Oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate our climate, produce over half the world’s oxygen, drive many economies, and provide us with ingredients for food and medicine. Yet, while we reap the benefits, ocean environments are suffering.
Annually, 8 million tons of plastic wind up in the ocean, creating choking hazards for wildlife, like birds and turtles. Worse, it is breaking down into microplastics, which some animals may mistake for food and ingest. For example, there have been documented cases of sea turtles starving to death because their stomachs are full of plastic.
Humans are also eating plastic. Microplastics are finding their way into our food and water supplies. According to plasticoceans.org, we may eat 40 pounds of it in our lifetimes, or the equivalent of one Lego every week. Scientists are not yet sure what this means for our health, but it becomes more apparent every day that we need to make some changes.
