use**
This year's World Environment Day will be hosted by India. India by far despite their challenges in waste management in previous years have proved outstanding in fighting against waste production. It's a good sign to see India host global experts and participant in addressing this challenge. Shout out to all Indians on steem. You are doing it bigger and better.
Four Thematic Areas this year's environment Day will seek to influence:
Reducing single use plastic
Improving waste Management
** Promoting research into alternatives**
Phasing out microplastics
This is new to me and i will cease the moment to highlight few words on it. According to the reports and the stats provided we aren't safe with this long effect we have been ignorantly harboring within. Traces of microplastic have been found in blood and lungs of people. It outrightly cuts accross all as we may depend mostly on bottled water on on tap water to quench our thirst.
Now you know that you are already being affect directly and indirectly by plastics let's join heads in this year's combat. You can influence your small environment by getting people on board to gather plastics that have been wrongly discarded.
This 5 R's of waste management really works. Go by it to help in your small way.
Refuse
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Recover
Thanks for joining in our plans to save the world.
Less i forget this is the slogan
If you can't reuse it, refuse it
Follow the #BeatPlasticPollution on all social media platform.
Sources
unenvironment.org
unenvironmentday.global