While we are all glued to the situation in hospitals where people are dying every day because of COVID-19, there’s also an unseen devastation that’s happening in our oceans
The radiation from Fukushima, for instance, bled into the ocean when the Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant was damaged during the 2011 earthquake in Japan. What was released are dozens of radioactive elements in large quantities.
This effort is led by Circle Economy, an international movement that aims to change everything that humanity has done within the past two centuries to give way for a better future without trash.
Today, at least 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris can be found in the ocean. 269,000 tonnes of that is floating on the surface while a staggering 4 billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer is scatter deep in the sea.
This concept was inspired by an initiative made by the New York Harbor School called the “Billion Oyster Project” that aims to restore one billion live oysters in the waters of the New York Harbor by 2035.
What scientists call the “wow factor” of ocean trash is a huge wake up call for the world’s population, especially with the effects being increasingly felt around the world. It’s about time that we get our act together and find solutions to clean up this mess.
Most of us are using plastic now more than ever because it’s easy to use, affordable and durable. So, it’s not surprising that plastic has started to accumulate not only in dumpsters but also in places where they shouldn’t be.
According to studies, the leading causes of ocean pollution include industrial waste, sewage, thermal pollution and nuclear waste.
The world has become highly dependent on plastic without even noticing it. But now, we are slowly drowning in plastic and it’s doing more harm than good to the only planet we call home.
It all started with a documentary called “Chasing Coral” where a team from The Ocean Agency was able to film an extraordinary site in New Caledonia’s coral reef. The corals looked like they were glowing, but their rare vibrant colours weren’t because they were beautiful. It was a sign that they were dying.
