The-Accountant-July-Aug-2018

ENVIRONMENT
BEAT PLASTIC
POLLUTION
It is endangering lives
By Angela Mutiso
Plastics are severely choking
our environment. So unless
urgent steps are taken to
reduce their use, not only
will we lose our marine
life, but ailments like cancer, birth
defects, low immunity and several
other diseases might well be what will
wake us up to action, by which time, it
might be too late. The United Nations
(UN) has taken note of this. The World
Environment day is usually planned
according to a theme focusing on a
persistent environmental problem, The
UN’s theme for 2018 is beating plastic
pollution.
Every year, a different country
is selected to host this day, this is
followed by official celebrations in the
selected country. The emphasis is laid
on the environmental challenges the
host country is facing and how to deal
with it. The host this year was India
and the chief focus was plastics.
Plastics are brutally and rapidly
endangering the lives of humans and
animals, as well as birds and fishes.
In addition plastics are choking the
Earth… onegreenplanet says that
most of the Earth’s wildlife is in the
sea, which means that at least 260
other species of animals are also at
risk of ingestion or entanglement due
to plastic bag flotsam. They point out
that around the world, an estimated
one million birds and 100,000
marine mammals and sea turtles die
every year when they are trapped in
plastic or eat it, perhaps thinking it
is a tasty treat. In addition, single-use
disposable plastic bags are suffocating
the planet, with 60,000 plastic bags
being consumed in the U.S. every 5
seconds - onegreenplanet. Plastics are
made using non-renewable resources,
either petroleum or natural gas. They
don’t break down in landfill sites (due
to lack of oxygen and light- nothing
does), but over time they release
dangerous chemicals. They’re not
easy to recycle, causing problems like
blocking the sorting equipment used
by most recycling facilities. They bring
about extensive, global litter problems.
And that’s not all. Plastic bags are one
of the most common types of litter
worldwide. Their build-up are known
to block local drainage structures in
developing countries. They also create
serious health problems to populations
as over time they leach toxic chemicals
into drinking water supplies.
It is one of the biggest threats to
all whales and dolphins occurring
throughout the world’s oceans. It is
also endangering many sea creatures.
Remains of plastic bags decay in their
stomachs, and use up space for actual
food. And since they can’t be digested,
it doesn’t disappear from the sea even
after creatures like turtles who eat
them have long died because of it. This
44 JULY - AUGUST 2018